Help Center

Do I need a Costco membership to be seen for an exam at your office?

No, we can see you for an exam even if you don’t have a Costco membership. If you want to purchase eyeglasses or contact lenses at Costco’s optical department, however, you will need a membership.

Do you take the same vision insurance plans as Costco?

I don’t have my insurance card with me, can I still receive treatment?

If you know your vision insurance provider, we can sometimes look you up by identifiers such as name, date of birth, or last 4 of your social security number. If you are not the primary insurance holder, we may need his or her information as well. 
If we can’t verify your insurance eligibility for an exam but you still wish to be seen, we can provide an itemized receipt you can try to submit to your insurance for reimbursement.

How much will my copayment be?

The copayment varies depending on the insurance plan. After we verify your eligibility to use your vision insurance, we will go over this with you.

What is your new patient procedure?

After we schedule your eye exam appointment, we will send either a text or e-mail confirmation of your appointment and instructions on how to access the Patient Medical History form that you will need to fill out before your appointment. If you choose not to be contacted by e-mail or text, you will be asked to check in for your appointment 10 minutes early to fill out the Patient Medical History form. 
If you are using vision insurance, information about it will be collected prior to your appointment to verify eligibility. 
We also ask you to bring any previous eyeglasses, contact lens boxes/ foils, or copies of your previous prescriptions for eyeglasses or contact lenses.

I don’t like having my pupils dilated. Do I have to get that done?

While pupil dilation allows for a better examination of the interior of eye, we understand that pupil dilation can be inconvenient and uncomfortable. For this reason, we also have the option of checking the eyes with the Optomap retinal camera, which can take ultra-widefield images of the retina. In many cases, this retinal imaging can be done in lieu of pupil dilation. Your doctor can discuss both options with you.

What can the Optomap show?

Optomap retinal images can detect conditions like macular degeneration, glaucoma, and retinal detachment. It also screens for signs of diabetes, hypertension, stroke, and cancer in the eyes. When repeated over the years, it can also be used to monitor progression of these conditions.

How do I know if I can wear contact lenses?

During the exam, the doctor checks the eyeglass prescription and eye health and can discuss with you if you are a good candidate for contact lenses and what options you have. You also need to be able to insert and remove contact lenses on your own, which we can assist you with. If you are booking your appointment online, choose the option for contact lens exam. Even if you or the doctor decide contact lenses are not for you, we would like to schedule you extra time in case we proceed with the contact lens fitting.

Is the contact lens prescription the same as the eyeglass prescription?

Eyeglass and contact lens prescriptions may have similarities, but they are not the same. Because eyeglasses and contact lenses sit at different distances from the eyes, the prescription strength may not be the same.  Contact lens prescriptions also have to specify the brand/material, curvature, and size of the lens.

Why is a pediatric exam different from an adult eye exam?

We screen for different conditions in children and adults and use different tools and tests to check for these. In children, we perform functional exams to check for vision issues that may affect a child's ability to learn. Eye teaming, focusing, and tracking are just some of the visual skills checked during a pediatric exam. In some cases, an exam without cycloplegia or retinoscopy may miss (or even misdiagnose) a problem the child is having. Here is some useful information on this.

How often should I come in for an eye exam?

The frequency of eye exams needed not only depends on how much the vision seems to change year after year but also on a person's medical and ocular history. A good article from the American Optometric Association explaining what risk factors warrant an annual examination can be found here.

I have medical insurance but not vision insurance, can I receive eye care at your office?

Which insurance to use on an eye exam can sometimes be tricky, but here's the main difference: When you are coming in for a routine check up to update an eyeglass or contact lens prescription, that is billed under your vision insurance. If you are being checked for a specific medical condition (cataracts, glaucoma, eye infection, diabetic retinopathy, etc.), then your medical insurance is what you will use for the exam. The only medical plan we currently take is the one offered to Costco employees.

What information is available on the patient portal?

You can access the patient history form, eyeglass and/ or contact lens prescriptions and educational forms shared by the doctor on the patient portal.

Would you have my records if I were seen at another Costco location for my last eye exam?

The optometrists inside Costco are independent from Costco and from one another. If you purchased glasses or contact lenses from Costco, the prescriptions can be pulled from the optical with your permission. If there is anything specific from your last exam you would like to have re-examined, we suggest obtaining the records from your previous provider for continuity of care.

I see different levels of contact lens fitting, which one do I need?

The contact lens fitting is based on your prescription and ocular status. For example, if you have none or very little astigmatism prescription, you most likely will need a spherical lens fitting. If you have significant astigmatism, you may be fit in toric soft contact lenses. However, if you have irregular shaped corneas, you may be fit in custom rigid gas permeable lenses. And, if you require different prescription strengths to see distance and close up, the doctor may recommend a multifocal or monovision contact lens. These are things that will be discussed during the exam if you want to be fitted in contact lenses.

I've been wearing the same brand of contact lens for years, why do I have to get a contact lens exam to get my prescription renewed?

Our eyes, the way we use our eyes, and our environment change over the years. Besides checking the strength of the contact lens correction, eye care professionals assess the contact lenses regularly to make sure they are not causing harm to your eyes or increasing your risk of eye infections.