Enhancing Eye Care Access Through Patient Education and Financing

This may be a familiar scene in the vision industry: A patient comes in for their first-ever visit to an eye care specialist, even though they are well into adulthood. They see relatively well, but a host of other issues emerge, from dry eye disease to signs of macular degeneration. When you ask why they've never been to see you before, they aren't quite sure.

"I could see just fine," they might say, or "Visits to my primary care doctor are fully covered, so I just rely on them."

A 2025 Vision Care Industry study by Synchrony and Ipsos found that patients who see their primary care physician more often than care specialists do so out of convenience or as a starting place for treatment.¹

Patients face many barriers to seeking specialized eye care. When their primary care doctor is right there in front of them — and 38% of patients in the Vision Care study cited insurance concerns as an eye exam deterrent — they might find it tempting to believe they've covered their preventive care bases with that one visit.¹

Understanding these barriers and finding ways to address them can help eye care professionals provide more care to more patients.

Understanding Patient Behavior in Eye Care

A 2024 report cited a perceived lack of need for eye care services as well as cost barriers among patients.² Synchrony's Vision Care study affirmed these findings and added insurance concerns and scheduling challenges to patients' list of barriers.¹

With such barriers to eye care, it makes sense that a visit to a primary care doctor might be a convenient time to ask about eye health.

Information deficits can affect eye care choices

The lack of eye health awareness speaks volumes about patients' behavior. For many would-be patients, seeing well enough to get through their daily lives might lead them to believe they have no need to see an optometrist or ophthalmologist. Without robust patient communication, they may not know that an eye care provider could find early signs of glaucoma, cataracts, diabetic retinopathy or other conditions.

The benefits and insurance coverage barrier

Insurance limitations don't help encourage patients to seek optometry care either. Because vision insurance is often separate from general health insurance, patients with limited or no vision benefits may find it more cost-effective to discuss eye health concerns with their primary care provider rather than consulting a specialist directly. However, a 2024 report noted that patients with vision insurance coverage exhibit better eye care utilization than those without it, underlining the importance of specialist professionals.²

How the Optometry Industry Can Respond

The American Optometric Association has advocated for its members to lean into education with their Eye Deserve More campaign, which aims to amplify eye health conversations across digital platforms.³

Optometry marketing raises awareness

Strategic optometry marketing may assist eye care providers in enhancing patient education, supporting patient communications, and potentially improving access to care by increasing awareness of available eye care services.

Social media can be a great way to engage and inform patients, and a blend of personal, localized content with powerful, professional campaign messaging like Eye Deserve More can be the foundation for a robust social content calendar.

Considering your local resources for community outreach can be helpful as well. Eye care providers can partner with local organizations — think large, respected organizations with broad reach, like a school district or hospital — to boost eye health education for residents.

Patient financing supports eye care treatment

Choosing a patient financing partner that understands the challenges facing the vision industry can help providers access support. With cost and insurance as major barriers to accessing care, offering patients the opportunity to finance their care can help enable them to seek eye care when they want and need it, not only when they feel they can afford it.

CareCredit supports its providers with expansive optometry marketing resources. The CareCredit Marketing Toolkit includes access to printed and digital marketing materials, as well as communication resources. CareCredit's industry-specific social media calendars for optometry and ophthalmology, for example, can make it easier to expand your reach without having to labor over social content ideas.

Addressing Patient Education in Eye Care

For many patients, delayed or infrequent eye care isn’t about a lack of interest in prevention; it’s about cost uncertainty, particularly for younger and lower-income consumers.¹ That financial anxiety can shape behavior, often leading patients to rely on a primary care physician when their insurance coverage feels more predictable, even when a specialist visit may be more appropriate for their health needs.

During patient education, providers can leverage the opportunity to access patients' appetite for flexible financing options. The Synchrony study found that while only 7% of consumers surveyed have used a healthcare credit card like CareCredit for vision expenses, 4 in 10 said they'd be comfortable doing so.¹

That gap often appears at the point of care, where eye care providers can take action. By pairing clear patient education with transparent discussions about payment and financing, eye care providers can help reduce uncertainty, support patient confidence and make it easy for more people to access the eye care they want or need — when they want or need it.

A Flexible Financing Solution for Optometry Practices

If you want to help your patients or clients manage the cost of the vision care solutions they want or need, you may want to consider offering the CareCredit credit card as a financing solution. CareCredit allows cardholders to pay out-of-pocket expenses over time (for needs such as premium frames, contact lenses and vision care) while helping to enhance the payments process for your practice or business.

When you accept CareCredit, patients or clients can see if they prequalify with no impact to their credit score, and those who apply, if approved, can take advantage of special financing on qualifying purchases.* Additionally, you will be paid directly within two business days.

Learn more about the CareCredit credit card as a financing solution for your optometry practice or start the provider enrollment process by filling out this form.­

Author Bio

Natalie Burg is a writer, editor and editorial project manager with 20 years of experience. She uses her expertise from a range of industries, including economic development, business, sustainability and more, to create content that educates and engages readers.

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