We are committed to bringing you the highest level of total eye care. We strive to provide you and your family with detailed one on one attention. Our center offers patients the newest technology and equipment with a professional team of experienced staff committed to you.

At The Woodland Eye Clinic, we offer thorough eye examinations for all ages from infants and children to adults and seniors. Our doctors know that preventative care is an important part of your eye health.

Through our use of cutting edge technology and equipment, we are able to diagnose and treat a wide variety of eye diseases or vision impairments. We diagnose and treat: glaucoma, macular degeneration, cataracts, diabetic retinopathy, dry eye, allergies, eye infections, eye injuries and much more. We also offer consultations for many conditions including LASIK.

The Woodland Eye Clinic is able to provide for your specific visual needs within our modern optical center. We offer high-quality lenses, frames, and sunglasses in a wide variety of styles and designer name brands to meet each patients unique needs. We stand behind our products by offering an exclusive “2 Year Warranty.” We also offer you a complete line of contact lenses and services. If you desire contact lenses we can help you achieve excellent results with our “Buy ‘Em Back Contact Lens Success Program.”

​​​​​​​Mission Statement

Our mission is to ensure patients the best possible visual performance by providing the highest quality vision and eye health care possible in a comfortable, professional, and patient-friendly enviroment. We will keep overall wellness and understanding as our top priorities in everything we do. We pledge to enhance your quality of life through thorough evaluation of your vision and educate you on the newst and best visual performance technology. We will maintain the highest health care standards, state-of-the-art instrumentation, and commitment to the continued improvement of our profession.

Eye Health Evaluation

Our Complete Vision Analysis & Eye Health Examinations are more than just vision correction!

Did you know that your eyes reveal insights regarding your overall health? In fact, your eyes provide early detection for many different diseases that can affect more than just your vision! That’s why we routinely perform tests that look for signs and symptoms of many different diseases, not just eye diseases, during your regularly scheduled eye health evaluation.

Illnesses that may be discovered early on through signs in your eyes include high blood pressure, diabetes, and even heart disease. That’s why it’s so important to leave your total eyecare to professionals. We feel it’s important to review your family history then monitor and watch for signs of possibly inherited diseases or illnesses as another precaution.

Here’s what we are checking during your routine eye health evaluation:

Of course, we are always checking your eyesight to ensure proper vision. Your total eye health is extremely important to us and we do everything we can to make sure you receive the best-personalized care possible.

Did you know that the curve of your cornea determines how the light reflects into your retina and the type of image produced?

We measure your cornea, record your vision then consult and recommend the best options available to you with all the latest technology!

We check for Glaucoma, a disease where high levels of pressure inside of your eye are present when your eyes fail to regulate internal pressure. Early detection of glaucoma is crucial to prevent the loss of sight.

We watch for cataracts, when the internal lens of your eye becomes cloudy and necessitates replacement.

We also conduct a series of tests to assess the ability of your eye muscles to make sure that both eyes are working as a team!

Few things affect the quality of your life more than your eyes. Please don’t put them at risk! Start off right by seeing an eyecare professional who provides full-service care in assessing your medical needs, your lifestyle, and the highest quality contact lenses available to meet your needs, and proper training to ensure great vision.

Contact Lens Evaluation

With advancing technology in contact lenses, most everyone is a candidate for some form of contact lens, and with our exclusive ‘Buy ‘Em Back’ policy, there’s no risk involved either! Contact lens options include gas permeable and soft hydrogel lenses. Depending on your prescription, visual requirements and desires, contact lens options consist of single vision lenses to correct nearsightedness, farsightedness, astigmatism and presbyopia, or multi-focal lenses to provide distance, intermediate and near vision while maintaining depth perception. Wearing schedules consist of daily wear disposable lenses to be replaced each day, every two weeks, monthly or quarterly. Advances in contact lens technology have provided high oxygen-transmission soft lenses for nearly all prescriptions. Due to the amount of oxygen transmission these particular lenses provide, they are approved by the Food and Drug Administration to be worn overnight (extended wear).

