Key Takeaways
- A refraction test helps you find the right glasses or contact lens prescription.
- Regular exams look at overall eye health while refraction focuses on clear vision.
- The test checks for issues like nearsightedness and astigmatism.
- Vision insurance often helps cover the cost of a routine refraction test.
A Way to Check Your Prescription
A refraction eye exam is a specific vision test that helps our team at Total Vision Novato determine the prescription that you need for glasses or contact lenses. These tests differ from comprehensive eye exams in that they don’t check the health of your eyes or well your eyes work together.
The Difference Between Refraction & Regular Eye Exams
A routine visit to an eye doctor in Novato usually involves several different tests. The refraction portion of your eye exam is designed to check whether you need vision correction.
A full comprehensive eye exam looks much deeper into your overall eye health. During this appointment, you eye care team will check the health of the structures inside your eye, including the blood vessels and nerves. They’ll also look for signs of eye diseases that might not cause immediate symptoms.
Eye doctors typically perform a refraction eye exam alongside a comprehensive exam. This combination gives a complete picture of your vision needs and eye health.
Common Vision Conditions Discovered During Refraction Exam
Nearsightedness and Farsightedness
Nearsightedness makes faraway objects look fuzzy. If you have this condition, you might struggle to read the board in a classroom or recognize faces from across the street.
Farsightedness creates the opposite experience, making close-up objects blurry.You might find it hard to read a book or look at your phone screen.
Both of these conditions are caused by the way that your eyes focus light.
Astigmatism and Age Related Changes
Astigmatism occurs when the front surface of your eye is irregularly shaped, resulting in blurry vision at all distances. You might also notice that light sources at night look stretched out or have halos around them.
Presbyopia is an age-related change. It usually happens after 40, when the natural lenses of your eyes start to lose their flexibility. If you have presbyopia, you might find yourself holding menus farther away just to read the small text. Reading glasses often help manage this condition.
What to Expect During Your Appointment
The process often starts with you reading an eye chart from about 20 feet away. This helps establish a baseline for your current visual clarity.
Your eye doctor will then use a machine known as a phoropter to show you different combinations of lenses. You’ll tell your eye doctor which lenses produce clearer vision, and this will help them determine your prescription.
Insurance Coverage and Payment Details
Health insurance and vision plans often handle eye exams differently. Medical insurance covers appointments related to specific health issues or eye injuries, but usually doesn’t cover the routine refraction test for glasses.
On the other hand, dedicated vision plans are designed to help manage the cost of vision correction. These plans usually cover the refraction test and offer allowances for frames or contact lenses. It’s helpful to review your benefits before your visit. A quick phone call to your provider can clear up any confusion.
Original Medicare normally excludes coverage for routine vision tests entirely. You might need a supplementary plan or separate vision coverage to help manage these costs. Our office staff can always help explain your benefits when you arrive.
Call our office at Total Vision Novato to set up an appointment and take the next step toward clearer vision.
