You don’t need vision insurance to get vision care but it can be a low-cost way to lower your eyecare costs if you have glasses and contacts.
It may be wise especially if you have a family history of eye diseases and need tests for glaucoma and other issues.
What Is Vision Insurance?
Vision insurance covers at least a portion of the costs for routine eye exams, prescription glasses and contacts. Some vision policies also provide discounts for corrective surgery.
Health insurance doesn’t generally cover basic eye care, so having vision insurance can reimburse some of those eye-related costs.
How Does Vision Insurance Work?
You typically pay a premium to have vision insurance coverage. You may get it as part of an employer’s benefits package or buy coverage directly from a vision insurance company like VSP.
Vision insurance is similar to health insurance but at a much lower cost. There are also vision discount plans that lets you lower rates for services and products at participating eye doctors.
Types of Vision Coverage
| Coverage type | How it works |
|---|---|
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Vision insurance
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Vision insurance reimburses you for vision care, such as eye exams and glasses. Policies may have premiums, copays, coinsurance and deductibles, similar to health insurance. Dental plans pay at least a portion of the costs and you pick up the rest. You may have to stay within a plan’s provider network to get covered.
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Vision discount plans
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Discount plans aren’t insurance and don’t help you pay for vision care. Instead, vision discount plans have agreements with vision providers to offer services at a discounted rate.
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You’ll want to understand how a specific vision plan works. For instance, a vision insurance company may only reimburse you for services by an in-network provider. A vision plan may also have annual maximums for glasses and contact lenses. In that case, the plan would cover up to a certain amount and then you would have to pay the rest of the costs in a year.
Basic vision care is generally covered by vision insurance but you may have trouble finding a policy that covers laser surgeries like photorefractive keratectomy (PRK) and LASIK. Those types of procedures are viewed as elective surgery and might not be covered. However, a vision insurance company may offer discounts for those types of services at participating doctors.
Average Cost of Vision Insurance
The average cost of vision insurance is $19 monthly. Our research of 12 vision insurance plans found costs range between $5 and $35 monthly.
You’ll pay more for plans with comprehensive benefits, such as low copays and higher frame allowances. Vision insurance with lower premiums generally provides more limited benefits.
Here’s a look at some of the best vision insurance companies and their average monthly premiums for an individual.
Monthly Premiums by Vision Insurance Company
| Company | Plan name | Average monthly cost |
|---|---|---|
|
UnitedHealthcare
|
Plan A
|
$11
|
|
Anthem
|
Blue View Vision Enhanced
|
$19
|
|
VSP
|
EasyOptions
|
$29
|
|
EyeMed
|
EyeMed Bright
|
$30
|
What Does Vision Insurance Cover?
Vision insurance plans usually cover basic vision services, such as preventive eye care and exams and prescription eyewear like glasses and contact lenses.
More comprehensive plans may also offer coverage or discounts for anti-glare or anti-scratch coatings, progressive lenses or transition lenses and elective vision correction surgery.
What Does Vision Insurance Not Cover?
Vision insurance may not cover:
- More than one eye exam per year
- Non-prescription glasses and contacts
- Cost of frames and lenses beyond the allowance
- Major medical treatments or surgery (but health insurance may cover these services)
- Miscellaneous fees charged by the optometrist
Featured Health Insurance Partners
1
Aetna
Offers plans in all 50 states and Washington, D.C.
About 1.2 million
$20
2
Blue Cross Blue Shield
Offers plans in all 50 states and Washington, D.C.
About 1.7 million
$10
3
Cigna
Offers plans in all 50 states and Washington, D.C.
About 1.5 million
$0
Should I Get Vision Insurance?
Vision insurance can save you money but whether it’s worthwhile depends on how much you spend on vision care.
Some things to think about when deciding on if you want to buy coverage include:
- Do you get annual eye exams?
- Do you have glasses and/or contact lenses?
- Do you have a family history of eye issues and need additional testing?
- How much have you spent on eye care over the last few years?
You’ll want to figure out whether buying coverage will save you money in the long run. If you don’t get annual eye exams and don’t wear glasses, you may not need vision insurance.
How to Compare and Buy Vision Insurance
Vision insurance policies vary so you’ll want to:
- Figure out what kind of vision care you’ll need in the coming year.
- Look at available vision policies and dig into each one to see their costs and coverage.
- Narrow down the plans to the ones that would work best for your specific situation. For instance, a low-cost plan that covers eye exams but doesn’t offer much for glasses might work if you don’t have glasses.
- Make sure your eye doctor is considered in-network for the vision plan. You may otherwise have to pay more or all of the costs when you receive vision care from that doctor.
People often get vision insurance as part of an employer’s benefits package. These are usually low-cost group plans and you typically may have one or two options. You can also buy directly from an insurance company and some insurers let you bundle dental insurance with vision coverage.
Featured Vision Insurance Partner
1
VSP (Vision Service Plan)
All 50 states
40,000+ providers
$13.00
Vision Insurance FAQs
Do vision plans cover sunglasses?
Vision insurance may offer prescription sunglasses to help your eyesight and you may be eligible for discounts for non-prescription sunglasses, depending on the vision policy.
Is VSP worth it?
VSP is a large vision insurance company that offers multiple types of plans with different levels of coverage. Whether VSP is worth it depends on your situation, so you’ll want to crunch the numbers to see if buying a VSP plan would save you money over the year.
Does VSP work with Costco?
Yes, VSP is accepted at many Costco locations, but you should contact your local store to confirm.
