Southcoast Eye Care, Inc.


Home Our Doctors Our Procedures New Patient Visiting Our Office Your First Visit Payment and Insurance Optical Shop Internet Discount Coupon Contact Lenses Coming Soon Order Contact Lenses Online Medical Eye Info Contact Us Directions Site Map Privacy Policies		Visiting Our Office Appointments Our staff will be pleased to assist you in any way possible and every effort will be made to accommodate your schedule. Our office hours are Monday through Friday from 8:30 a.m. through 5:00 p.m. with late Thursday and Saturday appointments available. To schedule an appointment please call (508) 995-8200. Members of our staff are fluent in both Portuguese and Spanish. Emergencies Our office has a physician on-call for emergencies, 24 hours-a-day, 7 days-a-week by calling (508) 995-8200 and speaking with our answering service. What is an eye emergency? * Sudden vision loss * Sudden or prolonged blurred vision * Eye pain * Light sensitivity, which is greater than usual * Mucus discharge or matting * Double vision of sudden onset * Flashes of light * Excessive burning or itching Your First Visit Depending on your medical status and your optical needs, your initial eye exam will take approximately 1/2 hour to 1 hour. Please arrive 15 minutes early to fill out the necessary forms. You can help us to provide you with a thorough examination by bringing the following: Your insurance cards The name of your primary care doctor All of the medications you are taking and a list of any allergies to medications Your most recent pair of eye glasses or contact lenses, if any Please feel free to download and print our Patient Information form located on our Forms and Files page. This form is necessary to create and update your information. Copies of the form are also available at the office. Your eyes may be dilated, which means they will be sensitive to light, and your near vision will be blurry. They will remain dilated for about 3-4 hours. We highly recommend that you bring someone with you who can drive you home after the exam. If you are seeing one of our ophthalmologists, your exam will begin with a technician recording a complete medical history, checking your vision and intraocular pressure, as well as other tests, based on your individual needs. The doctor will evaluate the test results and examine the health of your eyes in order to determine if there are any medical problems or a need for new glasses. The doctor will discuss the findings of the exam, and treatment options if necessary for you. Any questions or concerns you may have will also be addressed at this time. During your visit, please feel free to ask any questions about your eyesight. We will be glad to answer those questions and provide you with additional written information that we have available.
		Back to Top Payment and Insurance Health Care Plans We participate in most health insurance plans and will be glad to submit a claim on your behalf. In many circumstances, you are responsible only for applicable co-payments and deductibles before the visit. However, not all insurance plans cover routine eye care, which would mean that, payment is required on the day of your exam for all services not covered. It is important to realize that insurance companies have different plans such as HMO’s, PPO’s, and POS. Please check your insurance handbook or check with your insurance company before scheduling an appointment to be sure that we are a participating provider. It is important to bring your insurance cards with you for every office visit. Some plans require you to obtain authorization for services from your primary care provider. It is your responsibility to obtain this authorization from your primary care provider. If this information is required by your insurance company, this should be done prior to visiting our office. Failure to obtain a valid referral may result in the patient being financially responsible for any charges incurred. Private Insurance Carriers – No Insurance Payment is expected at the time of your visit for all services and procedures unless prior arrangements are made. If you have insurance coverage through a carrier with which we do not have a participating agreement, we will provide you with a receipt which has procedure and diagnosis codes necessary to submit for reimbursement. Our billing department is always here for your assistance. Medicare We are a participating provider with the Medicare program (accepts assignment). This means that, with a valid signature on file, we will file all claims, and accept the amount approved by Medicare. (Medicare pays 80% of the approved amount and the patient is responsible for the remaining 20% and any deductible not satisfied to date by the patient) Medicare covers all “medically necessary” services. Medicare does not cover routine eye exams and refractions (examination for glasses) and, therefore, payment for these examinations is due at the time of service. Refraction Policy The refraction portion of the eye exam is performed to determine if glasses, or a change in your current spectacle correction, will provide the best possible vision of the eye. A written prescription is given if this would be helpful in improving an individual’s visual acuity level. Please be aware that most insurance plans, including Medicare, do not cover this portion of the eye examination. If you have a separate Vision Plan that covers routine eye examinations, please let us know since it may assist you with your eye care needs that are not covered by your medical plan. For your convenience, we accept VISA, MasterCard, Discover, bank debit cards and personal checks. Back to Top


		300A Faunce Corner Road, Suite 101, North Dartmouth, MA 02747 Office Hours: 8:30am to 5:00pm Tel. (508)995-8200 ~ Fax. (508)995-4631 © 2006 Southcoast Eye Care, Inc. ~ Last Updated: August 8, 2008