​​​​​​​What to Expect

The unknown is often a source of fear for people, and not knowing what to expect at an eye examination all too often prevents people from obtaining necessary preventive care. At Bainbridge Eye Care, we do all we can to make your eye exam a pleasant and worthwhile experience.

We take pride not only in improving your vision, but also in educating you all along the way during your exam. You will leave after your appointment with a fuller understanding of the health of your eyes.

Below is a step-by-step guide for what to expect from our examinations. All in all, you’ll be in our office for about an hour for an annual exam.

Our Exams

Upon arrival for your eye exam, we will ask you to complete some forms (if you haven’t already done so via the links above) so that we can get a better understanding of your medical and eye history. Pre-testing collects basic refractive and anatomical data.

When your exam begins with Dr. Bainbridge, he will evaluate eye alignment, eye teamwork, and other functions. If you are a contact lens wearer, he will evaluate the lens fit at the microscope. If needed, he will then carefully determine your prescription for eyeglasses to give you the best visual result after the examination. The eye’s internal pressure is measured to test for glaucoma using the gold-standard test, Goldmann tonometry. There are no unpleasant air puffs used.

Next, your pupils will probably be dilated using drops. Although some people do not like to have eye drops, it is a very important part of the examination that allows a much better view of the internal components of the eyes. Dilation can be reversed if you desire by using special dilation reversal drops. Once the drops have taken affect (about 15-20 minutes), a thorough evaluation of the front and back segments of the eye is performed to check for all eye diseases, including cataracts, macular degeneration, glaucoma and diabetic changes, among other conditions.

When you leave the office, you may find it blurry and bright outside if your pupils were dilated. The vast majority of patients see well enough to drive safely afterward. If you do not feel comfortable driving, you should have another responsible adult drive you home. If you do not already have sunglasses, we will provide you with disposable sun protection to wear until your pupils return to normal (generally about 3-4 hours without reversal drops and about one hour with reversal drops).

Payment Options

Bainbridge Eye Care Associates believes in providing the best value for you and your family. We have products and pricing that aims to accommodate all budgets and our office participates in most insurance programs. For patients who have little or no vision benefits coverage, flexible payment programs may be arranged. To learn more about our payment options, please call our office directly.

Our office accepts cash, check, and all major debit and credit cards including MasterCard, Visa, American Express and Discover, as well as CareCredit.

Don’t forget to use your:

• Flexible Spending Plans

• Health Savings Accounts (HSA)

• Medical Savings Accounts (MSA)
  
  

All of the above plans can be used for all your eye care and eyewear needs, including eyeglasses, contact lenses, routine office visits and medical office visits.

CareCredit

The CareCredit card is available to help people pay for health care expenses, often with an introductory period that is interest-free. We accept CareCredit for all of our services. To learn more or apply for the card, visit Care Credit here.

Insurance

Medical Insurance Aetna, Amerihealth, Cigna, Medicare, Personal Choice, Keystone Health Plan East, United Healthcare and others.

Vision Insurance Vision Service Plan (VSP), Vision Benefits of America (VBA), EyeMed, Aetna, and others.

​​​​​​​If you do not see your plan listed, please call us to find out if your plan covers care in our office. Our staff will verify and explain your benefits before your visit at no charge.