It is important to remember that contact lenses are prescription medical devices. Various brands are designed and manufactured differently. The selection of a particular contact lens needs to be based on your vision problems, prescription, eye health, comfort requirements, lifestyle, age and physiological factors like tear flow. We’ll discuss the different lens types and brands with you and advise you about the lens choices that are best for your eyes. Because everyone’s eyes and vision needs are different, contact lenses are available with varying schedules for removal and replacement. We’ll teach you how to properly clean and wear your new contact lenses to maximize vision and minimize potential risks.

We make sure that vision correction not only helps you see better, but also helps you feel better. That’s why we offer contact lens evaluations. Contact lenses aren’t right for everyone, but they may be right for you. Even if you have astigmatism or need bifocal lenses, we may have a solution.

Your evaluation will include:

• A thorough review of your vision history
• An thorough examination of your corneal tissue
• A consultation session with your doctor, including recommendations and options

Enjoy the freedom that contact lenses provide!

Vision Correction and Options

Your vision is always our primary concern. We offer vision correction for eye diseases and disorders which prevent you from enjoying the world around you. We specialize in treatment of eye diseases such as macular degeneration, low vision, and cataracts. We also can effectively correct vision conditions, such as myopia (near-sightedness), hyperopia (far-sightedness), and presbyopia.

Our vision correction services aren’t just about clear vision – they’re about healthier vision. That’s why we offer a variety of treatment options, including glasses, contact lenses, laser vision, and vision therapy.

We are happy to provide you with some basic information about various vision correction options that are available at our practice. Select from the following list or scroll down the page to learn more.

Child Vision and Learning

Did you know that 80% of everything a child learns, understands, and remembers is acquired through his or her visual system? Vision is very important in the learning process. What’s worse is that one in four children have undiagnosed vision problems that affect their learning. Sometimes the problem is misdiagnosed as ADD (attention deficit disorder), ADHD (attention deficit hyperactivity disorder), or dyslexia.

It is important that children receive comprehensive visual exams starting as early in life as possible. Vision screenings at school are not sufficient as a basis for diagnosing vision problems. A comprehensive exam may find a visual problem missed during screenings, and your eye doctor can recommend treatment.

Your child may suffer from a visual problem if they exhibit any of the following characteristics:

• Struggles with reading
• Grows tired or frustrated with reading
• Can’t sit still or stay at a task for any length of time
• Reverses words, numbers, or letters
• Has difficulty remembering the spelling of words
• Frequently loses their place, skips words, or skips lines of text while reading
• Has poor reading comprehension
• Has shown no improvement from medication or tutoring

Children suffering from uncorrected vision problems may face many barriers in life – socially, academically, and athletically. Make sure your child’s vision is developing well.

Refractive Procedures

What are Refractive Procedures?

Refractive procedures manipulate the eye to improve vision. Though there are several types of refractive procedures, the most popular is known as LASIK (laser assisted in situ keratomileusis). LASIK involves reshaping the cornea using incisions and lasers. An incision creates a flap which is folded back. Lasers are then used to reshape the middle layer of the cornea and correct the vision. The flap is folded back and allowed to heal, resulting in much clearer vision.

Is LASIK For Me?

Not everyone should consider a LASIK procedure. Candidates should be over 18 years of age. If you are pregnant, nursing, or suffering from a number of diseases, you probably are not eligible for LASIK. You are also not eligible if your prescription has changed a great deal over the past year. Talk to your eye doctor about LASIK. They will be able to assess your eligibility, the risks you may encounter, and they can recommend how to move forward.

Is the Procedure Safe?

For the most part LASIK is a safe procedure. However, in rare cases, there have been complications that have arisen after the procedure, including droopy eyelids, constant discomfort or the inability to wear contact lenses. In even rarer cases, there have been complications during the procedure. However, as technology improves, there will likely be a decrease in these instances.

Vision Therapy

Though some vision problems can be treated using corrective lenses, many require a different kind of treatment. Vision therapy is a series of activities or exercises prescribed and monitored by an optometrist to treat problems with visual skill and processing. After a comprehensive eye exam, your eye doctor may determine that vision therapy is the best option for treatment. Vision therapy programs are based on the results of standardized tests, and the needs of the patient.

Vision therapy is administered in our office under the guidance of your doctor. Sometimes a number of office visits are required over a period ranging from several weeks to several months. Usually the patient performs several exercises, then the doctor teaches the patient techniques to be practiced at home to reinforce the developing visual skills.

