Book an Eye Exam

Alberta Health fully covers one eye exam per year for children under 19 — no extra payments required. Just bring your child's Alberta Health Card and we'll handle the rest. Learn about the recent changes here.

You'll want to book an Adult Eye Exam ($99) — this includes a full prescription for glasses. If you also need contacts, the Eye Exam + Contact Lens Fitting ($135) covers both in one visit. These services aren't covered by Alberta Health Care, but most private insurance plans will cover all or part of the cost.

No worries — a routine eye exam is $99 with no insurance required. Alberta Health only covers medically necessary visits for this age group, such as eye injuries, infections, or sudden vision changes. For a regular check-up or prescription update, it's a simple flat fee. More on vision care costs.

Bring your Alberta Health Card if your exam is covered, along with any private insurance information. If you currently wear glasses or contacts, please bring those as well — it helps the doctor assess any changes in your vision.

At this time, we do not offer contact lens training for first-time wearers. Our contact lens fitting service is designed for patients who are already familiar with wearing and handling contacts. If you're new to contacts, we'd recommend reaching out to a clinic that provides insertion and removal training to get you started.

Great question — they're actually not the same in most cases. A glasses prescription and a contact lens prescription are measured differently because contacts sit directly on your eye, while glasses sit at a distance from it. Even when the numbers happen to match, a contact lens fitting is still needed to determine the right brand, size, and fit for your eyes. To get both prescriptions, you'll want to book the Eye Exam + Contact Lens Fitting ($135) — it covers everything in one visit.

Dilation is when the doctor uses eye drops to widen your pupils, giving them a better view of the inside of your eye. It's a routine part of monitoring for conditions like glaucoma, diabetes-related changes, and other concerns. Your doctor will let you know if it's needed — not every visit requires it. If your eyes are dilated, your vision will be temporarily blurry for a few hours afterward, so we recommend arranging a ride home. Dilation and follow-up visits are covered under Alberta Health Care when requested by your doctor.

Most exams take about 20 minutes. If dilation is required, allow a bit of extra time and we recommend arranging a ride home, as your vision may be temporarily blurry afterward.