Vision Insurance

What is vision care Insurance? 

Vision care insurance will often cover routine eye health expenses, such as eye exams, contact lens fittings, contact lenses and eyeglass lenses and frames. Some plans may even provide a discount on LASIK procedures and other corrective surgeries. 

 

A vision care plan may cover the cost of these items in total, up to a preset limit, or it may require the policyholder to pay a flat fee or percentage fee to share the expense with the insurer. 

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Things to know: 

• Vision care insurance usually covers preventative and routine eyecare. 

• This eye care insurance is often a value add-on to larger insurance packages. 

• If you don’t need vision care, it may not be worth it. 

• Vision care insurance may cover contact lenses and eyeglasses frames and lenses, making them more affordable for purchase.  

• Employers, unions, government plans and even associations may provide some form of vision insurance. 

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Understanding Vision Care Insurance  

Vision care insurance tends to be inexpensive compared to other types of insurance because many of the covered costs are predictable and expensive claims are rare. It resembles a discount plan more closely than an actual insurance plan because insurance protects against unforeseen and potentially catastrophic expenses. 

 

It is essential you fully understand each plan’s cost and the benefits they come with when you buy vision care insurance. Take a look at the price for one year of vision insurance plan compared with the cost of an eye exam. Although vision care insurance is inexpensive, it may not be a good deal for the consumer if the premiums and co-payments under the plan are higher than paying for vision care expenses out of pocket. 

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Advantages and Disadvantages of Vision Insurance  

There are benefits and limitations to vision insurance, and whether you should get it or not may depend on how badly you need it. If you have a history of eye-related medical needs, it may be worth the extra money to purchase vision insurance. If you only go to the eye doctor once a year for routine checkups, it might not be necessary for you to buy an expensive eye care insurance plan. Overall, vision care insurance is not expensive, and it may save you money over time, especially if you have recurring eye care troubles or regularly purchase corrective lenses. If you end up needing eye surgery, in can help with the cost as well.  

 

Cons of vision insurance are that it may not necessarily cover the type of service you need or will not allow you to travel out of its network for treatment. In addition, if there is a specific brand of lenses you like using, or specialized lenses or frames, it may offer a limited line of brands.

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Pros 

• These can often be easily added onto insurance plans. 

• You can also buy a plan individually. 

• Premiums are not expensive. 

• The plans offset the cost of corrective lenses. 

Cons 

• You may not be able to use out-of-network services. 

• If you do not need regular eye car, it may not be worth the money. 

• Some vision care insurance limits what you can purchase in terms of eye wear. 

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How much does Vision Insurance cost? 

It depends on your plan but you may pay as little as $5 a month for a basic plan from your employer or buying a plan directly from a provider.