Vision therapy can effectively treat eye movement disorders, inefficient eye teaming, misaligned eyes, poorly developed vision, focusing problems, and other visual information processing disorders.

That is an easy question with a complicated answer.

Did you know that your eyes reveal insights regarding your overall health? In fact, your eyes provide early detection for many different diseases that can affect more than just your vision! That’s why we routinely perform tests that look for signs and symptoms of many different diseases, not just eye diseases, during your regularly scheduled eye health evaluation.

Illnesses that may be discovered early on through signs in your eyes include high blood pressure, diabetes, and even heart disease. That’s why it’s so important to leave your total eyecare to professionals. We feel it’s important to review your family history then monitor and watch for signs of possibly inherited diseases or illnesses as another precaution.

There are multiple levels of care when it comes to your eyes. Our comprehensive Eye Wellness Exam is $170. The Eye Wellness Exam is a thorough vision and health exam that assesses your eye glass prescription and overall eye health.

Should a medical issue be found during this exam. Our doctors will discuss the nature of the condition and the next steps involved in the care of your eyes.

Medical and problem-specific exam fees vary based upon the condition itself, the severity, and the treatment options. We will try our hardest to inform you of the fee for medical eye exams should there be out-of-pocket costs that your insurance does not cover.

Contact Lens Fitting Consultations vary based upon how complicated the fit will be. First-time wearers can expect the consultation fee to start at $90. Refits or annual assessments range from $50-$100 based upon the complicated nature of the evaluation. These fees are separate, and in addition to, our Eye Wellness Exams, as there are additional measurements, assessments, training, and time involved in the prescribing of contact lenses.

​​​​​​​We try to be as transparent as possible with our fees. In the U.S., medical providers are required to bill and “code” exams using the Current Procedure Terminology (CPT) method. This is a standard way to bill different levels of service that makes it “easier” to distinguish one level of care from another. Our fees are based off of the Medicare Fee schedule for our region.

Warranty Information:

Premium Anti-Reflective Warranty: 1 year 1 time replacement no charge, 50% cost for additional replacement in the 1 year

Hard Coating: 1 year 1 time replacement at no charge, 50% of cost for additional replacement in the 1 years

Proper Optics Eyewear: 1 year 1 time replacement Scratch Warranty

Standard Frame Warranty: 1 year 1 time replacement, 50% cost for additional replacements with in 1 year

There is a 60 day window from time of dispense of product to report any issues regarding the fit, comfort, or vision problems with the glasses or contacts. Beyond the allotted time will incur additional fees

There is a no refund policy on our goods and services.

​​​​​​​***All Warranties exclude theft, loss, or excessive abuse

• Medicare
• BC/BS
• Health Partners
• Auxiant
• Cigna
• SISCO
• First Administrators
• Midlands Choice
• Veterans Choice
• The Alliance
• VSP
• Eyemed (Including Blue View, Delta, etc)
• Tricare
• UMR
• Humana
• Medical Associates HMO
• United Health Care (Medical)

We often have patients that have both a vision plan (such as VSP or EyeMed) and medical insurance (such as Blue Cross, Aetna, or Medicare). They are very different in terms of the services that they cover, and it is important for our patients to understand these differences.

Vision insurance was designed mainly to cover determination of glasses prescriptions, help pay for glasses or contact lenses, and to cover a yearly routine evaluation of the eyes in a healthy patient that has no previous eye health problems. It is not intended to deal with, and does not usually cover medical conditions, injuries, and/or treatments. Medical insurance was designed for coverage of medical problems, including issues involving your eyes. Medical insurance does not cover routine services or examinations for eyeglasses, nor routine vision problems such as nearsightedness, farsightedness, and astigmatism. These are only covered by your vision insurance.

When a medical diagnosis or medical condition is present that affects your eyes, (high blood pressure, high cholesterol, or diabetes, to name a few examples) or you have an eye disease or eye problem (infections {pink eye}, dry eyes, allergies, or cataracts, again, just to name a few) we must file the claim with your medical insurance, and the co-pays and deductibles for that insurance will apply. Your vision plan does not cover these kinds of problems. Our office does not make these rules, they are made by the insurance companies themselves, and we must comply with them.

