The calendar year is coming to a close. You can take advantage of your health insurance benefits by scheduling a comprehensive eye exam or eye procedure before the end of the year.
If you haven't maximized your health insurance benefits, it's time to take action. One of the best ways to stretch your healthcare dollars is to schedule appointments and procedures after you meet your annual deductible. Your healthcare deductible is the amount you must pay for covered medical procedures before your insurance company begins to contribute.
Most deductibles reset on Jan. 1, so now is the time to evaluate whether you should schedule a comprehensive eye exam or cataract surgery. If you meet your deductible, your out-of-pocket responsibility for an elective eye procedure could be considerably less.
Importance of Comprehensive Eye Exams
Yearly eye exams are important for people of all ages and are essential for preventive care. Eye exams test more than your vision. They provide an assessment of your overall health. During a comprehensive eye exam, your doctor will test you for focusing problems, eye diseases and refractive errors (like nearsightedness, farsightedness and astigmatism).
Some of the most common eye diseases include the following:
Cataracts: a clouding of the eye lens that will affect everyone at some point
Glaucoma: a family of eye diseases that affect the optic nerve
Macular degeneration: a condition that destroys a person's sharp, central vision
An eye exam can often detect conditions like hypertension and high cholesterol. If you have diabetes, you are at increased risk for cataracts, glaucoma and macular degeneration. Therefore, it is essential to have regular eye exams to manage your condition and preserve your vision.
Why You Should Schedule an Eye Procedure at an Ambulatory Surgery Center (ASC)
If your ophthalmologist detects an eye disease like a cataract, you can have it removed with cataract surgery. The good news is that you don't have to schedule cataract surgery or an eye procedure at a hospital. An ambulatory surgery center (ASC) is a less-expensive option and offers exceptional patient care.
An ASC is often smaller than a hospital, which makes it easier to navigate, and it usually has convenient parking. In addition, most procedures at an ASC will be more cost-effective because they don't have all the overhead costs of a hospital. Finally, an ASC dedicates itself to specific procedures like cataract surgery rather than emergency procedures, so your appointment is less likely to get delayed or rescheduled.
Make an Appointment With an Ophthalmologist
Have you met your deductible already? Schedule your procedure before the end of the calendar year to take full advantage of your health plan's benefits. Your deductible will reset soon, so contact your insurance company to verify your status.
Are you looking for a board-certified ophthalmologist? It is simple to locate one of our eye care centers. Our centers are located nationwide, and our doctors are accepting new patients. Call today and request an appointment before the end of the year.