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Key takeaways:
- You should get eye insurance since traditional health insurance doesn’t cover eye exams and preventive care.
- However, vision insurance premiums can get costly, and you might wonder if you’re getting enough value.
- Prepaid plans are a better choice if you want to save on vision care without high monthly premiums.
If that last work email looked a little blurrier than usual, it might be time to get your eyes checked. Luckily, with your vision insurance card, your visit won’t break the bank; you’ll only pay a fraction of what your optometrist normally charges.
But is vision insurance worth it? Premiums add up month after month, and if you don’t use the benefits regularly, it might feel like wasted money.
Here’s when vision insurance pays off, and a pre-paid plan could be the smarter (and more affordable) choice.
How Does Vision Insurance Work?
You can think of vision insurance as a trade-off. You’re paying a monthly or annual fee to avoid surprise bills at the optometrist.
This fee is your insurance premium, a form of subscription. In return for keeping this subscription active, your insurer covers all or part of the services you need at the eye doctor.
The exact services covered vary depending on the plan you pick, but most eye insurance providers offer similar basic coverage:
- You can schedule your annual or biannual eye exam with only a small co-pay.
- Your plan should include an allowance for frames, lenses, and contacts.
- Some vision insurance plans offer partial coverage or discounted prices on progressive lenses or upgrades like anti-glare coating.
- If you have a premium plan, you’ll likely get some degree of coverage for additional services like LASIK surgery.
To get these benefits, you’ll have to stay within your network, which includes eye doctors who accept your plan. If you can’t find an in-network provider, you’ll pay full price or get minimal reimbursement.
To sum up, your total eye insurance costs typically include:
- A monthly or annual premium.
- Co-pays to cover part of the services you need, like eye exams.
- In some cases, deductibles are required since your coverage only kicks in after you reach a spending limit.
Vision Insurance Vs. Traditional Health Plans
There is an important distinction between health insurance and vision plans. Most health insurance plans don’t cover preventive vision care or eyewear prescriptions. However, if your eye doctor diagnoses a medical condition like glaucoma, cataracts, or diabetic retinopathy, your health insurance will cover the treatments you need, usually after you pay a deductible.
Ideally, you should have both forms of coverage and review your insurance documentation carefully to avoid gaps and overlaps.
A gap happens when you need a service that isn’t covered. For instance, you find you need glasses during a routine eye exam, but you only carry traditional health insurance. Your plan won’t cover the glasses, and you’ll have to pay hundreds without help from your insurer.
An overlap in coverage can also cost you. Let’s say you get a glaucoma diagnosis at the eye doctor. You’re paying for health and vision insurance; both plans cover the treatment. This makes filing a claim more complicated, meaning you’ve been paying twice for the same coverage.
Who Needs Vision Insurance?
Is vision insurance worth it? It depends on two things:
- How often do you use the plan?
- What tier of coverage are you paying for?
Budget plans with minimal coverage often offer the best value. You’re paying a low monthly premium and easily getting your money’s worth by scheduling an annual eye exam.
Plans with more coverage are valuable if you have a family history of eye diseases or a job requiring precise vision. A vision plan with a higher tier of coverage is also a good match for families with multiple children who require pediatric exams.
There is a common misconception that you don’t need eye health coverage if you have 20/20 vision. Everyone needs routine eye exams to catch potential issues early and spot early signs of diabetes, high blood pressure, and other conditions before symptoms appear.
Vision Insurance Alternatives: Pre-Paid Vision Plans
For those wondering about the cost and value of vision insurance, there is an alternative to consider with pre-paid plans.
What makes these plans different?
- With pre-paid plans, you’re not paying a monthly premium in exchange for coverage. Instead, you’re paying a flat monthly rate to access negotiated discounts at the eye doctor.
- There is a big difference for your wallet since pre-paid plans are usually much more affordable than eye insurance premiums.
- Thanks to their simple benefits structure and upfront pricing, prepaid plans are easy to navigate. You know exactly how much your out-of-pocket costs and savings are, and there are usually no limits on how much you can save.
- You can save on the same services vision insurance covers, including routine eye exams, prescription eyewear, contact lenses, and more.
- These plans also use networks. You’ll get the negotiated discounts if you pick an eye doctor who accepts the plan.
Explore Pre-Paid Vision Plans With VCD of Oklahoma
Do you feel that you’re spending too much on vision insurance premiums and not getting your money’s worth? A pre-paid vision plan could be a better option for you.
Vision Care Direct of Oklahoma has a selection of flexible pre-paid plans accepted by one of the largest networks in the state. With benefits like savings on routine eye exams, LASIK surgery, and out-of-network reimbursements, our goal is to make quality eye health care more accessible.
Learn more about our pre-paid vision plans here.
FAQ
How much is vision insurance?
It depends on your plan and insurer, but prices typically range from $10 to over $30 a month.
What does vision insurance cover?
Most plans include coverage for routine eye exams, lenses, frames, and contacts.
What is vision insurance?
Vision insurance reimburses you for eye health services, including preventive care, not covered by traditional health insurance.
How are pre-paid plans different from insurance policies?
Pre-paid plans give you access to lower rates or discounts against a small monthly fee. Insurance plans charge you a premium in exchange for complete or partial reimbursement of services.