There is often no way to know prior to your examination which type of insurance will be the right one to file your claim with. We make every effort to join as many insurance panels, both medical and vision, as we can for your convenience. If we are a provider for your insurance company we will file those claims for you. In the event that we do not accept your medical or vision insurance, we will provide you with an itemized receipt so that you may file a claim for reimbursement with your insurance company. If you have any questions, please let us know.

In order for our patients to have the best quality of life possible, we also provide specialized eyewear for sun protection, computer use, sports, music and hobbies. On top of that if everyone in the family needs glasses we understand that can sometimes be a sizeable expense. Along with our normal cash, check or credit card. We offer the CareCredit payment plan. CareCredit makes this necessary expense affordable without any interest. Applying for CareCredit is easy and can be done in office the same day as your appointment or by following the link to their website.

1. Experienced doctor of optometry

Our fine doctor will take the time to thoroughly examine the health of your eyes as well as determine the perfect prescription for all your visual needs.

2. Experienced staff

Our staff is top-notch with a tremendous amount of product knowledge and experience. You’ll totally enjoy working with them.

3. Two year warranty on all frames

If for any reason (except loss, theft, or extreme abuse) you need your frame repaired or replaced, we will do it at no charge for two years from the date of purchase.

4. Two year warranty on plastic lenses with scratch resistant coatings

If you scratch your lenses, we will remake each lens one time in the two year period from the date of purchase at no charge to you (limited to the same prescription).

5. Two year warranty on specialty Coatings

Anti-reflective coatings or mirror coatings will be replaced one time in a two year period from the date of purchase at no charge to you.

6. Wide selection of frame styles

Our dispensary has hundreds of frames from which to choose, including a large selection of designer and children’s frames.

7. Latest high-tech lens coatings

We use only the most reputable laboratories in the country for our specialty coatings, which guarantees you better vision and durability.

8. We stand behind our prescriptions

Our doctor is available to review your prescription needs if you have any difficulties (at no charge). We want you to love your glasses or contact lenses!

9. We stand behind our contact lenses

Our exclusive ‘Buy ’em Back’ policy guarantees that you won’t be paying for contact lenses that you can’t adapt to. Just another reason that sets us apart from the rest.

10. Highest quality available

We use only the highest quality materials for your eyewear. We utilize a local professional lab with a national reputation to guarantee the finest quality finished product. Your eyewear will normally be ready within five working days. We are not striving to be the fastest, just the best.

Yes! Routine eye exams are important — regardless of your age or your physical health.

During a comprehensive eye exam, your eye doctor does much more than just determine your prescription for eyeglasses or contact lenses. He or she will also check your eyes for common eye diseases, assess how well your eyes work together as a team, and evaluate your eyes as an indicator of your overall health.

Also, eye doctors are often the first health care professionals to detect chronic systemic diseases such as high blood pressure and diabetes.

Eye examinations are an important part of health maintenance for everyone.

Adults should have their eyes tested to keep their eyeglass prescriptions current and to check for early signs of eye disease.

Eye exams for children play an important role in ensuring normal vision development and academic achievement of all kids. Vision is closely linked to the learning process, as children with undetected vision problems will often have trouble with their schoolwork. Many times, children will not complain of vision problems simply because they don’t know what “normal” vision looks like.

If your child is performing poorly at school, be sure to have his or her eyes examined by an eye doctor who specializes in children’s vision to rule out an underlying visual cause.

In addition to evaluating your eyes for glasses and contacts, your eye doctor will check for eye diseases and other problems that could lead to vision loss. Here are some examples of the conditions that your eye doctor will be looking for:

Refractive error – This refers to nearsightedness, farsightedness, and astigmatism. Refractive errors are corrected with eyeglasses, contacts, or refractive surgery.

Amblyopia – This occurs when the eyes are turned or when one eye has a much different prescription than the other. The brain will “shut off” the image from the turned or blurry eye. If left untreated, amblyopia can stunt the visual development of the affected eye, resulting in permanent vision impairment. Amblyopia is often treated by patching the stronger eye for periods of time to increase the visual acuity of the affected eye .

Strabismus – Strabismus is defined as crossed or turned eyes. The examiner will check your eyes’ alignment to be sure that they are working together. Strabismus causes problems with depth perception and can lead to amblyopia.

