Search every guide, condition page, and common question.

    Finding care

    How do I switch to a new scleral lens practice?

    People switch practices because they move, a fitter retires, insurance changes, or the fit just isn't working. Here's how to take your history with you, and what a new practice can and can't pick up where the last one left off.

    By the Scleral Lens Team · Updated October 5, 2026 · 3 published sources cited

    The short answer

    Ask your current practice, in writing, for your records and the exact specifications of your lenses, including the design, lab and every parameter. A new fitter can sometimes reorder the same lens if they can work with that design and lab, but many will want to examine and measure your eye first, and some lenses, such as impression-based ones, may need to start fresh. Warranties and remake windows usually stay with the practice and lab that ordered the lens, so ask both practices before you switch.

    Key points

    • Request your records and lens specifications in writing before you leave.
    • A new fitter will usually examine your eye before reordering anything.
    • Same design and lab: a reorder may be possible. Different: expect a refit.
    • Impression-based and some coated or specialty lenses may need a new start.
    • Ask whether any warranty, remake window or credit carries over. Usually it doesn't.

    Before you leave: get your records

    You have a legal right to copies of your health records. Under HIPAA, the practice must act on your request within 30 days (with one possible extension of up to 30 days, explained in writing), and may charge only a reasonable, cost-based fee for copies.[1] You can ask in writing for the copy to be sent straight to your new practice.[1]

    If your fitting was completed, you should already have a copy of your contact lens prescription: under the federal Contact Lens Rule, the prescriber must give it to you at the end of the fitting whether or not you ask.[3] A contact lens prescription includes the power, the material or manufacturer, the base curve, and the diameter where appropriate.[2] For a scleral lens, ask for more detail than that, since a new fitter needs the full design.

    What to ask for

    • Lens specifications for each eye: lens design name and lab, diameter, sagittal depth or base curve, landing zone or edge details (including any toric or quadrant-specific features or notches), optic zone, power (including any cylinder and its axis), material, and any surface coating or treatment
    • The history of changes: every version tried and what changed
    • Fitting findings: clearance measurements after settling, edge and landing observations, over-refraction
    • Imaging: topography, OCT, profilometry scans
    • Medical history: diagnosis, surgical reports, eye pressure readings, drops you use
    • Order dates: when each current lens was made, which affects warranties and replacement timing

    Keep your own copy. It makes future switches, travel emergencies and second opinions much easier.

    Can a new practice reorder the same lens?

    Often possible:

    • The new fitter works with the same design and lab.
    • Your lenses fit well and your eye hasn’t changed.
    • You have full specifications.

    Usually means a refit:

    • The new fitter doesn’t work with that design or lab.
    • Your lenses weren’t working, which may be why you’re switching.
    • Your eye has changed, or it’s been a long time since the lens was made.
    • The lens was made from an impression or a scan through a specific program, or uses a design tied to one lab.

    Even with identical parameters, a new lens may feel slightly different, and eyes change over time. Many fitters will want to examine your eye, check your current lenses on the eye, and then decide whether to reorder or refit. Bring your current lenses and wear them to the visit if the office agrees.

    Coated lenses. If your lenses have a surface coating, tell the new practice. Coatings are added at the lab and may affect which cleaners you can use. See what is a scleral lens surface coating?

    Warranties, remake windows and credits: ask

    Warranties, remake windows and lens credits are usually tied to the practice and lab that ordered the lens. Before you switch, ask:

    • Your current practice: “If I move my care, what happens to my remaining remake window and any credits? Can I return unused or unsuitable lenses?”
    • Your new practice: “Will you honor or work within an existing lab warranty, or does a new fitting period start with you?”

    If you’re mid-fitting, switching may mean paying a new fitting fee. Weigh that against the time and frustration of continuing. See what is included in a scleral lens fitting fee.

