Northwest Vision Clinic is already hard at work getting the clinic ready and adjusting our operations to ensure everyone is safe and healthy.

We have been following developing recommendations from the AOA, CDC, OSHA, and WISHA. We follow the activities of these agencies so that we are up to-date on any new rulings or guidance that may be issued.

When we re-open, it will be during a time when COVID-19 has not been eradicated. We will therefore be insisting on abiding by many thoughtful new safety guidelines and would like you to know what to expect.

• Our office will look different. Protective shielding has been installed at the check-in/check-out areas to enhance social distancing.
• Our office will communicate with you, before your appointment, to walk you through a pre-screening questionnaire. You will be asked these same questions again when you arrive at your appointed time.
• If you have been sick in the past 14 days or have been around someone who has been sick, you will be asked to call back in two weeks to reschedule.
• You will be required to wear your own non-vented mask to your appointment and keep it on while you are here. We are unable to provide a mask currently due to PPE shortages, but any homemade mask that covers your nose and mouth will work. Federal guidelines for social distancing in businesses continue.
• Upon entry, your temperature will be taken with a no-touch thermometer and your hands will be sanitized. If your temperature is above 100.3, you will be asked to leave and not return per the 14 day self-quarantine requirements.
• Appointments will be managed to allow for social distancing between patients. That might mean that you are offered fewer options for scheduling your appointment. We will do our best to allow greater time between patients to reduce waiting times for you, as well as to reduce the number of patients in the reception area at any one time.
• All services will be by appointment-only for the near future.
• Optical Services will be by appointment-only. Our opticians will be in touch with you before your appointment to assess your optical needs in order to minimize face-to-face interaction. Our opticians will handle our glasses frames for you to minimize contact. Our opticians will also clean and disinfect our frames and optical area to follow all COVID-19 guidelines.
• We ask that you call from your car, or outside the door, upon your arrival. You will be let into the office when it is safe.
• We will ask that you attend your appointment alone or have your companions wait in the car. Non-patient companions will only be admitted if they are providing a direct service for the patient (ie. parent/child, physical assistance, or language interpreter).
• Our staff will abide by the same protocols that we expect from our patients. We will be checking temperature of every staff member upon entry. Staff will be sent home if they do not pass the COVID-19 guidelines.
• Our office will continue to disinfect high touch surfaces and optical equipment throughout the office multiple times a day.
• We are here to take and process your contact lens orders. We can ship your contact lenses to your address to minimize face-to-face interaction. A small fee may apply.

In the scope of this mandatory closure, we had to cancel over 150 appointments, and we know that there is a strong desire to get your treatment back on track as soon as possible. Dr. Balter has been reviewing patient charts, evaluating and grading the level of urgency of your optometric needs.

We are currently in the process of reaching out to those we had to cancel. Rescheduling cancelled appointments combined with social-distancing appropriate scheduling may result in longer wait times to see us.

We appreciate your patience and understanding that we will do everything we can to accommodate you and your reasonable requests, while abiding by the federal and state mandated health guidelines.

There is a no-show/cancellation policy for all appointments missed or cancelled within 24 hours of the scheduled appointment time. In order for us to accomodate other patients, please notify us of a cancellation at least 24 hours prior to the scheduled appointment time.

The evaluation of contact lenses is not part of the usual comprehensive eye exam. An additional charge will be issued for this service. Fees for services (fitting, evaluation, and training) for soft contact lenses range from $30-$120. Evaluation for specialty and therapeutic contact lenses vary depending on complexity.

Northwest Vision Clinic will bill and await payment from your insurance company. We will then send you a statement if a balance remains, which is due 30 days from notification. If payment is not recieved after 90 days, your account will accrue a 1% finance charge every month until a payment is made. A $25 fee will be assessed for all returned checks.

Contact lens orders must be paid in full at time of order. Contact lenses can be mailed free of charge, some restrictions apply. Eyewear orders require a minimum deposit of 50% before order may be processed. Eyeglass lenses are custom made and cannot be refunded. See "Eyewear Return/Exchange Policy" below for more information.

Eyewear Return/Exchange Policy

All sales of prescription eyeglasses and sunglasses are made to order. Therefore, we are unable to refund any products that are not resalable or returnable to the manufacturer. If, however, there are any discrepancies between the Doctor’s prescription and the lenses manufactured by the lab, or between the Doctor’s prescription and the actual prescription, a one-time adjustment to the prescription lenses is included at no charge within 60 days from the date of purchase. Subsequent changes will incur additional charges.

In the event that a patient does not adapt to a pair of prescription progressive eyeglasses within 60 days, we will remake the lenses (one-time only) into a standard bifocal or single vision lens at no additional charge to the patient. No refund will be given for the price difference in materials.

All name-brand eyeglass frames are under manufacturer warranty for any manufacturing defects for up to one year from the date of purchase. This does not include accidental damage, loss, or breakage that has been incurred to the frames.