Serving the cities of Ft. Collins, Wellington, Windsor, Loveland, Greeley, Longmont and surrounding areas.
Primary Eye Care | Contact Lens | Glasses | Pediatric Vision | Vision Therapy | Surgical Co-Management
Brighter Future Vision Clinic PLLC
Vision Therapy Frequently Asked Questions
What is Vision Therapy?
Vision therapy is a highly effective non-surgical treatment for many common visual problems such as lazy eye (including
amblyopia and/or strabismus), double vision, convergence insufficiency and other visual problems that can cause reading
and learning difficulties. Many patients who have been told their eyes are healthy and they see "20/20" have benefited
from vision therapy.
Who benefits from Vision Therapy?
We see a variety of patients, from school age children to adults!
What is the difference between your therapy and other clinics in the area?
At BFVC we offer a high-tech, computer based Vision Therapy program. This allows the patient to complete the home
based therapy more independently than with other methods. We also have a fun and engaging in-office therapy program
specifically designed to meet the patient’s individual need.
The process of completing Vision Therapy may be different from one office to another, but regardless of where you go, as
long as the process is completed fully, the patient will show an improvement in skills and/or relief of symptoms.
Can any professional perform the therapy my child needs?
No. It is always best to obtain the care you need from someone who specializes in the area of concern. Dr. Johnson is a
Fellow in the College of Optometrists in Vision Development (COVD), the international certifying board for doctors who
specialize in the diagnosis and treatment of vision-based learning problems, including strabismus, and amblyopia for
children and adults. Two of our therapists are Certified Optometric Vision Therapists (COVT) with over 13 years combined
experience.
What is Vision Therapy Pre-testing?
Before we can start a unit of therapy, we need a complete set of data to assess a patient’s visual strengths and
weaknesses, and to fully understand what areas are problematic. This will help us develop a plan which will specifically
address each individual’s needs. The Pre-testing is a separate component from the Vision Therapy Unit and has a
separate fee associated with it.
How is testing scheduled?
We will do our best to try to schedule your testing efficiently, but please understand that your insurance may require it to
be split up over several days. Testing includes 30 minutes with Dr. Johnson and 1 hour with our staff. There is also a
consult with Dr. Johnson at the end of testing.
Do I need an eye exam?
Patients who have not had a recent eye exam at our office will need to schedule one prior to pre-testing. This will ensure
that there is in fact a need for Vision Therapy. If you are referred by another Optometrist, you will not need another eye
exam.
What does a unit of Vision Therapy look like?
Typically, a vision therapy unit consists of a daily home therapy component, in office therapy for 30 minutes twice a week
for 12 weeks, and post-testing. In office therapy is typically scheduled Monday/Thursday or Tuesday/Friday. The in-office
therapy consists of a variety of activities to help patients develop or improve fundamental visual skills and abilities;
Improve visual comfort, ease, and efficiency; and/or change how a patient processes or interprets visual information. The
home therapy is completed via a computer several times a day.
We understand that sometimes there are scheduling conflicts, and we work to accommodate those if we can.
How do I schedule children who are in school?
We do offer a limited number of before and after school time slots and these slots often fill up quickly. More than 50% of
our kids in therapy will have to miss at least some school, and most schools will allow a modified schedule for these 12
weeks to accommodate the therapy.
What does Vision Therapy cost?
The cost of a unit of Vision Therapy varies depending on the frequency of office visits and severity of the diagnosis. Please
contact our office for more information.
Will my insurance company pay for Vision Therapy?
Most insurance companies will pay for a portion of pretesting and post testing fees. Coverage for the therapy unit itself
depends on your plan and diagnosis. Most of the cost is often denied; however, sometimes portions will be applied to
deductibles first, and then patients often have a small co-insurance or copay for each visit. Our staff will provide all
patients a predetermination of benefits ahead of time explaining their cost.
Do you accept government plans such as Medicare, Medicaid or CHP?
We do accept Medicare, Medicaid and CHP. Feel free to call the office with questions. We can give typical coverage
information over the phone, but it is not a guarantee of individual coverage.
Do you allow payment plans?
We typically spread out patient fees over 4 months. This is automatically billed on the 15th of the month to your credit
card on file. We also accept post-dated checks, but please note there are separate fees and agreements for bounced
checks. We do not accept monthly cash payments.
Do you give discounts for patients without health insurance?
We offer discounted fees on our exams and testing for patients without insurance. We also offer a $100 pre-pay discount
on Vision Therapy to cash paying patients who pay for their unit up front.
Will I have to pay anything at the first visit?
The first visit is typically an eval with the doctor. For patients who have insurance, we will predetermine your cost before
meeting with the doctor, and those fees will be due in advance. For cash patients, payment will be made upon check-in.
If the patient has not had an eye exam in the last year, the doctor may perform an eye exam as well as an eval, and those
charges can be billed to a vision plan, if applicable.