Element Eye Care
9623 E Independence Blvd,
Matthews, NC

There are certainly positives about this practice, but the lack of consistent communication, professionalism, and transparency around fees and out-of-pocket expenses that insurance doesn't cover is what justifies the low rating for me. The front office staff is pleasant enough, but their professionalism leaves a bit to be desired. When trying to set up the appointment, I had to reach out to VSP myself to verify my coverage, as they kept "getting an error message" when trying to do so, and were either unwilling, or unable to do anything further. So the options I was left with were to pay for the visit out-of-pocket, or do the policy/coverage verification legwork myself. Oh, and it took me less than 2 minutes and nothing more than the most basic information when calling VSP to verify that I had coverage with not just one, but two plans. Still unsure as to why a business that works with insurance providers daily couldn't seem to make this happen. When checking in upon arrival, as with most Eyecare providers, they offer additional "upcharge" testing services that insurance typically does not cover, and each has a set fee that is shown up front. We'll come back to this. I informed them when scheduling the appointment, as well as upon arrival, that there were very specific tests requested by my Physician that I needed performed before beginning a new medication, and brought a list of the tests I needed. I was informed that there was one of the tests that they didn't have the machine for on-site, but that a sister-location could perform that test separately. I agreed to go ahead with the appointment and testing that they could do on site, and had them schedule me for the additional test at a later date. I then asked if the two "upcharge" tests were ones that were requested by my physician, and was told that yes, they were. It turns out only one of them was, and that there were actually two tests, not one, that they were unable to perform on site. But I was not informed of this until the Doctor was actually completely done with my exam. Full disclosure, I am a former Eye-Care professional, and even though it has been a while since I was in scrubs daily, I am well aware of the processes and procedures leading up to the actual exam performed by the Doctor. That being said, the pre-tests felt rushed and were performed with no explanation of what was happening. Though not necessary to an accurate exam, most people appreciate at least a basic explanation of what to expect with each test. The actual exam was the polar opposite of the rest of my experience. The Doctor was pleasant, very thorough, and explained every step in detail. She even went so far as to stop at multiple points during the exam to ask if I had any questions or concerns. She went over information and into detail that I have never had ANY other Doctor go into before. To sum up...I wouldn't necessarily avoid this practice, but just make very sure you ask plenty of questions up front and go over everything ad nauseum to ensure you are all on the same page. Given how good the actual eye exam portion of the visit was, the fact that the rest of the experience was so needlessly disappointing marred what would have otherwise been a 5 star experience.

front desk lady is absolutely amazing!! You don’t find people nowadays that seem genuine and take the time to speak to you as a customer. Very thorough and patient with me and my daughter, I was VERY impressed. I came in wanting to schedule an appointment for me and my daughter and really took the time to explain to me my insurance information and when I called back again later on, made me feel a lot better about coming in due to COVID concerns for my family, I believe she said her name was Nichole??? I normally dont write reviews but will definitely be returning, prices were competitive with some other offices as well

I have been going here for 3 years. I loved it and even kept going although I live and work on the opposite side of Charlotte now. Today I had an appointment and did not realize I had left my debit card, in my purse, at work. I was in the middle of the exam when the office manager stopped it and said I would need to reschedule because I did not have the 15 copay. A copay that I was going to call in when I got back to work. I understand they have a policy but if you have a customer, who has been coming for year, and clearly needs their glasses (I sat on mine and currently only have one side holding them to my face) they could have let me get back to desk and call it in. I guess customer loyalty means nothing compared to 15 dollars.