Eye examinations can help diagnose such serious health problems as high blood pressure, diabetes, cataracts, glaucoma and macular degeneration. Early detection is the key to treating eye disease, and an annual eye examination plays a vital role in detecting a number of eye health conditions.
According to The Vision Council’s 2008 Vision Care: Focusing on the Workplace Benefit report, “vision problems are the second most prevalent health problem in the country, affecting more than 120 million people.”
Vision Insurance Savings
Vision insurance can help defray the cost of eye examinations and prescribed materials such as lenses and frames. Since the cost of vision services can be costly, vision coverage is one way to help reduce the out-of-pocket payment for these services.
Obtaining Vision Insurance
Vision coverage may be obtained through an employer or individually from an insurance company. These vision plans vary from low-cost prepaid discount plans to regular insurance plans that can be purchased through companies such as EyeMed, UnitedHealthcare and Spectera. The cost of an employee’s vision plan may be paid by the employer or deducted directly from the employee's salary each pay period. The benefits package will state how premiums are treated.
Personal vision insurance plans are available to those who are unemployed or unable to obtain coverage through an employer. Individuals can purchase regular vision insurance plans that cover vision services based on the fixed costs listed in the policy. For instance, the HumanaVision Vision Care Plan is vision insurance that is offered to individuals through EyeMed.
Individuals can also purchase a discount vision plan that provides eye care services at discounted rates. These plans may include an annual deductible that must be paid to the provider before the insurance company covers any portion of the service. Once the deductible is satisfied, members receive a discount off the provider’s normal fees. The cost for individual vision coverage is usually billed monthly or annually.
Vision Insurance Providers
Vision plans allow members to receive vision care and prescription eyewear through a network of opticians, optometrists and ophthalmologists. Many vision plans allow access to some of the largest vision networks:
- LensCrafters
- Pearle Vision
- JC Penney Optical
- Sears Optical
- Target Optical
Some plans offer coverage through participating providers only while others also allow coverage through non-participating providers at reduced benefits. Members can always maximize their benefits by using a participating provider.
Covered Vision Services
Vision plans usually cover:
- Eyeglass frames
- Eyeglass lenses
- Contact lenses
- LASIK and PRK vision correction at discounted rates
Vision Service Out-of-Pocket Costs
The out-of-pocket costs for vision services vary. The plan will set a maximum for covered services, and members pay for services based on the terms of their policy. For instance, many vision plans cover basic plastic lenses for a fixed co-payment of approximately $15. These are plain lenses with no enhancements. If members wish to enhance their lenses by adding features such as a scratch resistant coating, anti-reflective coating or no-line progressive lenses, then there will be an additional amount for these enhancements.
Preventing and detecting illness is usually less expensive than treating the illness once it has been diagnosed. Individuals will find it beneficial to purchase vision insurance because of its low cost. Additionally, eye examinations through a vision insurance plan can help to detect diseases before they turn into bigger problems that may require expensive treatment.
Noileen Richardson - Noileen Richardson is an insurance specialist who began her insurance career almost two decades ago as a property and casualty licensed ...
