Why Seniors Shouldn't Play Around with Their Eyesite
by Academy Eye Associates
The American Optometric Association has recommendations for how often adults need to get their eyes examined and those recommendations v...
For Our Patients
At Academy Eye Associates, we understand how patients want to feel when coming to our offices. We understand a first-time visit can be stressful and overwhelming from filling out paperwork, learning new faces and names, and even getting to know your way around the office. So, we have worked hard to keep our eye doctors and staff trained to make your visit easy, stress-free, and relaxing.
We know your time is valuable, so this section of our website allows you to get all information about payments, insurance, and office forms from the comfort of your home. It is proven, filling out paperwork before your visit not only allows more quality time with your optometrists or opticians but also reduces the feeling of being rushed while in the office.
To get started, review these pages, print out our office forms, and don’t hesitate to contact us at any time with questions. Thank you for choosing us, we look forward to seeing you soon!
Prepare for Your First Visit
Office Forms
Download Office Forms to Speed Up Your Appointment
For your convenience, and to save you precious minutes during your experience with us, we have provided our office forms below. Click each to download, print, and fill out. Please contact us with any questions you may have.
Welcome to our Office Forms
Please choose the office in which you will be seen:
Durham Academy Road Office
Optos Retinal Imaging Information
Chapel Hill Martin Luther King Jr Blvd Office
Optos Retinal Imaging Information
Insurance Policy / HIPAA Office Policy
Order Contacts
Thank you for inquiring about ordering contacts or seeking to fulfill a replacement order. Be certain to select the office and eye doctor you want to contact. This email will go to the general information mailbox for the office you have chosen and if you want to contact an individual doctor, please visit the Meet the Doctors page.
Insurance & Payment Details
What is the difference between Vision Insurance and Medical Insurance?
There is significant confusion regarding these two types of insurance coverage. Many people have both types of these insurances.
Vision insurance plans cover ROUTINE eye care only. Examples of this are nearsighted, farsighted, and regular astigmatism. These Vision insurance examinations are wellness exams meant for more routine examinations. Vision insurance often covers a portion of glasses or contact lenses and contact lens services. If the doctor diagnoses a medical-related eye problem during this routine examination, you will need to return for further testing and evaluation to assist in the diagnosis and management of the medical issue.
Medical health plans do not usually cover routine examinations for nearsighted, farsighted, and astigmatism. Most medical health insurance’s do not cover glasses, contact lenses, or contact lens evaluations and fittings. Medical insurance is to be used when the patient needs to have a medical eye-related evaluation. Medical eye insurance-related examples are eye infections, glaucoma, glaucoma suspect, cataracts, macular problems, diabetic eye issues, flashes of light or floaters evaluation, or other disease-related eye problems.
It is not always possible to know before seeing a patient which insurance plan will be used. That is depending on the diagnosis of the patient's problems. It is common the vision exam is used first, then the patient returns for further medical eye evaluations on a later visit.
Both types of insurance have co-pays and or co-insurance that vary with the insurance plan. If both types of insurance are needed, another evaluation visit is scheduled. Each visit will have its respective insurance co-pay on each date of service.
Insurance plans Academy Eye Associates, OD participates with :
(Each office and provider varies with the insurance plans they participate with )
Important: Please check your individual plans benefits for more specifics about your benefits and co-pays
Information & Links
Interesting Vision Information and Links
These useful links will provide you additional information about vision, eye care, eyeglasses, contact lenses, research, low vision, eye disease and treatment information. These links will open a new window to view the external site.
The Foundation for Fighting Blindness
The Foundation for Fighting Blindness is an organization that raises money to fund medical research to develop treatments for vision loss. They are a membership organization and deserve your support. They are an excellent resource for current information on research written in easy language. They have a newsletter you can subscribe to.
National Eye Institute
The National Eye Institute (NEI) sponsors research into treating the causes of vision threatening diseases as well as providing objective information about eye care and current treatment choices including LASIK. There is no better authority and source of information about eye care!
Ocutech Low Vision Aids
Ocutech Low Vision Aids represent the newest devices to enhance vision of those with macular degeneration and other visual impairments.
Glaucoma Information
Glaucoma is a group of diseases that can damage the eye’s optic nerve and result in vision loss and blindness. Glaucoma occurs when the normal fluid pressure inside the eyes slowly rises. However, with early treatment, you can often protect your eyes against serious vision loss.
Cataracts
A cataract is a clouding of the lens in the eye that affects vision. Most cataracts are related to aging. Cataracts are very common in older people. By age 80, more than half of all Americans either have a cataract or have had cataract surgery.
Macular Degeneration
Age-related macular degeneration (AMD) is a disease associated with aging that gradually destroys sharp, central vision. Central vision is needed for seeing objects clearly and for common daily tasks such as reading and driving.
Facts About The Cornea and Corneal Disease
The cornea is the major lens of the eye. Keeping it clear and healthy is important for sharp vision.
Fun sight for kids of all ages to learn about the eyes!
The See All You Can See website is brought to you by the National Eye Institute (NEI), part of the National Institutes of Health. The NEI is the U.S. government’s lead agency for research on eyes.
Retinitis Pigmentosa
An excellent review of current knowledge about this eye disorder.
