alarm-ringing ambulance angle2 archive arrow-down arrow-left arrow-right arrow-up at-sign baby baby2 bag binoculars book-open book2 bookmark2 bubble calendar-check calendar-empty camera2 cart chart-growth check chevron-down chevron-left chevron-right chevron-up circle-minus circle city clapboard-play clipboard-empty clipboard-text clock clock2 cloud-download cloud-windy cloud clubs cog cross crown cube youtube diamond4 diamonds drop-crossed drop2 earth ellipsis envelope-open envelope exclamation eye-dropper eye facebook file-empty fire flag2 flare foursquare gift glasses google graph hammer-wrench heart-pulse heart home instagram joystick lamp layers lifebuoy link linkedin list lock magic-wand map-marker map medal-empty menu microscope minus moon mustache-glasses paper-plane paperclip papers pen pencil pie-chart pinterest plus-circle plus power printer pushpin question rain reading receipt recycle reminder sad shield-check smartphone smile soccer spades speed-medium spotlights star-empty star-half star store sun-glasses sun tag telephone thumbs-down thumbs-up tree tumblr twitter tiktok wechat user users wheelchair write yelp youtube

In-Network vs. Out-of-Network

What’s the difference?

When our office is “in-network,” it means that our office is contracted to provide services and materials in accordance with a set schedule and program.  As an “in-network’ provider, we will fulfill and follow the obligations and protocols set forward by the plan.

At times, however, it becomes difficult for our office to remain “in-network” for a large number of plans at the same time; or specific plans obligate us to compromise the excellent and personal services which have been a hallmark of our office for many decades. In either of those instances, we move “out-of-network.”

When we are “out-of-network” for your vision plan, you are welcome to continue to receive your care at Fig Garden Optometry and your plan will (typically) allow you to continue to see the provider of your choice. However, when visiting us as “out-of-network,” the vision plan pays you, the patient, instead of us, the provider, for the amounts that are their responsibility. When that is the case, your responsibility with our office will be the fees for services and materials that other patients who have no vision plan experience.  Then, to receive a reimbursement from your plan, you would be required to send in paperwork to the benefit plan and wait for reimbursement after the fact.

The amount that the benefit plan will reimburse a patient seeing an “out-of-network” doctor will vary from case to case, employer to employer, and plan to plan.  If you would like us to provide an estimate of your “out-of-pocket” costs as an “out-of-network” patient compared to a prior visit when we were “in-network,” please feel free to contact us.

 

– The Team at Fig Garden Optometry