Good vision is not just the result of healthy eyes-it also depends on an intact link between the eyes and the vision centers of the brain. The Eye Institute provides a Neuro-Ophthalmology service for diagnosing and treating diseases that affect anatomical structures behind the eyes which are essential for vision.
These include the optic nerves, the muscles moving the eyes and extensive regions in the brain and brainstem that provide for the conscious experience of vision and coordinate the joint movements of our eyes. These structures are often involved in neurologic disorders such as blood perfusion problems (“stroke”), multiple sclerosis, brain tumors and infections and can lead to a great variety of visual disturbances. Any age group can be affected. However, optic nerve diseases and strokes are more common among older people.
Symptoms of neuro-ophthalmic conditions can include blurred vision, double vision, asymmetrical pupils, eyelid or facial contractures, eye or head pain, and unexplained vision loss. If you experience a sudden onset of any of these symptoms, seek help immediately. Neuro-ophthalmic disorders can lead to blindness and may even indicate a life-threatening condition.
Neuro-ophthalmic diseases cover a wide range of conditions, and Eye Institute physicians treat them in a variety of ways. Some conditions respond to medication, while symptoms like double vision can be eased with prism eyeglasses that restore single vision. Surgery is an option for some disorders in this class. For serious cases of thyroid eye disease, for example, surgeons can enlarge the eye sockets to relieve the outward pressure on the eyes.
For some neuro-ophthalmic disorders, the best course of action is simply to monitor the progress of the disease. Eye Institute physicians have a whole range of diagnostic tools for tracking eye disease progress, including ultrasound, ocular photography, electrophysiology and optical coherence tomography. In addition, the full scope of radiologic diagnostic options including CT scans, CT angiography and advanced MRI techniques are available.
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Understanding Your Vision and Medical Insurance
Routine Vision Exam
A routine vision exam usually covers:
- A vision screening
- An eye exam
- A refraction (the test used to determine your glasses prescription)
- A prescription for glasses
Contact Lenses
If you wear contact lenses, there may be an extra fee for a contact lens fitting. Coverage for this varies by plan, so please check with your vision insurance provider.
If a Medical Issue Is Found During Your Exam
During your eye exam, your doctor may identify a medical condition such as dry eye, an eye infection, diabetes-related changes, or another issue that requires medical care.
If this happens, your doctor may recommend one of the following options:
- Return for a separate medical visit.
- The medical visit would be billed to your medical insurance.
- Your routine vision exam would remain billed to your vision insurance.
- This is necessary because vision and medical insurance cannot both be billed on the same day.
- Address the medical issue during the current appointment.
- The current appointment would be billed to your medical insurance instead of your vision insurance.
- You would return another day for the routine vision exam, which would be billed to vision insurance.
- Please note that refraction (the test used to determine your glasses prescription) is not covered by medical insurance.
Your doctor will help you choose the option that best meets your individual care needs.
Questions About Costs
For an estimate of your out-of-pocket cost, please call Patient Financial Services at 414-777-0539. Please note, Medicare and most medical insurance plans do not cover refraction. The refraction service will be billed to you.
