Do you need different prescriptions for glasses and contact lenses?

If you wear both glasses and contacts, you’ll want to know the answer. Here’s why.

Do you wear glasses and contact lenses? If you answered yes to one or both, you’ll want to read on. While you can get a basic vision screening test from your primary care doctor, you’ll have to go to an optometrist for a more comprehensive eye exam.

Optometrists check for changes in vision and can diagnose eye diseases. They can also write prescriptions for eyeglasses and contact lenses.

How often do you need to get an eye exam? What’s the difference between the prescription you get for glasses versus contact lenses? And how is all of this covered by your insurance? Here’s what you need to know.

Need vision insurance? Call a licensed insurance agent at (800) 827-9990 to talk about plans, or browse your options online today.

How often do you need to get an eye exam?

“Getting an eye exam once a year is likely to result in earlier diagnosis of eye and vision problems, the prevention or reduction in vision loss, as well as improved health-related quality of life,” says Steven Reed, O.D., president of the American Optometric Association (AOA).

While the AOA recommends getting a comprehensive eye exam every 2 years, it could be more frequent depending on your age or risk level. During one of these eye exams, your optometrist may:

• Do a visual acuity test, which helps them understand how clearly each of your eyes is seeing
• Do preliminary tests, such as checking eye muscle movements or peripheral (side) vision
• Do keratometry/topography tests, which measure the shape of the cornea
• Do a refraction test, which determines the power of the lens required to correct your vision
• Eye focusing, teaming, and movement tests, which look for issues the eyes might have with focusing properly
• Review your health history

Optometrists may also evaluate your eye health. They’ll put drops in your eyes to make the pupils temporarily bigger (dilation), to better view your eyes’ structures and tissues.

During this part of the exam, your optometrist will be able to potentially diagnose any eye issues — and even some general health issues — you may be having. According to Reed, optometrists can detect more than 270 serious health conditions, including:

• Autoimmune diseases
• Certain types of cancer
• Diabetes
• High blood pressure

Another reason regular eye exams are important: They’re a good way to tell if your vision has changed since your last appointment. If it has, you may need a new prescription.

By the time you hit your 40s, it’s not uncommon to be diagnosed with presbyopia, or “trouble seeing objects up close,” says Karen Squier, O.D. She’s the chief of low vision services at the Eye Center at Southern College of Optometry in Memphis, Tennessee. Reading glasses or bifocals can help someone’s eyes focus on or read nearby objects better. And by the time you’re 60, these eye-related changes with seeing things up close tend to stabilize. That reduces an eye doctor’s need to adjust your prescription, Reed adds.

Are glasses and contact lens prescriptions the same?

If you need glasses or contact lenses, you will not be able to get them without a prescription from an eye doctor. And it turns out that a glasses prescription is different from a contact lens prescription.

In fact, although the prescriptions may be comparable, you can’t use one for the other or vice versa. “A contact lens prescription is a bit more complicated, because a contact lens prescription requires assessing the curvature of the cornea (the front surface of the eye), the material and design of the contact lens that gives best visual performance for the patient, and overall ocular health,” explains Squier.

That’s because contact lenses, which rest on the surface of the eyes, are created from different materials and come with different measurements. That’s why getting “a contact lens prescription involves more than just determining the corrective power needed for nearsightedness, farsightedness or astigmatism,” Reed says. (Nearsightedness is when objects appear blurry from a distance, farsightedness is when objects appear blurry up close, and astigmatism is when objects appear blurry from both a distance and up close.)

Determining each prescription requires using an instrument called a phoropter, which your optometrist will rest gently on your nose, notes Reed. You’ll then be able to test out multiple lenses, so you can decide which one allows you to see the clearest. “Your doctor of optometry will fine-tune the lenses as you confirm which lens offers the best visibility and land on a final prescription accordingly,” says Reed.

Vision insurance may help cover important eye exams. Call a licensed insurance agent at (800) 827-9990 to talk about plan options, or browse your options online today.

What else do you need to know about your prescriptions?

Squier explains that, typically, a contact lens prescription is valid for a year. After it expires, you will need to get a new prescription before you can order new contacts. “This is because if contact lenses are not worn properly, it can cause an infection or ulcer that can lead to painful vision loss,” she says.

It’s also important to know that getting contact lenses — particularly for the first time — may require multiple appointments. Squier explains that often a patient will be given some trial lenses and then have a follow-up appointment to discuss what they liked (or didn’t like) about them before placing an order.

On the other hand, glasses prescriptions may last longer than contact lens prescriptions. They’re typically valid for 2 years. The type of glasses covered by vision insurance varies by plan, as does how often you can get new ones without paying out of pocket.

Reed also notes that getting fitted for glasses typically doesn’t take multiple appointments. It’s usually taken care of at your initial eye exam. But you may have to wait a few weeks for your glasses to be ready: Ones with lenses with your specific prescription may need to be ordered.

Does vision insurance cover glasses and contact lenses?

If you have an Affordable Care Act health plan or one through your employer, you may not have vision coverage. So, you’ll need to buy it as an extra on top of your traditional health plan (you might see that called supplemental vision insurance).

A vision plan may cover things such as preventive tests and annual eye exams. It may also cover glasses and contact lenses, or in some cases both. But you’ll want to consult the plan’s brochure or call a licensed insurance agent at (800) 827-9990 for more information.

Even if you don’t wear glasses or contact lenses, it’s still important to get regular eye exams to catch any eye problems early. Prevention truly is the best medicine.

Still have questions about vision insurance? Call a licensed insurance agent at (800) 827-9990 to talk about plans, or browse your options online today.

Disclaimer:
The text above is provided as general information only. It is not intended to diagnose or recommend treatment of any illness, disease or condition. You should consult a qualified medical professional if you have questions or need more information.