The eyes are unique in that they have to very separate components: their visual ability, and their health. Depending on the primary reason for the visit, either vision or health insurance will cover the visit.

Vision Insurance: This covers routine vision exams. This includes finding prescriptions for glasses, (and in some cases contact lenses) as well as an eye wellness exam where we screen for a wide variety of conditions such as macular degeneration, glaucoma and cataracts.

Medical Insurance: This covers eye emergency type visits such as trauma, foreign objects in eyes, pink eye, and dry eye. Medical insurance also covers the treatment of more chronic conditions such as glaucoma.

If you are unsure, just ask our receptionist. Our staff will be happy to help guide you through the process and help you utilize the proper insurance. No need to leave downtown Santa Cruz for great eyecare!

While we are able to look up vision insurance online by searching your name, date of birth and last 4 digits of your social security number, we do require an insurance card to bill for medical eye exams such as infections, trauma, follow up for macular degeneration or glaucoma or other medical conditions. Even if you are checking in for your routine vision appointment, we still request a copy of your medical insurance card to keep on file so we know where you will be covered in case of a medical eye issue. We are always happy to recommend a good doctor in our network even if we cannot bill your specific medical insurance. We do accept Medicare at Midtown Optometry.

If you want us to check your eligibility for your vision plan, we can do that over the phone, or via email.