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Medical Forum / General / Vision / November 2005Contact lens exam from Optometrist and/or Ophthalmologist
I need to have an annual exam for glaucoma, so I just completed a visit to my ophthalmologist. He gave me a complete eye exam and gave me my eyeglass prescription. When I asked about getting the prescription for my contacts, he said I'd have to see an optometrist (presumably the one in his office) to get that; that it was a different exam. I asked if I would save some money since I already had an eye exam (I have to assume the exams are at least similar), and the answer was no. In all the time I've had contacts, I've never had to go to two different doctors. Is this a new way of operating (I'm in Illinois), or just a way for the MD to generate revenue for an affiliate? Scott It's called "specialization." It is a different CPT code. The glaucoma exam is a 99*** code, whereas the contact lens fitting is a 92*** code. These are the codes that are submitted to the insurance companies for billing. DrG > I need to have an annual exam for glaucoma, so I just completed a visit > to my ophthalmologist. He gave me a complete eye exam and gave me my [quoted text clipped - 11 lines] > > Scott Ophthalmologists specialise in eye disease, optometrists specialise in vision. There's a lot of overlap, but you'll get the best result if you go to the 'specialist'. So see your ophthalmologist for glaucoma and see your optometrist for contacts. It may be that the optometrist doesn't like to use the eye exam from the ophthalmologist because as far as the success of contacts is concerned, the buck stops with him/her so he wants to start from scratch with the measurements etc. This is certainly how I operate if someone comes to me wanting contacts, even though they've just had another eye exam somewhere else recently... I would start from scratch. Dom Dom - Thanks for the advice. I certainly understand what you're saying, especially if the patient just came in with a eye exam of questionable reliability. But with these two Doctor's working together, it seems there ought to be some way to help out the patient as far as the cost of the eye exam is concerned. Scott The refractions at alot of Ophthomoligists offices are done by the techs. The doc just makes sure you can see reasonably well with the refraction. Let the MDs do the medical and let the ODs do the vision refractions! Carl > Dom - > [quoted text clipped - 7 lines] > > Scott > Let the MDs do the medical and let the ODs do the vision refractions! Or just let the OD do both, which is what they are trained to do. Otherwise you're wasting money. DrG > > Let the MDs do the medical and let the ODs do the vision refractions! > > Or just let the OD do both, which is what they are trained to do. > Otherwise you're wasting money. Just curious. Do you treat glaucoma? I don't know where you are at. In California, where I live, an OD can get a special license to prescribe medicine. My private practice OD did this.  SignatureDan Abel dabel@sonic.net Petaluma, California, USA > I don't know where you are at. In California, where I live, an OD can > get a special license to prescribe medicine. My private practice OD did > this. Every state licenses optometrists to prescribe, to some degree. -MT > > I don't know where you are at. In California, where I live, an OD can > > get a special license to prescribe medicine. My private practice OD did > > this. > > Every state licenses optometrists to prescribe, to some degree. Interesting. My OD made a big point of the fact that he took the training, took the test, passed the test and got the special license. I really don't know any other details. SignatureDan Abel dabel@sonic.net Petaluma, California, USA > Interesting. My OD made a big point of the fact that he took the > training, took the test, passed the test and got the special license. I > really don't know any other details. It can be a big deal, for someone who graduated before the priveleges became standard. It took about 25 years for all the states modify their legislation. Some states have especially stringent requirements for prescribing certain categories, like glaucoma drugs. -MT Yes, I treat glaucoma, and everything else covered under my license, including orals. DrG |
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