Cost for eye exams

[clm10308]

What is the price for routine eye exam for eyeglasses in your area?

My DH recently got a new job where we moved to New Mexico, so we have new insurance. at his previous job, eye exams were included as part of our medical insurance. Until yesterday, I had never paid much for the exam.

I paid $145 in Taos, NM after deducting the $40 that my current insurance pays. I actually paid twice that since there were two of us.

It never even occurred to me to ask the cost ahead of time, but I will defenately ask next time. I still have two more family members that need new glasses.

I dont know if this price is high or within normal range. I live in a very rural area over 1 hour drive to Taos and almost 1 1/2 hr drive to a Walmart with an optometrist

With the price of glasses on top of the exam, I may just have to wait until I can get back to Houston and hit up the optometry school at Univ of Houston.

 

[a1tinkfans]

I Use Costco...its like 75. I think....the glasses are also greatly discounted. I actually join the group specifically for that service, optometry. I happened to notice a small "something" on my eye and they did tell me to see an opthal. at my exam, which I did.
My eyesight is poor and I need to get my lens ground down thinner, got anti reflective, and not poly carb and I paid 225. for lens and better designed frames. I had an issue once with the anti reflective about 7 mos after purchase and they took them right back and I got it repaired free. Have never had an issue with them.
It can be costly, friends I know buy designer and pay 1200. just for their glasses, thats not me,,,but the option for high end stuff is available as well as moderate and even less expensive options. Some buy online, but I seriously need to wear contacts when trying on frames or I cannot even see them so I am better off in a store...
Good Luck!

 

[3happydancers]

What is the price for routine eye exam for eyeglasses in your area?

My DH recently got a new job where we moved to New Mexico, so we have new insurance. at his previous job, eye exams were included as part of our medical insurance. Until yesterday, I had never paid much for the exam.

I paid $145 in Taos, NM after deducting the $40 that my current insurance pays. I actually paid twice that since there were two of us.

It never even occurred to me to ask the cost ahead of time, but I will defenately ask next time. I still have two more family members that need new glasses.

I dont know if this price is high or within normal range. I live in a very rural area over 1 hour drive to Taos and almost 1 1/2 hr drive to a Walmart with an optometrist

With the price of glasses on top of the exam, I may just have to wait until I can get back to Houston and hit up the optometry school at Univ of Houston.

I second Costco, but it sounds like you are far from most everything. That might be why your exam was high. How far is the Univ. of Houston from you and out of curiosity, what would the cost be there?

 

[clm10308]

I live two days drive from Houston, but my parents still live there.

The eye exams at UH are much cheeper because the students do the exams, and an exam that might take 20 min at a regular office could take 2 hr at the school.

 

[Ephany]

DD's last exam was $60 at our local Sears Optical. They don't take our insurance per se, but they have an agreement with Aetna where $15 was knocked off the price so we paid $45. The doctor also had no problem giving me the rx so I could take it to a place with a larger selection of children's frames.

 

[schmcktgt]

I paid over $200. My new insurance doesn't have great vision coverage, which I found out too late. I miss my old insurance, that only had a $20 copay.

 

[PrincessMickey]

I just had my eyes checked at Target the other day for $99. I ended up getting both contacts and a new pair of glasses. The glasses were on clearance, I paid $75 for both the frames and lenses, then I saved even more by using my Target card for the 5% off. They wouldn't let me use the 5% on the exam though, just the contacts and glasses.

 

[NYCDiane]

If I were to use the insurance from my job, it would be free and I would have to pay $35 co-pay for a full set of glasses. However, I don't like the place or the selection of the glasses at the place I would have to go to.

I went to WalMart and it cost $50 for the exam. I got a pair of glasses w/progressive lenses, anti-glare, etc and a pair of sunglasses and they came to about $250 (and both were designer brand frames).

I took DD to BJs a few years back and it was about $80 for everything (but she was a little kid).

 

[vickalamode]

My insurance lets me get a free eye exam every other year.


Also, for glasses I reccomend zennioptical.com-I got 2 pairs of prescription glasses for under $25! I have an astigmatism and only really need them for night driving, but so far so good-I can actually see when I drive at night now! Maybe someone on here with a higher prescription than me who has used them can chime in with their experience.

 

[michelle06]

I just paid $99 at Wal-Mart and that included the contact lens fitting. Without contacts, it was $69 or $79.

I got frames for $9. Much better than any BOGO at other chains. Since I mostly wear contacts, the cheap frames aren't an issue for me.

 

[Judique]

What is the price for routine eye exam for eyeglasses in your area?

My DH recently got a new job where we moved to New Mexico, so we have new insurance. at his previous job, eye exams were included as part of our medical insurance. Until yesterday, I had never paid much for the exam.

I paid $145 in Taos, NM after deducting the $40 that my current insurance pays. I actually paid twice that since there were two of us.

It never even occurred to me to ask the cost ahead of time, but I will defenately ask next time. I still have two more family members that need new glasses.

I dont know if this price is high or within normal range. I live in a very rural area over 1 hour drive to Taos and almost 1 1/2 hr drive to a Walmart with an optometrist

With the price of glasses on top of the exam, I may just have to wait until I can get back to Houston and hit up the optometry school at Univ of Houston.

Costco last Wednesday: $54 for regular exam for me. $94 for contact exam for family member. $94 includes the script for glasses as well as contacts. $20 for starter set of contacts.


My insurance also reimburses part of these fees.