Eye teaming problems – Even if you eyes appear to be properly aligned, it is possible they do not work together efficiently as a team. Such binocular vision problems can cause headaches, eye strain, and other problems that can affect reading and other near-vision tasks.

Focusing problems – These problems can range from incompletely developed focusing skills in children, to normal, age-related declines in focusing ability (presbyopia) among older adults.

Eye diseases – Many eye diseases, such as glaucoma and diabetic retinopathy, have no symptoms in their early stages. Your eye doctor will check the health of your eyes inside and out for signs of early problems. In most cases, early detection and treatment of eye diseases can help reduce your risk of permanent vision loss.

Other diseases – Eye doctors can detect early signs of some conditions and diseases by looking at your eye’s blood vessels, retinas, and other internal eye structures. Your eye doctor may be able to determine if you are developing high blood pressure, high cholesterol, or other issues so you can seek further medical treatment.

For example, diabetes can cause small blood vessel leaks or bleeding in the eye, as well as swelling of the macula, which can lead to vision loss. Your eye doctor will likely detect this during a complete eye exam. It is estimated that one-third of Americans who have diabetes don’t even know it; your eye doctor may detect the disease before your primary care physician does, especially if you are overdue for a physical.

Vision screenings are limited eye tests that help identify people who are at risk for vision problems. These are brief vision tests performed by a school nurse, pediatrician, or other health care providers or volunteers. The eye test that you are given when you get your driver’s license renewed is an example of a vision screening.

Depending on who is performing the test and where the test is given, vision screenings may include tests for blur, muscle coordination, and/or common eye diseases.

Keep in mind that a vision screening may indicate that you need to get your eyes checked, but it does not serve as a substitute for a comprehensive eye exam.

A comprehensive eye examination is performed by an eye doctor and includes careful testing of all aspects of your vision. Based on the results of your exam, your eye doctor will then recommend a treatment plan for your individual needs.

Remember, only an optometrist or ophthalmologist can provide a comprehensive eye exam — family physicians and pediatricians are not fully trained to do this, and studies have shown that they can miss important vision problems that require treatment.

Optometrist vs Ophthalmologist: What’s the difference?

Confused about when to see an optometrist versus an ophthalmologist? We can clear It up for you.

One of the most confusing parts of vision and eye care for many patients is understanding the difference between optometrists and ophthalmologists. Add opticians into the mix and people become even more perplexed. So figuring out where you should start when it comes to vision care and eye health can be tricky.

Fortunately, once you understand the differences between an optometrist and an ophthalmologist, it’s pretty easy to know where you should go, when, and for what. There are areas of considerable overlap between the two, but there are also several striking differences.

Let’s start with optometrists.

What is an Optometrist?

Traditionally, optometrists (also known as O.D.s or Doctors of Optometry) are trained to diagnose and treat vision conditions like farsightedness, nearsightedness, and astigmatism, as well as fit and prescribe contact lenses and prescription eyeglasses. A large part of their job was (and still is) to perform “refractions” — or vision correction exams.

Today’s Optometrist: Trained in Disease Diagnosis & Treatment

Over the past 20 years, optometry training has become much more medically-oriented than in the past, and optometrists now receive rigorous and comprehensive training in not just optics and refractions, but also the diagnosis and treatment of eye disease, as well as other systemic conditions that can affect vision and eye health.

Although optometrists are not M.D.s, most optometrists can prescribe certain medications, as well as diagnose and treat a broad-range of medical conditions that impact the eye, including glaucoma, macular degeneration, cataracts, retinal disease, and ocular disorders associated with diabetes and high blood pressure. In fact, it is not unusual for a skilled optometrist to be the first health care professional to spot developing systemic conditions like diabetes during routine eye exams.

Optometrist Education & Training
Most optometrists will undergo four years of undergraduate training — usually a premedical curriculum — and then four years of post-graduate doctoral training. Coursework will typically include pharmacology, ocular disease diagnosis and treatment, vision therapy, optics, physiology and anatomy, and countless hours of hands-on clinical work.

All optometrists must pass a series of rigorous, nationally-administered exams to earn their license to practice. Some optometrists will also complete a one-year post-graduate residency to gain more specialized expertise in a particular area. This is done to prepare optometrists to serve as the “front-line” for day-to-day vision care.

