Cleveland Clinic website: Eye Exam: What to Expect (accessed March 2024): my.clevelandclinic.org.
Sydney Health is offered through an arrangement with Carelon Digital Platforms, a separate company offering mobile application services on behalf of your health plan.
Anthem Blue Cross is the trade name of Blue Cross of California. Anthem Blue Cross and Anthem Blue Cross Life and Health Insurance Company are independent licensees of the Blue Cross Blue Shield Association. Anthem is a registered trademark of Anthem Insurance Companies, Inc.
1067150CAMENABC 03/24
Your vision health is important. Use theSydneySM Health app or visit anthem.com/ca to find vision coverage details specific to your plan and access digital tools like Find Care.
Photochromatic
These are lenses that change from clear to tinted when exposed to sunlight, eliminating the need for separate prescription sunglasses.
Lenticular
These are for people with a very high prescription. Lenticular lenses are thinner and flatter, providing a cosmetic advantage by reducing the magnified or minified look of the eyes caused by high-prescription lenses.
Standard progressive lenses
Think of these as the all-in-one version of the trifocal lens, but without the visible lines. These lenses provide a seamless graduation of lens strength from distance at the top to reading at the bottom.
When you choose new eyeglasses, the type of lens you choose is important. Each one has its own purpose and advantages, depending on your needs.
Trifocal
These are similar to bifocal lenses, but with an extra section that helps you see objects at an intermediate range, about arms' length. These too have visible lines separating the sections.
Single vision
This is the most common type of prescription lens, used for either distance, intermediate, near vision, or reading glasses. Single vision means the lens has a single corrective power throughout it.
Bifocal
These lenses have two distinct sections. The main part is normally for distance, but there’s also a smaller section for reading or close work. A visible line separates these two areas.
Whichever you choose, remember that each one of these lenses is designed to bring your world into focus and make you feel comfortable in your glasses. Talk to your eye care professional during your vision visit, and they'll help you select the right lenses for your needs.
Blue-light blocking
If you spend a lot of time looking at screens, a coating to block blue light can reduce digital eye strain and may help improve sleep quality.
Tinted lenses
These can reduce eye strain in bright conditions.
Lens add-ons can enhance your comfort and protect your glasses.
UV protection
Similar to how sunscreen protects your skin, this protects your eyes from harmful ultraviolet rays.
Anti-scratch coating
To protect your glasses from day-to-day wear and tear, this coating makes your lenses more resistant to scratching.
Anti-reflective coating
This reduces glare and reflections, making your eyes more comfortable and your eyewear look more attractive by eliminating distracting reflections.
Types of lenses
Types of lenses
Types of lens add-ons
Types of lens add-ons
Different types of eyewear and lens treatments
Select types below to learn more.
Select each term for more details.
Before your eye exam, the doctor will talk to you about your health and family health history. Then they will perform several tests which are a key part of maintaining your vision health. Here are common terms and procedures you may come across during a vision visit.
Don’t worry if these terms sound complicated. Your eye doctor will explain everything to you. Every test has its own purpose, and they all work together to give you a complete picture of your eye health.
What to expect during a routine vision visit
This machine takes a guess at what your eyeglass prescription may be. You look into the machine and see an image while the machine makes it clearer or fuzzier. Your responses help the machine estimate your prescription.
This is usually the first thing you'll do. With one eye covered, you'll read from a chart with letters that go from large to small. This gives the doctor an idea of how well you can see from a standard distance.
This assesses your peripheral or 'side' vision. You might look at a screen and press a button each time you see a flash of light.
You look at images or numbers within a circle of colored dots. If you can't see the numbers or image, this might suggest color blindness.
This maps out the front surface of your eye (the cornea). You'll look into a machine that creates a detailed image of your eye. This helps the doctor assess your eye's health and fit contact lenses.
A bright light is shone into your eye and the doctor looks through a magnifier, which allows them to view the retina and other areas at the back of your eye. This helps in detecting conditions like diabetes, macular degeneration, or optic nerve disease.
This exam gives the doctor a thorough look at the front parts of your eye, including eyelid, cornea, iris, and lens, using a low-powered microscope combined with a high-intensity light source.
This quick, painless test helps measure the pressure inside your eyes, which is important in detecting glaucoma. It may involve a short puff of air onto your eye, or a gentle instrument touching your eye after numbing drops are applied.
