Through AARP Vision Discounts You'll Receive:
  • Discount pricing on routine eye exams by participating providers.
  • Personalized Eye Health Exam Report to explain the results of your exam
  • Complimentary Glaucoma Screening (if applicable)* at select providers
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Click on a Topic Below to Learn More:

Eyeglass Examination Contact Lens Examination Dilated Fundus Examination Refractive Error

Eyeglass Examination

The standard examination procedure for a patient who wants to wear eyeglasses includes at least the following:

  • Case history, reason for examination, patient medical and eye history, current medications, etc.
  • Recording of monocular (one eye) and binocular (both eyes) visual acuities at far and near, with and without present correction
  • Pupil responses (Neurological Integrity)
  • External examination findings (Biomicroscopy)
  • Internal examination findings (Ophthalmoscopy)
  • Present prescription (when applicable)
  • Retinoscopy (when applicable) - Measuring an eye's refractive error (optical defect) by using a retinoscope.
  • Subjective refraction - Determination of an eye's refractive error (optical defect) and the best corrective lenses to be prescribed. A series of lenses in graded powers are presented to determine which provide sharpest, clearest vision.
  • Phorometry/Binocular testing at far and near
  • Tonometry - Measurement of intraocular pressure in millimeters of mercury.
  • Diagnosis/Prognosis
  • Specific recommendations
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Contact Lens Examination

Examination requirements for patients who wish to wear contact lenses include all of the standard eyeglass examination procedures as well as the following:

  • Keratometry - Obtaining corneal curvature measurements with a keratometer. Unequal meridional powers indicate astigmatism.
  • Diagnostic lens testing (when applicable).
  • Additional external examination (biomicroscopy) with and without contact lenses.
  • Series of follow-up visits to ensure compliance with maintenance and wearing schedules.


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Dilated Fundus Examination

A dilated fundus examination is an additional procedure using specialized instrumentation to conduct a more extensive evaluation of the internal structures of the eye. The eye must be dilated to permit a dilated fundus exam to be conducted. Dilation is the enlargement of the pupil diameter, which allows the doctor to observe the internal eye more completely. It is not always part of a provider's standard examination procedure, but providers may perform a dilated fundus exam if any of the following conditions exist:

  • Diabetes
  • Myopia (nearsightedness) over 6 diopters
  • Hypertension (high blood pressure)
  • Retinal disease
  • Sudden changes in vision
  • Flashes or floaters
  • Family or personal health history that predicts future ocular complications
  • State law requiring dilation


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Refractive Error

Refractive error is an optical defect in an unaccommodating eye where parallel light rays are not brought to a sharp focus precisely on the retina, producing a blurred retinal image. Eyeglasses, contact lenses, or refractive surgery are most often used to correct the following refractive errors:

  • Myopia

    Myopia ("nearsightedness") is a condition in which light refracted into the eye focuses at a point in front of the retina. Myopic individuals can see nearby objects clearly and have trouble seeing distant objects. Myopia is correctable with eyeglasses or contact lenses. Myopic correcting lenses are concave, or thinner in the center than on the edge.

  • Hyperopia

    Hyperopia ("farsightedness") is a condition in which light refracted into the eye focuses at a point behind the retina. Hyperopic individuals can see distant objects clearly and have trouble seeing nearby objects. Hyperopia is correctable with eyeglasses or contact lenses. Hyperopic correcting lenses are convex, or thicker in the center than on the edge.

  • Presbyopia

    Presbyopia is the loss of the ability to focus due to the natural aging process. It is correctable with bifocal or trifocal lenses that reduce the need for the eye to focus when changing between distance and near vision.

  • Astigmatism

    Astigmatism is a condition in which an asymmetric cornea results in different visual irregularities in different parts of the eye. It is correctable with eyeglass lenses that are ground to a different thickness and curvature. Toric soft contact lenses or rigid contact lenses can also correct some cases of astigmatism.

*If you are currently under treatment for glaucoma, have been diagnosed with glaucoma, or have had an eye exam within the past year, this screening is not recommended.