Optometrist Services
Today, most optometrists provide a broad range of vision care services, including:

• General vision services like eye exams, and treatment of conditions like strabismus and amblyopia
• Diagnosis and basic treatment of eye conditions like glaucoma, cataracts, macular degeneration, diabetic retinopathy, and conjunctivitis (pink eye)
• Prescribing medications for certain eye conditions (i.e., antibiotics for eye infections)
• Eye disease and injury-prevention
• Prescribing and fitting eyeglasses and contact lenses
• Vision therapy services, such as eye exercises and low-vision aids
• Pre- and postoperative care for people who have had eye or Lasik surgery

What’s an Ophthalmologist?

An ophthalmologist is a medical doctor (M.D.) that specializes in the eye.

While the training between ophthalmologists and optometrists is now very similar (especially around ocular disease diagnosis and treatment,) there are some marked differences between the two.

First, ophthalmologists are trained to perform surgery, while optometrists are not. This includes procedures like Lasik vision correction as well as removal of cataracts, surgery related to eye trauma, and burns or detachments of the retina.

Second, ophthalmologists have additional specialized training in diagnosing and treating more complex medical eye conditions, so it is not unusual for optometrists and ophthalmologists to work closely together on hard-to-diagnose conditions or ongoing disease treatment and management.

Third, as M.D.s, ophthalmologists are allowed to prescribe a broader-range of prescription drugs than optometrists.

Ophthalmologist Education & Training

Ophthalmologists will receive four or more years of premedical undergraduate education, four years of medical school, and one year of internship to get their doctorate degrees. Once they become licensed physicians, they will then undergo a residency of three or more years, with medical and surgical training in eye care.

Ophthalmologist Services

While all ophthalmologists are trained in vision services such as eye exams, refraction, vision correction and lens prescription, not all ophthalmologists will choose to practice vision correction as a primary service. Performing eye surgery is more profitable than refractions, so although ophthalmologists by training must be able to perform these services, they will often leave these day-to-day vision services to optometrists to perform instead.

Also, optometrists tend to have more eyewear products (like eyeglass frames and prescription sunglasses), so most primary vision correction is performed not by ophthalmologists, but by optometrists (and often technicians.) It is also not unusual for ophthalmologists and optometrists to work in the same office and co-treat patients.

What About Opticians?

Although opticians have a similar-sounding name to optometrists and ophthalmologists, they are very different from eye doctors. Opticians specialize in filling the lens prescriptions that optometrists and ophthalmologists prescribe.

In a typical optometry practice, the optician will:

• Evaluate the lens prescriptions written by the eye doctor
• Dispense, repair, adjust and replace eyeglass frames, lenses, and contacts
• Take measurements of a patient’s face in order to match them up with glasses that are appropriate for their facial structure
• Assist in determining which lenses are appropriate for a patient
• Provide guidance on how to match eyeglass frames with a patient’s personal fashion sense or lifestyle

Should I See an Optometrist or an Ophthalmologist?

For most day-to-day eye and vision-care needs, an optometrist will generally be your best choice. Optometrists typically have better appointment availability than ophthalmologists and will often have more eyeglass frame stock options, as well.

Like ophthalmologists, optometrists are trained to perform thorough eye examinations and refractions, as well as vision therapy for things like lazy eye. Some argue that optometrists are actually more skilled at vision correction because they typically perform many more refractions on a day-to-day basis than ophthalmologists. Practice makes perfect … or so the theory goes.

And because optometrists now have more specialized education in ocular disease diagnosis and management, they are trained to identify and treat many of the same diseases and conditions.

If more serious eye health conditions are found by an optometrist that require more specialized treatment or surgery they will then refer you to a ophthalmologist specializing in that particular condition.

CONSENT FOR TREATMENT: I/We hereby authorize Woodland Eye Clinic administer
diagnostic and medical procedures as may be necessary for proper health care.
​​​​​​​
OFFICE POLICY ON PAYMENT: I understand that I am responsible for payment of all
charges. Out-of-pocket fees, co-pays, deductibles, and non-covered items are due at time
of services. Insurance denials are patient responsibility and will be billed once insurance is
processed.