Eye screening
Eye screenings are brief assessments to identify potential issues.
What it covers:
Basic eye health check. Detects red flags or abnormalities.
Limited scope. Varies but your primary care doctor may give you one during a yearly checkup. A pediatrician may give one to children or they may receive one at school.
How often should you get one? Typically done yearly or as recommended by your eye care professional.
How your plan covers it.
An eye screening by your primary care doctor or child’s pediatrician is covered by your medical plan.
Comprehensive routine vision exam
A comprehensive vision exam is a thorough evaluation of your eye health that focuses on how well you see and determines any need for corrective lenses (glasses or contact lenses).
What it covers:
Visual assessment. Checks how clearly you can see (visual acuity), refractive errors, and eye muscle coordination.
Retinal imaging. Captures detailed images of the retina using specialized cameras.
Refraction test. Determines your prescription for corrective lenses.
Eye health check. Basic assessment of eye health, including a closer look at parts of the eye that can be seen from the outside, like eyelids and pupils, and checking eye pressure.
Other tests such as dilation, a slit lamp exam, and testing for glaucoma.
How often should you get one? Typically done yearly or as recommended by your eye care professional.
How your plan covers it.
A routine comprehensive vision exam is covered by your vision plan when you see an eye care professional in your plan’s network.
Medical eye exam
A medical eye exam goes beyond vision correction and focuses on diagnosing and managing eye conditions or diseases.
What it covers:
Diagnosis and treatment. Evaluates eye health, identifies diseases (like glaucoma or cataracts), and provides treatment plans.
Chronic condition management. Monitors existing conditions, like diabetes-related eye conditions.
How often should you get one? As needed based on health history and risk factors.
How your plan covers it.
A medical eye exam is covered by your medical plan.
Use the arrows to select each type of screening and exam available. This can help you make informed choices about your eye health.
An optometrist spends four years in a professional program and earns a doctor of optometry degree. They specialize in regular vision care and primary healthcare for the eye. An optometristcan:
Perform routine eye exams and visiontests.
Prescribe and fit eyeglasses and contactlenses.
Monitor eye conditions related to diabetes and otherdiseases.
Detect and treat conditions like cataracts, dry eye, andglaucoma.
They’ll refer you to an ophthalmologist if you need medicine or surgery to treat an eye condition.
Ophthalmologist
An ophthalmologist is a medical doctor who specializes in optical care and can treat complicated eye conditions with surgery or other procedures. These eye doctorsoffer:
Vision services, like eyeexams.
Care for conditions like glaucoma, iritis (inflammation of the iris, the colored part of your eye), and chemicalburns.
Diagnosis and treatment of eye conditions related to other diseases, such as arthritis ordiabetes.
Plastic surgery, to raise droopy eyelids or smooth outwrinkles.
Optician
An optician isn’t an eye doctor and can’t give you eye exams. They are trained to help you choose eyeglass frames. They also ensure that glasses and contact lenses fit properly. You can visit an opticianto:
Check your lensprescriptions.
Order, adjust, and repair eyeglass frames, lenses, and contactlenses.
Take facialmeasurements.
Help you choose lenses and frames that work best for you.
Primary care doctor
Your primary care doctor may give you a basic eye screening as part of your annual physical. They may recommend you see an eye care professional if you’re experiencing eye pain or need your eyes dilated for a better look inside them.
Different types of eye care professionals
Allowance
The set amount of money your plan gives you to put toward your frames, contact lenses, or other eye care essentials.
Copay
The set amount you pay for each vision service at the time of your visit.
Exclusions
Certain services or procedures that may be excluded from your vision coverage, such as more than one eye exam per year.
Frequency
Vision plans have time limits on how frequently you can use a service. Some limits may be once every 6 months, once every 12 months, or once every 2 years, depending on the plan.
In-network
Eye care professionals who have agreed to offer discounted rates on products and services to those with certain vision plans. You will often pay less out of pocket when you visit an eye care professional in your plan’s network.
Limitations
Coverage or age limits your vision plan places on certain services or procedures.
Premiums
The amount paid either by you or your employer for your vision plan each month. This amount may be automatically deducted from your paycheck.
Know your vision plan’s vocabulary
Allowance
Allowance
Copay
Copay
Exclusions
Exclusions
Frequency
Frequency
In-network
In-network
Limitations
Limitations
Premiums
Premiums
Select each term for the definition.
