Optometry Practices: Fill the Schedule With Patients Already Due for an Exam

Most optometry practices spend money chasing new patients while hundreds of existing ones quietly drift past their exam date. Nobody called them, the postcard got lost and the patient simply forgot. Recall is the cheapest growth an eye practice has, because most of next month's patients are already in the database.

This guide shows how an optometry practice, or the agency that runs its marketing, can use HighLevel to bring due patients back on schedule, keep contact lens orders flowing and run a year-end benefits campaign, while staying careful about what goes into a text.

Disclosure: I'm a HighLevel affiliate. Links to HighLevel in this post are affiliate links. I may earn a commission if you sign up through them, at no extra cost to you. Nothing here is legal or compliance advice.

TLDR

• Recall is the easiest revenue to grow: these patients already trust you and are already due.
• Set recall timing by age and risk, following the American Optometric Association's exam-frequency guidance.
• Contact lens reorder reminders and frame promotions keep revenue coming between exams.
• A year-end "use your benefits" campaign reaches patients before FSA and vision benefits run out.
• Keep texts minimal on health details. HighLevel offers a HIPAA add-on with a BAA for practices that need it.

Why Is Recall the Easiest Revenue to Grow?

A new patient costs ad spend, a first visit and a bit of luck. A recall patient costs a reminder. They already know where you are, their insurance is on file and they've trusted you with their eyes before.

The trouble is that recall usually depends on a staff member working through a list when the front desk is quiet, which is rarely. Patients slip through, and many of them end up at a retail chain simply because a reminder arrived from somewhere else first.

Automating recall fixes the "when we get to it" problem. Every patient gets reminded at the right time, every time, and the front desk only steps in for people who reply.

Annual and Every-Two-Years Recall Reminders by Patient Age

Recall timing should follow clinical guidance, not a one-size-fits-all "see you next year." The American Optometric Association's exam-frequency guidance recommends:

In HighLevel, that becomes a simple setup:

1. Store each patient's last exam date and recommended interval in custom fields. The doctor's recommendation always wins over the default.
2. A date-based workflow sends the first reminder about a month before the patient is due, with a link to book online.
3. If they haven't booked two weeks later, a second, shorter reminder goes out by text.
4. If they still haven't booked a few weeks after the due date, the front desk gets a task to call.

Booked patients then get confirmations and appointment reminders, the same way we set them up in our veterinary reminders guide.

Contact Lens Reorders and Frame Promotions

Exams are only part of an eye practice's revenue. Two automations keep the rest moving:

• Contact lens reorders: when a patient buys a supply, a workflow can remind them shortly before it's likely to run out, with a link or a reply-to-order option. Patients who reorder from you don't drift to online retailers by default.
• Frame promotions: a new collection or a seasonal offer goes to patients who are due for an exam or haven't bought frames in a while. Keep these as marketing messages, sent only to patients who opted in to promotions.

Missed calls matter here too. When the front desk is busy with check-ins, a missed-call text-back keeps a new patient from calling the next practice, just as it does for dental practices.

The Year-End "Use Your Vision Benefits" Campaign

Every fall, patients with unused benefits are a ready audience. Two kinds of deadlines drive it:

• Flexible spending accounts: under IRS Revenue Procedure 2025-32, the 2026 health FSA contribution limit is $3,400, and plans that allow a carryover can let participants carry up to $680 of unused 2026 funds into 2027. Some plans offer a grace period instead, and some offer neither, so many patients have money they'll lose if they don't use it.
• Vision insurance: many plans reset benefits on a set date, often January 1. Check each plan, since some follow the employer's plan year instead.

A simple three-touch campaign works well:

1. Early November: "Your vision benefits may reset soon. Book your exam or use your frame allowance before the end of the year."
2. Early December: a reminder with remaining appointment availability.
3. Mid-December: a last call for the final open slots.

Keep the wording general ("your benefits may expire"). You don't know each patient's balance, and you shouldn't imply that you do.

What's Safe to Text Under HIPAA?

Recall reminders are part of normal practice communication, but the content still matters. A few practical habits keep risk low:

• Keep texts minimal: "Hi Maria, it's time for your eye exam at Clearview Eye Care. Book here: [link]." No diagnoses, test results or treatment details.
• Get consent to text and honor STOP replies. U.S. business texting also needs A2P 10DLC registration, which we covered in our A2P 10DLC guide.
• Keep clinical conversations in your EHR or patient portal, not in marketing texts.

If the practice stores health information in HighLevel, look at HighLevel's HIPAA add-on. According to HighLevel's HIPAA compliance article, it costs $297 a month, includes a Business Associate Agreement signed in the agency's settings and adds encryption at rest, audit logs and MFA enforcement. It can't be removed once enabled, and HighLevel is clear that the add-on alone doesn't make an agency compliant. Our HIPAA add-on breakdown goes deeper, and the practice should confirm its setup with its own compliance advisor.

More From NetPartners

• CRM for dentists: the closest cousin to an eye practice's patient flow.
• HighLevel for urgent care clinics: another healthcare setup, with more on HIPAA.
• Our 2026 HighLevel review: if you're still deciding.
• Gentle follow-up for funeral homes: yesterday's post on LinkedIn.
• r/highlevelaffiliates: our small community for HighLevel users and affiliates.

Frequently Asked Questions

How often should patients get an eye exam?

The American Optometric Association recommends at least every two years for low-risk adults ages 18 to 64, annually for adults 65 and over and annually for school-age children. At-risk patients should be seen at least annually or as their doctor recommends.

How do optometry practices automate recall?

Store each patient's last exam date and recommended interval, then use a date-based workflow to send reminders before the due date, a follow-up text if they haven't booked and a call task for the front desk if they still haven't scheduled.

What are the 2026 FSA limits?

Under IRS Revenue Procedure 2025-32, the 2026 health FSA contribution limit is $3,400. Plans that allow a carryover can let participants carry up to $680 of unused 2026 funds into 2027. Some plans offer a grace period instead, and some offer neither.

Is it HIPAA-compliant to text patients appointment reminders?

Appointment reminders are common practice communication, but keep them minimal: name, practice and a booking link, with no clinical details. Get consent to text and talk to your compliance advisor about your setup. HighLevel's HIPAA add-on adds a BAA and extra safeguards for practices storing health information.

How much is HighLevel's HIPAA add-on?

HighLevel's help article lists it at $297 a month. It includes a Business Associate Agreement and can't be removed once enabled.

When should a practice run a year-end benefits campaign?

Start in early November, follow up in early December and send a last call in mid-December. Keep the message general, since you don't know each patient's remaining balance.