APPOINTMENT POLICY

Patients are encouraged to book early. No walk-in appointments. Late arrivals >15 mins might not be able to be seen.

Pre-registraton

Appointment reminders are texted 3 days in advance. The message will contain a link to our important pre-registration form and will include the word, "Phreesia," (our patient intake software). You cannot be seen unless the preregistration has been completed. Paper registrations are also available.

CANCELLATION POLICY

Cancellations with <24 hour notice and no shows may be subject to a $50 fee.

INSURANCE, REFERRAL AND PAYMENT POLICY

Children's Eye Care of Los Gatos bills contracted insurance companies only. Please call ahead or inquire when booking the appointment if your plan will be accepted. If any questions arise, please contact your insurance company. Payment of co-pays, deductibles and any non-covered services is expected at the time of the visit.

If you participate in SCCIPA, you will need a referral. This is obtained through your Primary Care Provider (PCP) for all new patients and those not seen within the last 3 years. Our office obtains referrals for existing patients and follow ups. Patients without the necessary referral will be rescheduled.

Our participation in your insurance plans does not necessarily mean your specific insurance plan or coverage will pay for the visit. Each plan is different and we do not know what charges will be covered or what charges your insurance company will tell us to bill you for ahead of the visit. You, the insured, will be responsible for payment of any charges not covered by your plan. The office accepts Visa, MasterCard, Discover, American Express, and Apple Pay.

Our office is NOT contracted with vision plans like VSP, EyeMed, or Blue View. Our office is also NOT a contracted provider with Covered California under any carrier. We do not accept MediCal or Valley Health Plan and are not able to see patients with this coverage even as self pay due to legal constraints. If you have any other out-of-network insurance plan other , you have the option to private pay and submit the claim for out of network benefits.

Refraction

Refraction is done to determine whether you are nearsighted, farsighted, have astigmatism and whether glasses are necessary, or need to be changed. This is a very important part of the complete eye examination, especially in children who may have amblyopia (lazy eye), strabismus (crossed eyes), who are less than 5 years old, or have failed a vision screening examination. Most importantly, it will determine how well you can see. If your vision cannot be corrected with glasses, you may have some form of eye disease.

Although a refraction is extremely important,many medical insurance companies do not pay for this service. Some medical insurance plans cover refractions for children under age 18; however, you should contact your plan for specific information. Our charge for a refraction is $85 for an established patient and $95 for a new patient. If you have a vision insurance plan, such as Vision Service Plan (VSP), Medical Eye Services (MES), or EyeMed, most of this charge may be covered on an out of network basis. Remember, vision insurance is designated to cover routine eye examinations for refractive errors (myopia-nearsighted, hyperopia-farsighted, astigmatism, or presbyopia-reading glasses over the age of 40). Medical insurance will cover the portion of the eye exam that is not routine and may include medical eye conditions such as amblyopia, strabismus, cataracts, glaucoma, etc.

It may be possible for us to perform an eye examination in order to be sure you have no serious eye disease without performing a refraction; however this will be up to the sole discretion of the physician at the time of service. Ideally, a complete eye examination should include a refraction, especially if you cannot see well.