Anchor 1
Most standard plans cover exams and materials. There are plans that cover an exam only or materials only. Check your plan details and documents on anthem.com for your specific coverage.
Eyeglass lens enhancements
Lens enhancements include anti-glare or anti-scratch coatings and often cost extra. Vision benefits cover these, with little to no copay, so you'll pay less.
Eye exams
Regular eye exams are important. They not only determine your need for eyeglasses or contact lenses, but they can also catch eye diseases early. Your vision benefits include routine eye exams with little to no copay helping you maintain eye health without worrying about big bills.
Eyeglass frames and lenses
If you need glasses, your vision benefits help you with these costs. They provide allowances toward frames, and $0-$25 copays for standard plastic prescription lenses, which include single vision, bifocals, or trifocals.
Contact lenses (instead of eyeglass lenses)
If you prefer contact lenses, instead of eyeglasses, your vision benefits include an allowance for either conventional (non-disposable) or disposable lenses.
Select each tile for more details.
What your vision benefits cover
Many of us put our vision to the test every day with reading, driving, and spending time on a computer or phone. Your vision benefits are here to help you take care of your eyes — and help catch health issues earlier.
Understanding how your vision benefits work and what your plan covers
Your vision benefits play an important role in protecting your overall well-being.
Please check your individual plan details for exact coverage information.
Cleveland Clinic website: Eye Exam: What to Expect (accessed March 2024): my.clevelandclinic.org.
Sydney Health is offered through an arrangement with Carelon Digital Platforms, a separate company offering mobile application services on behalf of your health plan.
Anthem Blue Cross is the trade name of Blue Cross of California. Anthem Blue Cross and Anthem Blue Cross Life and Health Insurance Company are independent licensees of the Blue Cross Blue Shield Association. Anthem is a registered trademark of Anthem Insurance Companies, Inc.
1067150CAMENABC 03/24
Your vision health is important. Use theSydneySM Health app or visit anthem.com/ca to find vision coverage details specific to your plan and access digital tools like Find Care.
Types of lens add-ons
Types of lenses
Photochromatic
These are lenses that change from clear to tinted when exposed to sunlight, eliminating the need for separate prescription sunglasses.
Lenticular
These are for people with a very high prescription. Lenticular lenses are thinner and flatter, providing a cosmetic advantage by reducing the magnified or minified look of the eyes caused by high-prescription lenses.
Standard progressive lenses
Think of these as the all-in-one version of the trifocal lens, but without the visible lines. These lenses provide a seamless graduation of lens strength from distance at the top to reading at the bottom.
Trifocal
These are similar to bifocal lenses, but with an extra section that helps you see objects at an intermediate range, about arms' length. These too have visible lines separating the sections.
Bifocal
These lenses have two distinct sections. The main part is normally for distance, but there’s also a smaller section for reading or close work. A visible line separates these two areas.
Single vision
This is the most common type of prescription lens, used for either distance, intermediate, near vision, or reading glasses. Single vision means the lens has a single corrective power throughout it.
When you choose new eyeglasses, the type of lens you choose is important. Each one has its own purpose and advantages, depending on your needs.
Types of lenses
Whichever you choose, remember that each one of these lenses is designed to bring your world into focus and make you feel comfortable in your glasses. Talk to your eye care professional during your vision visit, and they'll help you select the right lenses for your needs.
Blue-light blocking
If you spend a lot of time looking at screens, a coating to block blue light can reduce digital eye strain and may help improve sleep quality.
Tinted lenses
These can reduce eye strain in bright conditions.
Lens add-ons can enhance your comfort and protect your glasses.
UV protection
Similar to how sunscreen protects your skin, this protects your eyes from harmful ultraviolet rays.
Anti-reflective coating
This reduces glare and reflections, making your eyes more comfortable and your eyewear look more attractive by eliminating distracting reflections.
Anti-scratch coating
To protect your glasses from day-to-day wear and tear, this coating makes your lenses more resistant to scratching.
Types of lens add-ons
Different types of eyewear and lens treatments
Select types below to learn more.
This maps out the front surface of your eye (the cornea). You'll look into a machine that creates a detailed image of your eye. This helps the doctor assess your eye's health and fit contact lenses.
A bright light is shone into your eye and the doctor looks through a magnifier, which allows them to view the retina and other areas at the back of your eye. This helps in detecting conditions like diabetes, macular degeneration, or optic nerve disease.
