What is a refraction fee?
A refraction is the test that is performed to determine your eyeglass prescription. A refraction may be performed by either the doctor or a technician, and typically involves questioning along the lines of, “Is 1 better than 2?” Medicare and many other insurance plans consider a refraction to be routine medical care not covered under their medical coverage, so this amount is charged separately and is paid directly by the patient. Medicare secondary insurance plans will also not pay the charge since it is not a Medicare-covered service, so the $25.00 fee is to be paid by the patient.
When is my payment due?
Copays and deductibles are due at the time of service. We will send a statement for any co-insurance due for office exams, although patients with no insurance coverage or no routine coverage will be expected to pay at the time of service. For surgery patients, we will ask for pre-payment of co-insurance and deductible amounts if those amounts can be verified in advance with your insurer. Payment arrangements can also be made at the time of service for patients who need assistance.
Will I receive more than one bill for surgery?
Patients undergoing surgery at Midwest Eye Surgery Center or a hospital will typically receive three different bills: from the surgeon, the anesthesia provider, and the surgical facility. Patients undergoing elective surgery at the Omaha Surgical Center will be asked to pay the entire cost of the surgery to Midwest Eye Care at least seven days prior to the scheduled surgery.
Will you file my insurance claim?
Because insurance claim filing is complex, Midwest Eye Care will file insurance claims for all patients as long as we are provided with complete billing information. This information is typically included on an insurance identification card, and we will copy that card at the registration desk. We will not file claims for routine coverage if we do not participate in the routine vision plan.
There are some instances, however, when we know in advance that the insurance company will not pay the claim, and thus we will ask for payment at or prior to the time of the service. Examples of these services include refractive surgery, deductible amounts for covered surgery, routine exams, refraction fees and all optical purchases.
Does my insurance plan cover my visit/surgery with you office?
Midwest Eye Care attempts to contract will all major health insurance carriers in the region for medical and surgical care. We accept assignment for Medicare, Medicaid, Blue Cross Blue Shield, United HealthCare, Mutual of Omaha, Coventry Nebraska, and Midlands Choice, among others.
The only routine vision insurance plan we currently participate with is Vision Service Plan (VSP). We do not participate with EyeMed and Spectera (United Healthcare's routine plan). However, we do provide discounts to patients of the following insurers and employers who wish to utilize our services outside their formal vision plan:
- Blue Cross Blue Shield of Nebraska (10% off exam charge if paid at time of service, and 17.5% off optical charges. Disposable contact lenses are excluded.)
- United HealthCare (10% off exam charge if paid at the time of service, and 20% off optical charges. Disposable contact lenses are excluded.)
- Mutual of Omaha (20% off optical charges. Disposable contact lenses are excluded.)
- Employees of The Nebraska Medical Center and First National Bank of Omaha are eligible for reduced exam fees (if paid on the date of service) and optical discounts. These employees should contact their human resource departments or Midwest Eye Care for more information.
In some instances, patients have the option of paying an additional insurance premium to their employer for routine eye care and eye wear coverage. Many routine vision plans offer only a limited number of frame and/or lens options under their standard coverage, so the cost of the additional premiums and upgrade costs may outweigh the benefits of the vision plan.
What fees are charged for insufficient funds (NSF) checks?
We consider check payments to be a promise from you that funds will be available when the check is presented to your bank. If we are notified of a NSF check by our bank, a $25 charge will be added to your account balance. The outstanding balance will be immediately referred to a collection agency and reported on your credit record.
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