As of February 1, 2025 Alberta Health Care (AHC) has made significant cuts to Optometry’s billing codes. This has necessitated the introduction of co-payments for many of the clinic visits that were previously 100% covered by Alberta Health. We will continue to bill AHC for a portion of your exam; however there will now be a balance payable by you.
New Cranston Co-Pay Fees as of Feb 1/ 25 (subject to change)
- $20 for each medically necessary exam
- $20 for a child or senior partial exam
- $50 for urgent care exam (within 2 business days)
- $50 for medically necessary imaging
- $50 for extra testing (e.g. dilation) on same day as full exam
Meadows Mile Location only*
- No co-pays for medically necessary exams, partial exams, or imaging at this time*
Existing Full Exam Co-Pay Fees (both as of Oct 1 / 23)
- $35 for children’s (ages 5-18) full eye exam
- $50 for seniors’ full exam (ages 65+)
At Vivid Eye Care, we will continue to offer state of the art and compassionate care to all our patients. Unfortunately, the changes to the billing codes were made unilaterally by Alberta Health with no consultation with the Alberta Association of Optometrists. If you share our concerns about the cuts to Albertans’ Eye Care, please learn more and contact your MLA using the button below.
https://optometrists.ab.ca/savingvision
Frequently Asked Questions
- Why did Alberta Health Care make these cuts to Optometry’s billing codes?
- That’s a great question for your MLA. The Alberta Association of Optometrists was not consulted prior to these changes. We feel this decision by government will have significant negative impact on all Albertans.
- What if I don’t pay for my medically necessary follow up visits and wait and see what happens?
- Your Doctor of Optometry recommends an individualized visit and treatment plan to provide each patient the best vision and eye health. If you miss or defer the recommended exam, you may be putting your eye health and vision at risk, sometimes permanently
- Why is there now a co-pay for my child to get his or her vision or prescription checked between full eye exams?
- Unfortunately Alberta Health Care delisted (cut) the partial eye exam code for children and seniors. There is now only one full exam per year (partially covered by AHC with a $35 co-pay) and no partial eye exams. For some children with glasses, strabismus, amblyopia or at risk for reduced vision, our doctors recommend 3-6 month partial exam between full exams. We want to our patients to see well to succeed in school, sports and life!
- Will I be able to submit my co-pay to my third party insurance like Blue Cross?
- We do not know the answer to this as everyone’s insurance is different and these changes are new. We will give you an itemized invoice which you are welcome to submit to your insurance or health spending account; however Vivid Eye Care makes no assurances that these plans will reimburse you
- I cannot afford the co-pays; what options do I have?
- At this time, our *Meadows Mile location is not charging co-pays. Patients wanting to save the fees are welcome to book some types of exams at that location. However, please note that not all types of exams or imaging is available at Meadows Mile due to different equipment between locations.
- Vivid Eye Care is proud to offer our Eyes On Our Community program that can provide complimentary eye care to patients in need. Learn more at https://vivideyecare.ca/community-support-programs/