This exam gives the doctor a thorough look at the front parts of your eye, including eyelid, cornea, iris, and lens, using a low-powered microscope combined with a high-intensity light source.
This quick, painless test helps measure the pressure inside your eyes, which is important in detecting glaucoma. It may involve a short puff of air onto your eye, or a gentle instrument touching your eye after numbing drops are applied.
You look at images or numbers within a circle of colored dots. If you can't see the numbers or image, this might suggest color blindness.
This assesses your peripheral or 'side' vision. You might look at a screen and press a button each time you see a flash of light.
This machine takes a guess at what your eyeglass prescription may be. You look into the machine and see an image while the machine makes it clearer or fuzzier. Your responses help the machine estimate your prescription.
This is usually the first thing you'll do. With one eye covered, you'll read from a chart with letters that go from large to small. This gives the doctor an idea of how well you can see from a standard distance.
Select each term for more details.
Before your eye exam, the doctor will talk to you about your health and family health history. Then they will perform several tests which are a key part of maintaining your vision health. Here are common terms and procedures you may come across during a vision visit.
Don’t worry if these terms sound complicated. Your eye doctor will explain everything to you. Every test has its own purpose, and they all work together to give you a complete picture of your eye health.
Visual acuity
Tonometry
Automatic refraction
Visual field
Color vision test
Coreneal topography
Ophthalmoscopy
Slit-lamp exam
Visual acuity
This is usually the first thing you'll do. With one eye covered, you'll read from a chart with letters that go from large to small. This gives the doctor an idea of how well you can see from a standard distances.
Visual acuity
Automatic refraction
This machine takes a guess at what your eyeglass prescription may be. You look into the machine and see an image while the machine makes it clearer or fuzzier. Your responses help the machine estimate your prescription.
Automatic refraction
Visual field
This assesses your peripheral or 'side' vision. You might look at a screen and press a button each time you see a flash of light.
Visual field
Color vision test
You look at images or numbers within a circle of colored dots. If you can't see the numbers or image, this might suggest color blindness.
Color vision test
Cornealtopography
This maps out the front surface of your eye (the cornea). You'll look into a machine that creates a detailed image of your eye. This helps the doctor assess your eye's health and fit contact lenses.
Corneal topography
Ophthalmoscopy
A bright light is shone into your eye and the doctor looks through a magnifier, which allows them to view the retina and other areas at the back of your eye. This helps in detecting conditions like diabetes, macular degeneration, or optic nerve disease.
Ophthalmoscopy
Slit-lampexam
This exam gives the doctor a thorough look at the front parts of your eye, including eyelid, cornea, iris, and lens, using a low-powered microscope combined with a high-intensity light source.
Slit-lamp exam
Tonometry
This quick, painless test helps measure the pressure inside your eyes, which is important in detecting glaucoma. It may involve a short puff of air onto your eye, or a gentle instrument touching your eye after numbing drops are applied.
Tonometry
What to expect during a routine vision visits
Eye screening
Eye screenings are brief assessments to identify potential issues.
What it covers:
Basic eye health check. Detects red flags orabnormalities.
Limited scope. Varies but your primary care doctor may give you one during a yearly checkup. A pediatrician may give one to children or they may receive one at school.
How often should you get one? Typically done yearly or as recommended by your eye careprofessional.
How your plan covers it. An eye screening by your primary care doctor or child's pediatrician is covered by your medical plan.
Comprehensive routine vision exam
A comprehensive vision exam is a thorough evaluation of your eye health that focuses on how well you see and determines any need for corrective lenses (glasses or contact lenses).
What itcovers:
Visual assessment. Checks how clearly you can see (visual acuity), refractive errors, and eye musclecoordination.
Retinal imaging. Captures detailed images of the retina using specialized cameras.
Refraction test. Determines your prescription for correctivelenses.
Eye health check. Basic assessment of eye health, including a closer look at parts of the eye that can be seen from the outside, like eyelids and pupils, and checking eyepressure.
Other tests such as dilation, a slit lamp exam, and testing forglaucoma.
How often should you get one? Typically done yearly or as recommended by your eye careprofessional.
How your plan covers it. A routin ecomprehensive vision exam is covered by your vision plan when you see an eye care professional in your plan’s network.
Medical eye exam
A medical eye exam goes beyond vision correction and focuses on diagnosing and managing eye conditions ordiseases.
