Eye Care For You
Serving: Redding, Anderson, Palo Cedro, Shasta, Lake City, Millville, Bella Vista, Cottonwood, Burney, McArthur, Shingletown, Oak Run, Weaverville, Hayfork, and Red Bluff
Insurance and Payment Information
Common Questions
What are Dr. Young's qualifications?
Dr. Young has been a licensed Optometrist in the state of California since 1988. He also is certified in the diagnosis and treatment of eye disease. He is a graduate of Pacific University College of Optometry summa cum laude and was given The Outstanding Clinician of the Year Award 1988 by the staff and faculty of Pacific University College of Optometry.
He is a member of the American Optometric Association, California Optometric Association, member and past president of the Golden Empire Optometric Association, member of the International Orthokeratology Society, member of the Ocular Nutrition Society and member of International Dry Eye Association. He is a current member of Redding East Rotary and Redding Chamber of Commerce.
His interests include cars, auto racing, gold prospecting, baseball (go Giants!) and he loves his wife Debra and his dogs.
How much is an eye exam?
For a new patient with the time-of-service discount, the exam fee is $139. For an established patient with the time-of-service discount, it is $127. This is for the comprehensive vision and eye health exam. If additional testing is needed, an additional fee is charged, which in most cases is billable to your medical insurance.
How much are glasses?
A complete new frame and lens starts at $150. The fee will depend on the frame and lenses that you select and which are best for you.
How much is a contact lens exam?
If you are new patient who has not worn contact lenses in the last year, you need to have a comprehensive vision and eye health exam. You then will need a contact lens fitting and some follow-up visits. At the completion of the fitting and follow-up, you can then order a one-year supply of contact lenses. For more detailed information, see our contact lens page.
If you are currently successfully wearing contact lenses and just need a renewal on your current prescription, then you need a comprehensive vision and eye health exam. If you need any additional changes and follow-up care, then a refitting fee will be charged.
The fee depends on the amount of follow-up care you will require, but generally ranges from $30 -$60. For more detailed information, see our contact lens page.
How much is laser vision correction?
The fee for laser vision correction depends on the surgeon and the type of surgery. In general, plan on about $4000 - $4500 to have surgery on both eyes.
Will my medical insurance pay for my eye exam?
Yes, if it is medically related. If you are coming in just for new glasses or contact lenses and do not have a medically related eye problem, then it generally will not pay.
How much will my vision insurance pay?
That depends on your insurance plan. Please review your plan’s benefits so you better understand what is covered and how much. Our staff can help you if necessary, but it is always better if you understand it yourself.
Can I make payments?
Yes. You can qualify for payments by getting credit with CareCredit. For more information about them go to www.CareCredit.com . We no longer provide in-house credit or payments due to too many defaults.
We also accept Visa, MasterCard, American Express and Discover cards. This will allow a person to make small monthly payments to their credit card company.
Can I order glasses or contact lenses and pay for them later?
No. All prescription glasses and contact lenses are custom made for your prescription. We require payment at the time of ordering.
Where is your office located?
We are located at 841 Hartnell Ave. in Redding, CA 96002. Our office phone number is 530-222-1233 . We are located at the intersection of Hartnell Avenue and Northwoods next to Rother Elementary School and about 1 block west of the fire station on Hartnell Avenue.
What are your office hours?
Monday - Thursday: 8:30 AM - 5:30 PM
Last exam appointment is 4:30 PM
Friday 8:30 AM - 4:00 PM
Last exam appointment is 3:00 PM
Saturday and Sunday: Closed
What is computer vision syndrome?
This is a condition where using a computer causes eye fatigue and undue stress on a person. It is commonly found in individuals who use the computer four hours a day or more. Many people try to use the computer using regular glasses which results in usual head positioning and can cause headaches, shoulder pain and tension.
Regular glasses are not optimum for computer use. A specially designed pair of glasses for use on the computer will provide significant relief of this condition.
What is glaucoma?
Glaucoma is an eye disease where the pressure inside the eye damages the optic nerve. When the optic nerve is damaged enough, you begin to lose vision. The vision loss is painless and slow but progressive, which is why 99% of patients with glaucoma never knew they had it. It is treatable using medication and surgery, but not curable. It is one of the leading causes of blindness in the U.S.
What is macular degeneration?
This is a disease of the central part of the retina in the back of the eye. It generally effects older patients but can start at a fairly young age. It results in loss of your central vision. Imagine looking at someone’s face and not being able to see their eyes and nose clearly. It is important to detect early when it is most treatable.
We have a special test that can help determine if you are at higher than normal risk for glaucoma due to low macular protective pigment. If you are, then taking a vitamin supplement can help reduce your risk.
Other common risk factors include a family history of macular degeneration, a history of smoking, obesity, poor control of blood pressure and diabetes and a diet lacking proper intake of fruits and vegetables.
What are cataracts?
This is a clouding of the lens inside the eye. It is a common disease and most associated with the aging process. A simple, effective surgery can correct for this when vision is impaired enough.
What are aberrations?
These are caused by small imperfections in the eye that result in halos, light streaks, glare and fuzzy vision even if you are seeing 20/20. We have a special instrument called the Z-View Aberrometer that measures your prescription and aberrations.
Most patients have at least a small amount, but when you have larger amounts it can cause a significant decrease in visual quality. We now have a special customized lens called iZon that can reduce or eliminate the effects of your aberrations. It is custom made just for your eyes. For more information, go to https://www.izonlens.com/consumer.php .
