Healthcare ecommerce
Store build · 2024The first store to sell Medicaid-covered kids' eyewear online in Colorado
Families on Medicaid in Colorado had no way to order children's glasses online. Children's Optical built the first store that does it, with custom Shopify checkout fields, prescription uploads and free delivery statewide.
The client
Access to affordable eyewear for children has long been a challenge, particularly for Medicaid recipients. Many families have no nearby optical shop that accepts Medicaid, and the paperwork is a burden on its own.
Children's Optical saw that gap and decided to build a direct-to-consumer online model that simplifies the process, so children get the eyewear they need without delays. Parents order from home using their Medicaid benefits, with free delivery across Colorado.
- Client
- Children's Optical
- Store
- childrens-optical.com
- Region
- Colorado
- First of its kind
- Medicaid-covered children's eyewear online in Colorado
The challenge
What was holding the store back
Standard ecommerce platforms are not built for insurance or government benefit verification. The store had to accommodate Medicaid's verification requirements while keeping everything else about Shopify working normally.
Two more problems sat on top of that. Parents need to measure their child's pupillary distance accurately at home, which most have never done. And many are unfamiliar with ordering glasses online at all, let alone through Medicaid.
What we did
The work, step by step
- Step 01
Custom checkout fields for Medicaid IDs
A dedicated input section on the checkout page captures the Medicaid ID as part of the order, so verification can happen before an order is processed.
- Step 02
Prescription upload
A file-upload step lets parents provide the prescription directly, instead of emailing or faxing it afterwards.
- Step 03
Pupillary distance (PD) measurement guides
Interactive, visual guides walk parents through measuring PD with simple tools at home, with instructions written for people who have never heard the term.
- Step 04
Education built into the store
A comprehensive FAQ and instructional content explain how the process works, step by step, so the store does not depend on a phone call to close an order.
More from the build
Around the store
Results
Where the store is now
Children's Optical is the first online store to offer Medicaid-covered children's eyewear in Colorado. Families no longer travel to a physical location or wait through long Medicaid processing times; they order from home and the glasses are delivered free.
The platform reduces the burden on families and on providers, and it sets a precedent for healthcare ecommerce that could expand to other states and Medicaid services.
| Metric | Last year | Change |
|---|
Source: Shopify admin, all channels, compared with the previous period.
- Platform
- Shopify
- Custom work
- Checkout fields for Medicaid IDs, prescription file upload, interactive PD guides, FAQ and instructional content
- Fulfilment
- Free delivery across Colorado
What clients say
“Nick is a pleasure to work with. He's very straightforward and earnest, and really knows his stuff!”
Chaim S. · Owner,
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