What itcovers:
Diagnosis and treatment. Evaluates eye health, identifies diseases (like glaucoma or cataracts), and provides treatmentplans.
Chronic condition management. Monitors existing conditions, like diabetes-related eye conditions.
How often should you get one? As needed based on health history and riskfactors.
How your plan covers it. A medical eye exam is covered by your medical plan.
Use the arrows to select each type of screening and exam available. This can help you make informed choices about your eye health.
An optometrist spends four years in a professional program and earns a doctor of optometry degree. They specialize in regular vision care and primary healthcare for the eye. An optometristcan:
Perform routine eye exams and visiontests.
Prescribe and fit eyeglasses and contactlenses.
Monitor eye conditions related to diabetes and otherdiseases.
Detect and treat conditions like cataracts, dry eye, andglaucoma.
They’ll refer you to an ophthalmologist if you need medicine or surgery to treat an eye condition.
Ophthalmologist
An ophthalmologist is a medical doctor who specializes in optical care and can treat complicated eye conditions with surgery or other procedures. These eye doctorsoffer:
Vision services, like eyeexams.
Care for conditions like glaucoma, iritis (inflammation of the iris, the colored part of your eye), and chemicalburns.
Diagnosis and treatment of eye conditions related to other diseases, such as arthritis ordiabetes.
Plastic surgery, to raise droopy eyelids or smooth outwrinkles.
Optician
An optician isn’t an eye doctor and can’t give you eye exams. They are trained to help you choose eyeglass frames. They also ensure that glasses and contact lenses fit properly. You can visit an opticianto:
Check your lensprescriptions.
Order, adjust, and repair eyeglass frames, lenses, and contact lenses.
Take facialmeasurements.
Help you choose lenses and frames that work best for you.
Primary care doctor
Your primary care doctor may give you a basic eye screening as part of your annual physical. They may recommend you see an eye care professional if you’re experiencing eye pain or need your eyes dilated for a better look inside them.
Choose the next arrow for details on each type.
Different types of eye care professionals
Allowance
Copay
Exclusions
Frequency
In-network
Limitations
Premiums
Select each term for the definition.
Know your vision plan’s vocabulary
Allowance
The set amount of money your plan gives you to put toward your frames, contact lenses, or other eye care essentials.
Allowance
Copay
The set amount you pay for each vision service at the time of your visit.
Copay
Exclusions
Certain services or procedures that may be excluded from your vision coverage, such as more than one eye exam per year.
Exclusions
Frequency
Vision plans have time limits on how frequently you can use a service. Some limits may be once every 6 months, once every 12 months, or once every 2 years, depending on the plan.
Frequency
In-network
Eye care professionals who have agreed to offer discounted rates on products and services to those with certain vision plans. You will often pay less out of pocket when you visit an eye care professional in your plan’s network.
In-network
Limitations
Coverage or age limits your vision plan places on certain services or procedures.
Limitations
Premiums
The amount paid either by you or your employer for your vision plan each month. This amount may be automatically deducted from your paycheck.
Premiums
Most standard plans cover exams and materials. There are plans that cover an exam only or materials only. Check your plan details and documents on anthem.com for your specific coverage.
Eyeglass lens enhancements
Lens enhancements include anti-glare or anti-scratch coatings and often cost extra. Vision benefits cover these, with little to no copay, so you'll pay less.
Contact lenses (instead of eyeglass lenses)
If you prefer contact lenses, instead of eyeglasses, your vision benefits include an allowance for either conventional (non-disposable) or disposable lenses.
Eye exams
Regular eye exams are important. They not only determine your need for eyeglasses or contact lenses, but they can also catch eye diseases early. Your vision benefits include routine eye exams with little to no copay helping you maintain eye health without worrying about big bills.
.
Eyeglass frames and lenses
If you need glasses, your vision benefits help you with these costs. They provide allowances toward frames, and $0-$25 copays for standard plastic prescription lenses, which include single vision, bifocals, or trifocals.
Select each tile for more details.
What your vision benefits cover
Many of us put our vision to the test every day with reading, driving, and spending time on a computer or phone. Your vision benefits are here to help you take care of your eyes — and help catch health issues earlier.
Your vision benefits play an important role in protecting your overall well-being.
Understanding how your vision benefits work and what your plan covers
Please check your individual plan details for exact coverage information.