INSURANCE PLANS: As a courtesy, my insurance will be billed for me at time of service. It is
my responsibility to pay any deductible, copay or any other balance not paid by my insurance
company. All fees are ultimately the patient’s responsibility to pay. I authorize insurance
benefits to be paid directly to the provider. If you find out after your visit you have coverage;
An itemized receipt is available if you would like to submit on your own. We cannot submit to
insurance after services are rendered


VISION PLAN COVERAGE: I/We understand that only one vision plan may be used for exam/
materials per visit-per patient and that the vision plan to be used must be chosen before the
exam occurs and can not change at a later date.


GLASSES, CONTACTS & SERVICES POLICY: There is a 60 day window to report any
issues with materials purchased. Beyond the allotted time will incur additional fees. There is a
no refund policy on our goods and services.


COMMUNICATION: Our office policy is to send reminders via email, text and phone. From
time to time we may also send requests for a survey on your visit. Should you wish to not receivecommunication in one of the above ways please let our staff know.

THIS NOTICE DESCRIBES HOW MEDICAL INFORMATION ABOUT YOU MAY BE USED AND DISCLOSED, AND HOW YOU CAN GET ACCESS TO THIS INFORMATION. PLEASE REVIEW IT CAREFULLY.

This Notice tells you about the ways in which The Woodland Eye Clinic (referred to as “we”) may collect, use, and disclose your protected health information, and your rights concerning your protected health information. Protected health information is information about you, including demographic information, that can reasonably be used to identify you and that relates to your past, present, or future physical or mental health or condition, the provision of the health care to you, or the payment for that care. We are required by federal and state laws to provide you with this Notice about your rights and our legal duties and privacy practices with respect to your protected health information. We must follow the terms of this Notice while it is in effect. Some of the uses and disclosures described in this Notice may be limited in certain cases by applicable state laws that are more stringent than the federal standards.

HOW WE MAY USE AND DISCLOSE YOUR PROTECTED HEALTH INFORMATION

We may use and disclose your protected health information for different purposes. The examples below are provided to illustrate the types of uses and disclosures we may make without your authorization for payment, health care operations and treatment

Payment. We use and disclose your protected health information in order to pay for your covered health expenses. For example, we may use your protected health information to process claims or be reimbursed by another insurer that may be responsible for payment.

Health Care Operations. We use and disclose your protected health information in order to perform our planned activities, such as quality assessment activities or administrative activities, including data management or customer service. In some cases, we may use or disclose the information for determining health care insurance premiums. We may also contact you to provide appointment reminders or to offer information about treatment alternatives or other health-related benefits and services that may be of interest to you.

Treatment. We may use and disclose your protected health information to assist your health care providers (doctors, mental health practitioners, pharmacies, hospitals, ambulance services and others) in your diagnosis and treatment. For example, we may disclose your protected health information to providers to provide information about alternative treatments.

Plan Sponsor. If you are enrolled through a group health plan, we may provide summaries of claims and expenses for enrollees in a group health plan to the plan sponsor, who may also be an employer.

Enrolled Dependents and Family Members. We will mail explanation of benefits forms and other mailings containing protected health information to the address we have on record for the subscriber of the health plan.

OTHER PERMITTED OR REQUIRED DISCLOSURES

As Required by Law. We must disclose protected health information about you when required to do so by law.

Public Health Activities. We may disclose protected health information to public health agencies for reasons such as preventing or controlling disease, injury or disability.

Victims of Abuse, Neglect or Domestic Violence. We may disclose protected health information to government agencies about abuse, neglect or domestic violence.

Health Oversight Activities. We may disclose protected health information to government oversight agencies (e.g., state insurance departments) for activities authorized by law.

Judicial and Administrative Proceedings. We may disclose protected health information in response to a court or administrative order. We may also disclose protected health information about you in certain cases in response to a subpoena, discovery request or other lawful process.

Law Enforcement. We may disclose protected health information under limited circumstances to a law enforcement official in response to a warrant or similar process; to identify or locate a suspect; or to provide information about the victim of a crime.

Research. Under certain circumstances, we may disclose protected health information about you for research purposes, provided certain measures have been taken to protect your privacy.

To Avert a Serious Threat to Health or Safety. We may disclose protected health information about you, with some limitations, when necessary to prevent a serious threat to your health and safety or the health and safety of the public or another person.

Special Government Functions. We may disclose information as required by military authorities or to authorized federal officials for national security and intelligence activities.