What are dry eyes?
Your eyes are covered by a thin film of liquid we call tears. It is a complex mixture of fluids and special chemicals and proteins. Its purpose is to protect the outer tissues of the eye, wet and lubricate the eye and provide food and oxygen to the tissues.
There are many causes of dry eye and finding the cause requires special testing.
Treatment can be simple to complex depending on the type and cause of your dry eyes. This is one of the most common but under-diagnosed conditions affecting the eyes.
Dry eye is very common in our area and we have been treating patients for years, helping them see and feel better.
Symptoms that you may have dry eyes are:
• Your eyes feel dry
• A sandy or gritty sensation to your eyes
• A burning sensation
• Needing to blink a lot to see clearly or to clear your vision
• Rubbing the eyes to make them feel better or see better
• Excessive watering of the eyes. But doc, if they water, how can they be dry? This is usually due to a
lack of lubrication from the tears caused by a specific form of dry eye
• A decrease in contact lens comfort
Can diabetes or high blood pressure damage my eyes?
Absolutely. If you have any of these conditions you need a yearly vision and eye health examination. These conditions are leading causes of vision loss and blindness.
Can medications affect my eyes or vision?
Yes. Many medications can affect how you see and the health of your eyes. That is why we need to know what medications you are taking. For example, many high blood pressure medications can cause dry eyes or make them worse.
At what age should I have my children checked?
I recommend at age four, unless you notice a problem earlier.
The school checks my children’s eyes. Isn't that good enough?
No. The school is just doing a vision screening to try and detect significant problems to vision. They are not evaluating the eye health and usually don't catch the more subtle problems. Also, most schools only screen your child about every fourth year and most don't screen them after the sixth grade.
How often should I get my eyes examined?
Yearly.
What is keratoconus?
This is a disease of the cornea (front surface of the eye) that results in abnormal thinning and steepening, which causes severe nearsightedness and astigmatism. In many cases, glasses cannot give good vision and special contact lenses are needed. If the thinning gets too bad, a corneal transplant is required.
We have several instruments to help us detect thinning and steepening of the cornea and fit special lenses to restore vision for these patients.
NOTICE OF PRIVACY PRACTICE: THIS NOTICE DESCRIBES HOW MEDICAL INFORMATION ABOUT YOU MAY BE USED AND DISCLOSED AND HOW YOU CAN GET ACCESS TO THIS INFORMATION. PLEASE REVIEW IT CAREFULLY.
THIS NOTICE IS EFFECTIVE 12/12/02 UNTIL FURTHER NOTICE.
Right to notice as a patient: You have the right to adequate notice of the uses and disclosures of your protected health information. Under the Health Insurance Portability and Accessibility Act (HIPAA,) Michael R. Young, O.D. can use your protected health information for treatment, payment and health care operations.
a) Treatment - We may use or disclose your health information to a physician or other health care provider providing treatment to you.
b) Payment - We may use and disclose your health information to obtain payment for services we provide you.
c) Health care operations - We may use and disclose your health information in connection with our health care operations.
Health care operations include quality assessment and improvement activities, reviewing the competency or qualifications of healthcare professionals, evaluating provider performance, conducting training programs, accreditation, certification, licensing or credentialing activities.
Your authorization: Most uses and disclosures that do not fall under treatment, payment, or health care operations will require your written authorization. Upon signing, you may revoke your authorization (in writing) through our practice at any time.
Emergency situations: In the event of your incapacity or an emergency situation, we will disclose health information to a family member, or another person responsible for your care, using our professional judgment. We will only disclose health information that is directly relevant to the person's involvement in your health care.
Marketing: We will not use your health information for marketing communications without your written authorization.
Required by law: We may also use or disclose your health information when we are required to do so by law.
Abuse or neglect: We may disclose your health information to appropriate authorities if we reasonably believe that you are a possible victim of abuse, neglect, or domestic violence or the victim of other crimes. We may disclose your health information to the extent necessary to avert a serious threat to your or other people's health or safety.
National security: We may disclose the health information of Armed Forces personnel to military authorities under certain circumstances.
We may disclose health information to authorized federal officials required for lawful intelligence, counterintelligence and other national security activities. We may disclose health information of inmates or patients to the appropriate authorities under certain circumstances.
Appointment reminders: We may use or disclose your health information to provide you with appointment reminders via phone, e-mail or letter.
Your rights as a patient: You have the right to restrict the disclosure of your protected health information (in writing.) The request for restriction may be denied if the information is required for treatment, payment or health care operations. You have the right to receive confidential communications regarding your protected health information.
You have the right to inspect and copy your protected health information. You have the right to amend your protected health information. You have the right to receive an account of disclosures of your protected health information. You have the right to a paper copy of this notice of privacy practices.
Legal requirements: Michael R. Young, O.D., is required by law to maintain the privacy of your protected health information. We are required to abide by the terms of this notice as it is currently stated, and reserve the right to change this notice. The policies in any new notice will not be in effect until they are posted to this site or are available within our office.
Complaints : If you have complaints regarding the way your protected health information was handled, you may submit a complaint in writing to our office. You will not be retaliated against in any manner for a complaint.
Contact information: For further information about Michael R. Young, O.D.'s privacy policies, please contact Michael R. Young, O.D. at the following address or phone number: Michael R Young, O.D. 841 Hartnell Ave. Suite B, Redding, CA 96002. Phone number 530-222-1233 .
Contact us today for additional information, or to schedule your next appointment!