Appointments for Durham and Cary Offices
To schedule a patient appointment with an ophthalmologist at any of the
four Duke Eye Centers in the Triangle (Durham and Cary), please call the
appointment office at 888-355-0204 (681-3937 locally). The scheduling
desks are staffed from 8 a.m. to 5 p.m., Monday through Friday.
If you are unable to reach the above Eye Center numbers, you can call
Duke Referral Services 800-633-3853 (416-3853 locally) during the hours
of 7:30 a.m. to 7 p.m., and a representative can assist you in making an
appointment. After 7 p.m. you can leave a message and your call will be
returned.
Established patients may make appointments
online.
If the patient requires the services of an interpreter, please inform
the scheduling staff so advance arrangements can be made.
Appointments for Winston-Salem Office
To schedule an appointment in Winston-Salem
call 336-768-3240 or (toll free) 1-888-642-0554.
Emergency Eye Care – After Hours
Eye Center physicians are accessible through the 24-hour Physician
Referral Service at the Duke University Medical Center. Patients who
visit the Emergency Room after normal business hours will be seen by a
physician from the Duke Eye Center.
Urgent Eye Care (Main Campus Location-Erwin Road)
Urgent eye care is provided during the hours of 9 a.m. to 11 a.m. and 1
p.m. to 3 p.m. for emergency needs such as injury, trauma, infection, or
sudden onset of ocular (eye) pain or decreased vision. Patients needing
urgent eye care after 3 p.m. are asked to go to Duke North Emergency
Department. Screening nurses are available during regular business hours
to assist in determining the severity of the situation and to answer
questions. To reach a screening nurse, call 919-684-6611, or toll free
800-422-1575, and press option 4 and ask for a triage nurse.
Pre-registration for Durham and Cary Offices
If the patient appointment is scheduled at least 12 working days prior
to the appointment, the patient will be sent a pre-registration package.
The forms should be completed and returned in the postage-free envelope
before the appointment date. If the appointment is scheduled less than
12 working days prior to the appointment, a patient representative will
attempt to contact the patient for pre-registration by telephone.
Insurance
The patient should provide information regarding insurance coverage and
should bring all related records such as Medicare, Medicaid, insurance
plans, Social Security card or the number for the visit. The patient
should also bring any medical records from the referring physician.
Duke Eye Center providers accept Medicare assignment.
Duke Eye Center physicians are cost-wise providers with NC Blue
Cross/Blue Shield and currently maintain contracts with a number of
managed care plans and HMOs. If Duke Medical Center does not maintain a
contract with a patient's insurance carrier, the patient should contact
the plan administrator.
An insurance policy is a private contract between the patient and the
insurance company. As a courtesy, insurance claims will be filed on the
patient's behalf with the appropriate insurance company; however the
patient is ultimately responsible for services rendered. Payment will be
expected on the day of the appointment for any services not covered by
insurance. The Eye Center accepts cash, personal checks, MasterCard, and
Visa.
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