This fee covers the extra tests performed by the doctor along with any necessary follow-up visits and trial lenses. These procedures are only done on patients that wear contacts; it is in addition to the services provided during the annual eye exam.
Insurance companies view most contact lenses as elective vision correction and generally offer a discount towards the contact fitting fee. In rare occasions, insurance companies may consider contacts as medically necessary and cover a portion or all of a contact fitting, such as those for patients with conditions like keratoconus. Most insurance companies take the position that if your vision can be corrected with glasses, then contacts are not medically necessary and therefore are not covered as extensively as glasses and your annual eye exam. If you believe that should change, then we urge you to contact your insurance company and discuss the matter with them.