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.

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 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 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.

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 doctors offer:

• Vision services, like eye exams.
• Care for conditions like glaucoma, iritis (inflammation of the iris, the colored part of your eye), and chemical burns.
• Diagnosis and treatment of eye conditions related to other diseases, such as arthritis or diabetes.
• Plastic surgery, to raise droopy eyelids or smooth out wrinkles.

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 optician to:

• Check your lens prescriptions.

• Order, adjust, and repair eyeglass frames, lenses, and contact lenses.

• Take facial measurements.
• 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.