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Gary M. Louie & Associates
34724 Alvarado-Niles Road, 
Union City, CA 94587
Phone: (510) 489-5510
Fax: (510) 489-5658 
FAQs
Is your office accepting new patients?
Yes! We are always accepting new patients.  Dr. Louie, Dr. Lee, Dr. Chen and the staff are always looking forward to serving new patients.
Does your office accept my vision insurance?
We accept a wide variety of vision insurance plans such as Vision Service Plan (VSP), Davis Vision, and Medical Eye Services (MES).  We are also providers for select medical plans such as Medicare and many PPO plans (Blue Shield, Blue Cross, and United Health Care, and Cigna.)
If I do not have any vision coverage, how much will it cost me to get an eye exam?
Currently, the fee for a comprehensive eye examination for new patients is $144.00 and for existing patients the fee is $134.00.  The cost of your examination may vary depending on what is found during the course of your visit and what services are necessary to address your eye care needs. Yes, you can find cheaper exam fees but they may not take the time it takes to really evaluate your exact needs.
How long will my eye examination appointment take?
A typical comprehensive eye exam will last around 90 minutes including the dilation part of the exam.  However, if you wish to not have your eyes dilated on the day of your exam, you can reschedule to have that procedure done on another day which will not cost any extra fees, or you may choose to have the Optomap Retinal Imaging done.  This does not require any drops and it is only an additional $39.00 for adults and $24.00 for children. This procedure is not typically covered by any insurance unless the doctor finds any medical conditions.
What happens during a contact lens training?
An optician will sit down with you and teach you how to insert and remove the contact lenses and make sure you are able to insert and remove the lenses multiple times by yourself. The optician will also review how long you should wear your contacts for the following week or until you come in for your first contact lens follow up appointment with the doctor
What is a contact lens evaluation?
A contact lens evaluation is for current for contact lens wearers and includes a careful evaluation of your contact lens fit and vision. It is very important that the contact lenses be checked regularly to insure a lens fit that is optimal, safe, and healthy. There is no guarantee that any contact lens fit will remain safe indefinitely. In certain instances, the doctor may catch a potentially serious problem with your lenses, even though they feel completely comfortable to you.
There are a number of procedures that are performed during an evaluation for contact lens wearers that are not a part of a general comprehensive eye examination. For this reason, there is an additional fee for the contact lens evaluation. For those of you with eye care insurance, please be aware that this additional evaluation fee may not be covered by your eye care insurance. If you have contact lens coverage through your insurance, you may elect to use it to pay this additional fee. Keep in mind, however, that many insurance programs will only contribute toward eyeglasses OR contact lens services and lenses, not BOTH. 
What is a contact lens fitting?
A contact lens fitting is a series of visits for patients who are new to contact lenses, or for those who are changing the type of lenses that they will be wearing. During a contact lens fitting, your doctor will discuss your lens options and choose the most suitable lenses for your eyes and your needs. If you are new to wearing contact lenses, you will also be shown how to properly insert, remove, and care for them. After spending some time wearing your new lenses over the first one to two weeks, your doctor will re-evaluate your fit to ensure that the lenses are working properly and are a healthy option for you. Several sets of lenses and several fitting visits may be necessary to arrive at the most optimal and acceptable contact lenses.
What is your office appointment cancellation fee?
We ask that you make every effort to keep your appointment once it has been made. If you should need to change your appointment time, it is helpful to let our office know as far in advance as possible so that it may be available to someone else. In order to avoid our $35 late cancellation/no show fee, we require at least 24 hours notice. 
What should I bring to my eye exam appointment?
New patients should download and fill out the Patient History Form and the HIPPA Form. Bring your most recent pair of eyeglasses, as well as any other prescription eyeglasses that you currently wear, including those for work, computer use, reading, and sun protection. If you are new to our office and wear contact lenses, please bring your latest contact lens prescription or the current boxes or packaging for your contact lenses. All contact lens wearers should wear their contact lenses for at least 4 hours before their appointment whenever possible. Bring your glasses, as you will not be able to wear your contact lenses right after the dilation drops are put into your eyes.
Can I re-use my existing frame to put new lenses into?
We are able to use an existing frame if you keep a few things in mind. Older frames are not under warranty and if a frame part breaks, parts are not available. When this happens, it necessitates buying a whole new pair of glasses because lenses cannot usually be re-cut or put into another frame.  As long as the frame is in good serviceable condition, it can be reused. Use of your own frame is always at your own risk. Our opticians will help to assess your existing frame and advise you about the suitability of reusing it.  If you do choose to use your own frame, your optician will ask you to sign a waiver notating that our office will not be liable if the lab happens to break your frame.
Contact Us
34724 Alvarado Niles Rd.
Union City, CA 94587
Phone: 510-489-5510
Office Hours
Tue     8:30 am - 5:30 pm
Wed    8:30 am - 5:30 pm
Thu     8:30 am - 5:30 pm
Fri       8:30 am - 5:30 pm

Sat      8:30 am - 4:00 pm
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