Frequently Asked Questions

Do you take Medicaid?

Yes! We are happily accepting new Medicaid patients.  Not only is the exam covered but all of our over 200 children’s frames, if applicable, are covered as well.

Are you accepting new patients?

Yes!  We are accepting new patients and have immediate availability.

Do I need a referral to see Dr. Graeber?

No.  We often get referrals but it is not necessary to have one to book an appointment with us.

What is the difference between a Pediatric Ophthalmologist and an Optometrist?

The primary difference is training.  Ophthalmologists are Medical Doctors which means they were required to receive a bachelor’s degree (4 years), graduate from medical school (4 years), intern (1 year), and complete a residency (3 years).  Additionally, Pediatric Ophthalmologists must complete a fellowship training year focused exclusively on children and eye muscles.  In total, Pediatric Ophthalmologists have studied and trained for 13 years before practicing.

Optometrists must attend Optometry School which is a four year program.  While a college degree is not required, some college coursework is required for most schools (or AP equivalent) that can be up to two years of additional course work.

As a result of their training, Pediatric Ophthalmologists are not only experts in eye care but they are the highest trained physicians when it comes to children’s vision and vision related issues.  Additionally, they are fully trained and qualified medical professionals and able to diagnose issues that are present in the eye but caused elsewhere in the body (i.e. early onset diabetes).

Should I take my child to a Pediatric Ophthalmologist or an Optometrist?

A Pediatric Ophthalmologist can be seen for anything eye related in children from basic exams to complex eye diseases.  Optometrists can be seen for basic exams on school aged children and above. If your child is non-verbal, below school aged, autistic, disabled, or if there are any concerns beyond basic vision correction such as eye turns, a lazy eye, crossed eyes or eyes that turn outward, they should be seen by a Pediatric Ophthalmologist.

Do you take vision insurance?

Dr. Graeber is a medical doctor and accordingly we bill everything on health/medical insurance plans.  We are “in-network” with nearly every commercial and state health insurance plan.  You can see a list here.

Often, vision plans will give “out of network” benefits that may be applicable for the exam and / or glasses from our optical shop.  We are happy to help you with claim submission if you would like.

How does insurance billing work?

For families with health insurance where we are “in-network” we will take two payments at the time of service.  The first is the ‘co-payment’ if that applies to the specific plan.  The second is a ‘refraction fee’ if one was performed during the appointment.

The full bill is then sent to the health insurance company.  Within 30 days the charges will be processed and payment (or non-payment) will be sent directly to us.  If your plan has a deductible that has not been met or co-insurance that is meant to cover part of the bill, you will receive a statement from us, typically within 45 days of the appointment (this depends totally on the insurance company).

If the insurance company paid for the refraction we refund the charge that was taken at the time of service.

What does an exam cost?

Most visits to our office have both exams and testing with different medical codes.  We are happy to provide you an estimate at any time – please call (970) 214-8175 and ask for Mike

How young of children do you see?  When should I start eye exams on my child?

Dr. Graeber is trained and qualified to perform exams on children within a few hours of life.  Additionally, she is trained and qualified to treat adults with strabismus / double vision (and everything in between).  We tell parents to bring their child in for an exam if they have any eye related concerns (i.e. an eye turn) or if they are referred by their pediatrician / primary care physician / school nurse or physical therapist (typically because of a failed vision screening or if a child is having difficulty seeing in school).