I used to work for an ophthalmologist and we did have contact lense exams. The reason you need an eye exam every year to update your contacts is to ensure the health of your physical eye. Contacts can do crazy things like cause bacterial growth. As for me, my right eye has an astigmatism that changes rapidly with each year. It's just not worth it.
I hate, hate, hate when they insist on sticking in and taking out your contacts FOR you. Grrrr... like dude, I have anxiety attacks about people enough already, don't touch me in a very vulnerable spot!
The staff at my eye doctor always tells me beforehand that they're going to dialate my pupils. So I always have my wife come along to drive me home. Then they never actually dialate them. >:-(
wow, there are eye docs that take out contacts for you? That's just weird. Every one I've went to just points me to a sink, usually hands me a spare lens case (but I usually have one with me anyway).
I hate the eye doctor.