For Patients

Insurance Plans We Accept

Most of our physicians participate with Medicare and most commercial insurance plans, including Aetna, Cigna, Empire Blue Cross Blue Shield, HIP, Local 1199, Oxford, UnitedHealthcare, and Multiplan. For specific participation inquiries about your physician, please call us at 212-305-9535.

For First-Time Patients

Please take a few moments prior to your appointment to review and complete any patient forms that we send you and bring them with you to your visit. This will allow us to process your paperwork more quickly and reduce your waiting time.

What to Bring to Your Appointment:

  • Insurance card(s)
  • Co-payment (collected at the time of service)
  • Referrals (if applicable)

To Cancel Your Appointment

If you need to cancel or reschedule your appointment, please contact our office at 212-305-9535 at least 24 hours before your scheduled visit. Otherwise, a no-show fee of $75 may apply.

For Eyeglasses or Contact Lens Prescriptions

The Department of Ophthalmology at Columbia University Medical Center is primarily a tertiary and quaternary care center, so most of our physicians do not typically see patients solely for contact lenses fitting or for eyeglass prescriptions. In addition, refraction (the test that determines the need for corrective glasses and/or contact lenses), is considered a "vision" service and is not covered by Medicare or most insurance plans.

Our refraction fee is $80 and is collected at the time of service. If you are a Medicare patient, you will be charged for this service since it is not covered by Medicare. If you have a non-Medicare insurance plan, the refraction policy still applies. We will bill your insurance, and if payment is approved, we will refund you accordingly.

If you have any questions prior to your visit, please contact our office and we will be glad to assist you. We look forward to seeing you soon!