Frequently Asked Questions

If you’re a new patient, please bring the following:

• Completed registration form
• Insurance card
• Co-pay
• A current list of medications and/or eye drops
• Current eyeglasses
• Contact lens information
• Referral form, if you were referred by a doctor

Download and fill out the following forms (these can be filled out in your portal as well): Click here for the patient portal

1. Patient Registration
2. Financial Agreement
3. Patient Disclosure Authorization
4. Authorization to Release Information

We accept a variety of medical and vision insurances. You may visit our insurance page by clicking here to see which ones we accept. Please note this list may change at any time. For the most up-to-date information, you may call our office at (610) 696-1230.

To log in, you will need to be given a username and password. If you scheduled an appointment with us, you most likely will have been sent a link to register for the portal in your email. Please check your spam or junk mail if you cannot find it. Contact us if you have any issues with your portal.

Click here for a comprehensive guide on how to access and use your portal

For a comprehensive eye exam, you should expect to be at our office for approximately 1.5 hours. This is the time it will take to do a comprehensive eye exam including dilation. If you are scheduled with one of our specialists, please be aware it could take 2 hours or more. If certain testing is required, it may take longer.

If you need to cancel or reschedule your appointment, we ask that you please call us as soon as you know you cannot make it. This allows us to offer the appointment to another patient who needs it. 

Click on our specific location page for more information

West Chester: The Fern Hill Medical campus has parking in the front and back of the building. If you are facing the building straight on after turning into the campus, we recommend parking towards the left side of the building in the front.

Exton: After reaching our office, there are numerous parking spots.. There are a couple directly in front of the building, on the side, and across from it. You can park in any space available

Malvern: This office has a parking lot that is mainly in front of the building. You are free to park in any space available.

West Grove: We are located in the first floor of the Penn Medicine building. You can park anywhere in the parking lot.

If you were referred by a doctor, there are a couple of ways we will schedule you.

1. If your doctor did not hand you a referral form, they most likely sent us the referral. We will reach out to you with the information to schedule your appointment.
2. If your doctor did hand you the referral form, you most likely will have to call us to schedule the appointment. Make sure to have the referral form available when you call, as we will ask a couple questions about what it says. 

Co-management: Depending on who the doctor is that referred you, we will sometimes co-management with that provider if you opt into it. Simply put, Chester County Eye Care will perform your surgical evaluation, surgery, and day one follow-up. Afterwards, we will release you back to your optometrist for the rest of the follow up appointments. This will all be explained in more detail during your surgery counseling.

We use a reputable third-party platform known as HelloAbby that makes ordering contact lenses simple. If you are prescribed contact lenses during your routine visit, you will receive an email on how to log in to HelloAbby and order your lenses. Upon logging in, you will see your prescription is already loaded and ready to be purchased and delivered directly to your home. Contact our contact lens department at (number) for more information.

The dilation typically lasts for approximately 3-4 hours, though for some people it may be longer. During this time, you may experience blurry vision, especially while reading, and light sensitivity.

A comprehensive eye exam involves dilation so that the doctor can view the back of your eye. This helps in the detection of many eye diseases. Traditionally, drops are used in the eye for dilation. However, for people who do not like this method, there is an alternative called an Optomap scan. An Optomap scan allows the doctor to see the back of your retina just like dilation does but without the side effects of light sensitivity or blurred vision. Please note there is an additional fee for this service.

A refraction is a test given to measure the refractive error of your eye. It is performed to determine the prescription for your glasses and contact lenses.

Comprehensive eye exams are generally recommended every 2 years. If you have certain eye conditions, an eye exam may be needed more often.