dr patterson photo

Specialty

My specialty is  general ophthalmology including diseases such as cataract, glaucoma, macular degeneration, dry eyes, allergic conjunctivitis  as well as routine exams for glasses and contact lenses. I am accepting new patients at both my main office in Bethesda as well as the DC office. Children six years of age or older and adults of any age are welcome.

Information about Website

This Website offers a description about my office and general information about eye diseases but the information may not apply to your particular situation. Please call the office for  an appointment and an estimated charge for the visit. If you have an eye emergency or urgent condition please call the office at 301-652-7061 or 202-244-9096. For emergencies before 8:30 AM or after 5:00 PM please call the office and listen to the voice mail message. If you are a new patient click on Patient Education tab on the left hand side of this screen and the new window will have a list of documents- click on registration form to print this out and bring it to your appointment.

Important Information about Refraction, Routine Eye Exam, Medical Eye Exam, Vision Plan

A Refraction is a procedure(Code 92015) in which I check the visual acuity(20/20, 20/40, etc) and then determine the prescription for glasses if needed. For new patients I usually perform a refraction at the first visit and  Most Medical  insurances does not cover(pay) for a refraction and the patient is responsible for the entire charge.

A Routine Eye Exam (Code S0621, S0620) includes a refraction plus a brief screening exam of the eyes  for a patient who is not having any symptoms such as pain, redness, floaters, etc and does not need a check on an eye disease such as cataracts, glaucoma, pink eye, etc. If  you are having symptoms of an eye disease a Medical eye exam will be performed to diagnose and treat  the disease. Most Medical insurance  will cover a medical eye exam( copays and deductibles may apply). 

 A Routine Eye exam(Code S0621,S0620)  does not include a prescription for contact lenses. If you need a prescription for contact lenses this is a separate charge of $20.00(contact evaluation) from a routine eye exam. If you have a  Vision plan  this will cover a Routine Eye Exam.  Vision plans and Medical  Insurance plans  are different so be sure to check with your HR person to learn if you have a Vision Plan or Medical Insurance or both.

If you have a vision plan call the plan  or visit the plan website before your appointment to verify that you are eligible for an exam and to find out the copayment for the exam.

Please visit www.GetEyeSmart.org.