    Insurance

    A new practice may be in network for a different plan, need a new referral, or need a new prior authorization. Some plans limit how often they’ll pay for lenses, so a recent purchase at your old practice could affect coverage at the new one. Call your plan before you book. See prior authorization and medical vs vision insurance.

    What wearers say

    Wearers switch for many reasons: a move, a retiring fitter, a long wait for appointments, or a fit that never worked. Several describe calling around to find a practice that works with their current lens design so they could keep it. Others with impression-based lenses found it simplest to start with a new mold. Getting records from large institutions sometimes took persistence. Many say the switch was the turning point in finally getting a comfortable fit.

    Finding a practice

    For where to look, see how do I find a good scleral lens specialist? If you’re unsure whether to switch or just get another view, see how to get a second opinion.

    Common questions

    Can a new doctor reorder my exact same scleral lens?

    Sometimes. If the new fitter works with the same lens design and lab, they may be able to reorder from your specifications after checking your eye. If they don't, or your eye has changed, they'll usually refit you.

    Do I need my old fitter's permission to switch?

    No. You can see any practice you choose, subject to your insurance rules. You also have a right to copies of your records.

    Will my warranty transfer to the new practice?

    Usually not, but ask. Warranties and remake windows are generally tied to the practice and lab that ordered the lens. Ask both practices before you switch, especially if you're mid-fitting.

    What about impression-based lenses?

    Impression-based lenses are made from a mold of your eye, often through a specific lab and program. A new fitter may need to work with that program or take a new impression. Wearers report that starting fresh was sometimes simplest.

    My fitter left the practice. What do I do?

    Ask the practice who will take over your care and whether your records stay there. If no one there fits scleral lenses regularly, ask your departing fitter for a referral and request your records.

    Does my insurance need to approve a new fitter?

    It might. Check whether the new practice is in network, whether you need a new referral, and whether a recent lens purchase limits what your plan will pay for again this year.

    Keep reading

    How do I get a second opinion on my scleral lenses?

    Consider a second opinion if you've had many remakes without clear progress, discomfort or redness that doesn't settle, vision that isn't improving, or you've been told nothing more can be done. Request your records, including your lens parameters, from the first practice in writing, and book with a fitter who sees eyes like yours often. A second fitter can review the fit, try a different design or approach, or look for another cause, such as dry eye or lid disease.

    Can you buy scleral lenses online?

    Not in the usual sense. Contact lenses are prescription medical devices, and scleral lenses are designed for your individual eye during a fitting, usually through several visits and lens orders. Under US rules you're entitled to a copy of your prescription once the fitting is complete, but replacement scleral lenses are typically ordered through your fitter. Care products like saline and cleaners can often be bought online, as long as they're the exact ones your fitter recommends.

    What is a scleral lens surface coating?

    A surface treatment changes the outer layer of a scleral lens so tears spread over it more evenly. Plasma treatment is a surface process done by the lab, and Hydra-PEG is a polyethylene glycol coating applied to the lens. In a small double-masked study of scleral lens wearers with dry eye, Hydra-PEG-treated lenses improved comfort, reduced fogging, and lengthened comfortable wearing time. Coatings don't fix every problem, and they can wear off over time.

    Prior authorization for scleral lenses

    Prior authorization is your plan agreeing in advance that a service or item is medically necessary. Many plans require it for medically necessary contact lenses; your fitter's office usually submits it with your records. Approval isn't a promise to pay: the claim can still be limited by your benefits, deductible, and network. Ask both your plan and the practice whether it's needed before any lenses are ordered.

    Sources

    1. 45 CFR § 164.524. Access of individuals to protected health information. Electronic Code of Federal Regulations. ecfr.gov
    2. Federal Trade Commission. Contact Lens Rule: Definitions. 16 CFR § 315.2. ecfr.gov
    3. Federal Trade Commission. Contact Lens Rule: Availability of contact lens prescriptions to patients. 16 CFR § 315.3. ecfr.gov

    Last updated October 5, 2026. Found an error or a newer study? Let us know and we'll correct the page.