 

[MrsJackSparrow4Life]

When I didn't have vision insurance I would go to Costco for my exams. I am a Costco member but was told that even non-members could use the eye doctor, they just had to tell the door people they were there for an eye exam.

My exams cost $99 because I do contacts instead of glasses but I think the regular eye exam was around $55.

You do have to be a member to purchase the discounted frames but zinnioptical.com is much cheaper than Costco anyways. Just make sure the eye doctor tells you your pupilary distance during the exam.

 

[eeyoregon]

$55 for eye glass exam and $79 for contact lens exam in Salem, Oregon. Those are the before insurance prices.

 

[IDoDis]

Here in Albuquerque, I've found that it's almost better to skip the vision insurance and pay OOP for glasses. The price for glasses doubles when you have insurance. The insurance is only $6.00 per month for all 4 of us and it does pay for the $50 eye exam (It's $60 OOP for contact lens fitting which the insurance doesn't pay for). The insurance saves money on the contacts, but I've found the glasses to be a different story.

A few months ago my DS needed his first pair of glasses. I went to one of the glasses stores in the mall with the prescription because they were having a 2 pair of glasses (frames & single vision lenses) for $99 sale and my insurance pays $80 towards the frames. But once I told them I had insurance, they said I couldn't get the sale price and had to pick out other frames. Once DS chose his frames, they added in his single-vision lenses for $55 and then wanted $95 for the anti-glare coating, scratch resistant coating, and the UV protection, bringing the glasses up to $150!

The math just wasn't working for me! So I ended up getting a FREE pair of glasses from coastalcontacts.com. They have a deal where your first pair is free -- all you pay is shipping.

Right now they are offering a free pair to ANYONE -- not just first time customers. It expires tomorrow (5/29). Use code FBFREE at the checkout. 1.5 index lenses included. If you want to added the UV, anti-glare and scratch-resistant coating it's $9.99 for all three (much better than $95). The glasses come in a nice case with a polishing cloth and little screwdriver. They arrived in a week from the time I ordered. I got my DD and myself a pair since. They are really nice designer lenses (not replicas) and good quality.

Oh, and to answer your question about eye exam fees, most places charge $50-$60 here in ABQ. We have an optometrist at the vision center in Wal-mart that we've gone to for years. My DH's opthamologist speaks very highly of him, too.

 

[aubriee]

When I didn't have vision insurance I would go to Costco for my exams. I am a Costco member but was told that even non-members could use the eye doctor, they just had to tell the door people they were there for an eye exam.

My exams cost $99 because I do contacts instead of glasses but I think the regular eye exam was around $55.

You do have to be a member to purchase the discounted frames but zinnioptical.com is much cheaper than Costco anyways. Just make sure the eye doctor tells you your pupilary distance during the exam.

I use Wal marts for my eye exam (contacts, plus glasses). I order my contacts from Wal Marts but have gotten my last three pairs of glasses (including prescription sunglasses) from zenioptical.com,but you are right, you must have that pupilary distance measurement.

 

[clm10308]

Thanks for all the great information. I never realized the prices could vary so much. I will definitely call and ask about prices before I make appt in the future.

 

[clm10308]

Here in Albuquerque, I've found that it's almost better to skip the vision insurance and pay OOP for glasses. The price for glasses doubles when you have insurance. The insurance is only $6.00 per month for all 4 of us and it does pay for the $50 eye exam (It's $60 OOP for contact lens fitting which the insurance doesn't pay for). The insurance saves money on the contacts, but I've found the glasses to be a different story.

A few months ago my DS needed his first pair of glasses. I went to one of the glasses stores in the mall with the prescription because they were having a 2 pair of glasses (frames & single vision lenses) for $99 sale and my insurance pays $80 towards the frames. But once I told them I had insurance, they said I couldn't get the sale price and had to pick out other frames. Once DS chose his frames, they added in his single-vision lenses for $55 and then wanted $95 for the anti-glare coating, scratch resistant coating, and the UV protection, bringing the glasses up to $150!

The math just wasn't working for me! So I ended up getting a FREE pair of glasses from coastalcontacts.com. They have a deal where your first pair is free -- all you pay is shipping.

Right now they are offering a free pair to ANYONE -- not just first time customers. It expires tomorrow (5/29). Use code FBFREE at the checkout. 1.5 index lenses included. If you want to added the UV, anti-glare and scratch-resistant coating it's $9.99 for all three (much better than $95). The glasses come in a nice case with a polishing cloth and little screwdriver. They arrived in a week from the time I ordered. I got my DD and myself a pair since. They are really nice designer lenses (not replicas) and good quality.

Oh, and to answer your question about eye exam fees, most places charge $50-$60 here in ABQ. We have an optometrist at the vision center in Wal-mart that we've gone to for years. My DH's opthamologist speaks very highly of him, too.

Which Walmart to you got to in ABQ? It looks like I will actually save money by taking a road trip to ABQ or Pueblo for the next eye exam. I love a good excuse to go to the "big city" and do some shopping.

 

[dgthree]

I went to LensCrafters in the mall and paid $89.00 for an eye exam, and close to $300 for a new pair of glasses.

My insurance through work is similar to DianeNYC's (might be the same plan) but the doctor just isn't convenient, and I don't love their frame selection.

I was able to submit a claim for the eye exam, and got $50 back from VSP, which was nice. Since I get frames & lenses every other year, I plan to go to an in-plan eye doctor and order prescription sunglasses, so I didn't file a claim for the glasses.