Should I Get Vision Insurance?Why It’s Worth It
Your eyes do so much for you every single day. They help you work, learn, communicate and navigate all of life. With the effort your eyes put in, they need special care to ensure they stay healthy and keep you seeing clearly.
Should you get vision insurance to help cover the costs of eye care and regular appointments? Read on to learn why vision insurance is worth it for you and your family.
Is Vision Insurance Optional?
Technically, vision insurance is optional. However, it’s always a good idea to get vision insurance so you can have access to eye care without breaking the bank.
Eye doctors allow you to pay with cash or a card for eye services, but sometimes these costs can reach hundreds (maybe even thousands) of dollars. Having vision insurance ensures you can get the eye care you need while keeping the costs affordable.
Is Vision Insurance Worth It for Everyone?
Absolutely, eye insurance is worth it! An annual eye exam is just as important as a dentist visit or any other regular medical checkup—and if your eyes need additional care, the costs can quickly add up.
You might wonder: Do I need vision insurance if I don’t wear glasses? The answer is yes! Even if you don’t wear glasses, it’s essential to stay on top of your eye health. Vision insurance covers your annual exam, crucial for checking your eye health and catching early warning signs of disease.
Some vision plans cover glasses with blue light filtering lenses, which help protect your eyes while you’re working on a computer, TV or other screens. Additionally, some vision insurance plans even offer discounts on non-prescription sunglasses.
The best part? Affordability! We recommend Vision Service Plan (VSP), the largest vision insurance provider in the U.S.—and our parent company. If you choose VSP, your coverage starts immediately, so you can use your benefits as soon as you sign up. Many plans start as low as $13 per month. These costs are low compared to the costs of other types of insurance.
What Are the Key Benefits of Vision Insurance?
Vision insurance isn’t always provided by your employer. Even so, it’s a good idea to purchase coverage. Five compelling benefits make the argument for you to choose vision insurance.
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Spot Early Warning Signs of Health Issues
An annual eye exam does more than just check on your prescription and make sure you can see clearly. A comprehensive eye exam can also help detect eye problems like:
- Dry eye
- Glaucoma
- Cataracts
- Retinal detachment
- Macular degeneration
In some cases, an eye exam can even spot early signs of other health conditions, such as:
- High cholesterol
- Some forms of cancer
- Diabetes
- High blood pressure
- Lupus
- Lyme disease
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Save Money on Exams and Corrective Eyewear
A simple eye exam can cost around $200 if you pay out of pocket and have no insurance. If you’re someone who needs corrective eyewear, you may also pay hundreds of dollars for a good pair of glasses or sets of contact lenses.
Fortunately, most vision insurance plans cover the cost of a regular eye exam as well as many costs associated with corrective eyewear.
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Get Help in Case of Eye Emergencies
Vision insurance comes in handy when you have unexpected eye-related injuries or illnesses. Your medical doctor may be equipped to treat some basic eye care emergencies, but for most issues, they refer you to an eye doctor.
Whether you scratch your eye or get a severe eye infection, you’ll need to visit the eye doctor to be evaluated and receive medication or treatment. Even if insurance doesn’t cover all the treatment you’ll need for an eye-related injury or disease, it will likely reduce the costs and make everything more affordable.
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Get Discounts on Elective Surgery
If you choose a more extensive vision insurance plan, you may be able to save on elective eye surgery like LASIK, which can cost thousands of dollars. For example, some VSP vision insurance plans offer either percentage discounts or specific allowances for LASIK.
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Protect and Provide for Your Whole Family
One of the most significant benefits of vision insurance is that you can get coverage for your whole family. If you have children, this is extremely beneficial. Vision issues are often identified at a young age, and many children need glasses. You can catch their vision problems early and get them the supportive eyewear they need.
With vision insurance, you can easily afford regular eye exams and help your doctor catch these conditions early on. This can save you a lot of money—and a lot of pain—in the long run, because you can address a health issue before it progresses and requires more extensive treatment.
What Does Vision Insurance Pay For?
While every vision plan is unique, most plans cover three key things.
One annual eye exam per person on the plan
Each annual eye exam includes tests to determine eye health, color vision, side vision, light response, depth perception and overall visual function. If you need corrective eyewear, the doctor determines the prescription strength for each eye.
Frame or lens fittings
When choosing glasses or contacts, you may need a fitting to make sure they fit right, feel comfortable and work properly.
Glasses and/or contacts
Most vision plans either completely or partially cover the costs of corrective eyewear. For example, with glasses, the plan may cover one set of lenses and basic frames per year, but if you want a more expensive designer set, you may have to pay the difference. Some plans also cover or provide discounts on contacts.
What Isn’t Covered by Most Vision Insurance Plans?
There are some things your vision plan likely won't cover that you must pay for out-of-pocket. These include:
- Eyeglass replacement if you already got a pair that year (do your best not to break your glasses before it's time for new ones)
- Extra eye exams
- The full cost of elective eye surgeries (like LASIK)
- Prescriptions or treatments for medical conditions—you have to use health insurance for those
If you have a Flexible Spending Account or a Health Savings Account, it can help you pay for vision and medical expenses that insurance won’t cover.
How Do I Get the Full Value of My Vision Insurance Each Year?
To get the full value of your insurance, schedule an eye exam every year so you maximize coverage benefits. If you wear corrective lenses, spend your annual allowance on contacts, a new pair of glasses or prescription sunglasses.
Before an appointment, review your plan carefully. Note how much your plan covers in glasses or contacts costs, and make sure you choose products that make the most of your benefits.
Get the Best Eye Care Possible with Visionworks
Vision insurance is important, and so is finding the right eye doctor! At Visionworks, you can find reputable eye doctors who have helped hundreds of customers get the right care for their eyes. Not only that, you can also find the perfect pair of glasses by choosing from our hundreds of frame options online or in store. Our friendly Associates love helping our customers find glasses that fit right and look great!
Shop for glasses online now and schedule an appointment at your local Visionworks today!
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Information received through Visionworks® content is for informational purposes only and does not constitute medical advice, medical recommendations, diagnosis, or treatment. Always seek the advice of your eye doctor, physician, or other qualified health provider with any questions you may have regarding a medical condition.
Claims regarding blue light efficiency are supported by manufacturer-provided test results.
