We have an unfortunately small parking lot (a big price to pay for our amazing central Austin location.) Scheduling appointments allows our patients a much higher chance of streamlining their visit and finding parking in our lot. Otherwise, the closest parking can be found a few blocks down on residential streets of Live Oak or W Johanna. Furthermore, scheduled visits help us make sure to have the appropriate staff on hand to ensure someone is available to provide the best individualized experience.

Please bring all current glasses and contact lens prescriptions (or your previous contact lens boxes) to your appointment.

Yes, and we love it! We begin seeing children starting at 9 months old. Please schedule your appointment with Dr. Travis Bailey for any children under the age of 5.

We typically recommend an initial checkup between 9 months and 1 year, another at 3-4 years, and then yearly after 5. It is extremely important for children to have their eyes examined, and school screenings and pediatrician checkups don’t count! Routine eye exams for children are not only important to detect vision problems, but also ensure proper development and academic success.

Sometimes our patients can save money when they have better coverage for routine exams through medical insurance. Medical insurance (BCBS, UHC, etc.) is utilized in the presence of a medical diagnosis (ex: dry eye, diabetes, or cataracts). We prefer to have this information prior to your appointment because it can often be a lengthy process to check coverage with medical insurance providers and we want to be able to treat patients promptly.

It would not be possible to determine your contact lens prescription without first doing a comprehensive exam. During the routine visit, the doctor will determine your prescription and assess the shape and health of your eye. This information is then used to determine the best contact lens for you. There are many choices for contact lenses, and the comfort and vision achieved from each contact lens will vary for every patient.

Contact lenses are medical devices. Annual contact lens evaluations are like going in for your yearly physical. It’s necessary to update your prescription, make sure your eyes are healthy, and ensure your lenses fit just right for all-day comfort. Plus, it’s a chance to explore the latest tech that could make your vision even clearer or your lenses even more comfy so that you can continue to wear lenses successfully.

If we are filing insurance on your behalf, your insurance dictates the cost of lenses, and these dictated costs are the same no matter where you go for the same quality of product. As a baseline, our frames begin at $179 and increase from there. In our office, we prefer to work with independent companies whose prices correlate with the quality of materials and craftsmanship of the product. If you are looking for a more specific price, please make an optical appointment to discuss costs with one of our opticians. It is important to have your prescription and insurance information available to receive the most accurate quote.

Our ability to use a patient’s own frame depends on the age and integrity of the frame. Our opticians will do a thorough evaluation of any frame before discussing options. Please keep in mind that as glasses get older, they become more brittle and can break more easily. Frames must go through a strenuous process (typically requiring heat) for new lenses to be edged and properly mounted. We do not want to risk breakage for any frames that we cannot easily replace for you.

The pupillary distance should be measured by the optician that makes your glasses. It is only one of many measurements necessary to ensure you are seeing as clear and comfortable as possible. It is not something measured by the doctor during your eye exam as it is not related to your prescription.

Texas state law dictates a yearly exam is necessary to renew glasses and contact lens prescriptions. Furthermore, yearly eye exams are important for monitoring vision changes, detecting eye diseases early, assessing overall eye health, and providing preventative care.

Our doctors care about the health of the eye. Many concerns in the eye are undetectable due to lack of pain receptors or vision changes. We believe that patients choose our office so that they can receive the highest quality of care which would be impossible without checking eye health. Plus, it gives us a record to track your health over time.

Many of these well-known brands are owned by large umbrella companies (hi Luxottica!) who mass produce frames using licensed names. We prefer to work with independent brands that stand behind their products so that the price of the frame is reflective of the quality and craftsmanship you receive.

We do not price match the cost of glasses or contact lenses. Every year we do audit our contact lens prices to stay in line with 1-800 contacts. There are way too many shady online contact companies who get their products from overseas where quality control may not be as strongly considered.

We ask that only two members of a family be scheduled on the same day. This avoids long visits that can cause children to become antsy and impact the quality of exams. This also avoids increased costs incurred with rescheduling or missed appointments.

We require a 2-business day notice for any last-minute changes or cancellations. A $50 fee will be applied before rescheduling. Of course, we understand that last minute changes happen in life, and we encourage patients to touch base with our staff in those scenarios.

In order to best provide you care, the doctor needs to know if you have had any changes to your medical history or to demographic information such as address or phone number. This also allows us to streamline your visit and be super-efficient while you are here! If you’ve been to our office before, your registration paperwork should take less than 5 minutes.

You should block off an hour of time for your appointment. Please consider allowing for more time if you’d like to browse frames and explore new styles. If you are trying contact lenses for the first time, please add an additional 30-45 minutes.

Your insurance dictates the quality of service and products that you receive. When we take your insurance, we must use the labs and products that your insurance allows (spoiler alert: it’s usually ones they own or have a financial stake in.) If the labs provide poor service and low-quality products, we are stuck dealing with the patient fall-out (even if it’s the insurance’s fault.) With exam reimbursements remaining stagnant as costs soar, we don’t want to adopt a corporate philosophy in order to stay in business. We’d rather practice the way we want!

We accept Medicare but not Medicaid. We do not accept care credit.

We accept cash and cards (included FSA) as forms of payment. We do not accept personal checks.