Workers Compensation. We may disclose protected health information to the extent necessary to comply with state law for workers compensation programs.

Health Information That is Not Protected. We may disclose health information about you that is not protected health information; that is, information used in a way that does not personally
identify you or reveal who you are.

OTHER USES OR DISCLOSURES WITH AN AUTHORIZATION

Other uses or disclosures of your protected health information will be made only with your written authorization, unless otherwise permitted or required by law. You may revoke an authorization at any time in writing, except to the extent that we have already taken action on the information disclosed or if we are permitted by law to use the information to contest a claim or coverage under a health plan.

YOUR RIGHTS REGARDING YOUR PROTECTED HEALTH INFORMATION

You have certain rights regarding protected health information that we maintain about you.

Right to Access Your Protected Health Information. You have the right to review or obtain copies of your protected health information records, with some limited exceptions. Usually the records include enrollment, billing, claims payment, or case/medical management records. Your request to review and/or obtain a copy of your protected health information records must be made in writing. We may charge a fee for the costs of producing, copying and mailing your requested information, but we will tell you the cost in advance.

Right to Amend Your Protected Health Information. If you feel that protected health information maintained by us is incorrect or incomplete, you may request that we amend the information. Your request must be made in writing and must include the reason you are seeking a change. We may deny your request if, for example, you ask us to amend information that was not created by us, or if you ask to amend a record that is already accurate and complete.

Your Rights if a Request is Denied. If we deny your request to amend your protected health information, we will notify you in writing. You then have the right to submit to us a written statement of disagreement with our decision and we have the right to disagree with that statement.

Right to an Accounting of Disclosures Made by Us. You have the right to request an accounting of disclosures we have made of your protected health information. The list will not include our
disclosures related to your treatment, to payment, to health care operations, or disclosures made to you or with your authorization. The list may also exclude certain other disclosures, such as for national security purposes. Your request for an accounting of disclosures must be made in writing and must state a time period for which you want an accounting. This time period may not be longer than six years and may not include dates before April 14, 2003. Your request should indicate in what form you want to receive the list (for example, on paper or electronically). The first accounting that you request within a 12-month period will be free. For additional lists within the same time period, we may charge for providing the accounting but we will tell you the cost in advance.

Right to Request Restrictions on the Use and Disclosure of Your Protected Health Information. You have the right to request that we restrict or limit how we use or disclose your protected health information for treatment, payment or health care operations. We may not agree to your request. If we do agree, we will comply with your request unless the information is needed for an emergency. Your request for a restriction must be made in writing. In your request, you must tell us (1) what information you want to limit; (2) whether you want to limit how we use or disclose your information, or both; and (3) to whom you want the restrictions to apply.

Right to Receive Confidential Communications. You have the right to request that we use a certain method to communicate with you, such as paper or electronic communication, or that we send information to a certain location if the communication could endanger you. Your request to receive confidential communications must be made in writing. Your request must clearly state that all or part of the communication from us could endanger you. We will accommodate all reasonable requests. Your request must specify how or where you wish to be contacted.

Right to a Paper Copy of this Notice. You have a right at any time to request a paper copy of this Notice, even if you had previously agreed to receive an electronic copy.

Contact Information for Exercising your Rights. You may exercise any of the rights described above by contacting our Privacy Office. See the end of this Notice for the contact information.

HEALTH INFORMATION SECURITY

The Woodland Eye Clinic maintains physical, administrative and technical security measures to safeguard your information.

CHANGES TO THIS NOTICE

We reserve the right to change the terms of this Notice at any time, effective for protected health information that we already have about you as well as any information that we receive in the future. We will provide you with a copy of the new Notice whenever we make a material change to the privacy practices described in this Notice.

COMPLAINTS

If you believe that your privacy rights have been violated, you may file a complaint with us and/or the Secretary of the Department of Health and Human Services. All complaints to The Woodland Eye Clinic must be made in writing and sent to the privacy official listed at the end of this Notice. We support your right to protect the privacy of your protected health information. We will not retaliate against you or penalize you for filing a complaint.

CONTACT The Woodland Eye Clinic

If you have any complaints or questions about this Notice or you want to submit a written request to The Woodland Eye Clinic as required in any of the previous sections of this Notice, please contact us at the address listed above.