Vision insurance is supplementary to a regular health insurance plan. Most health insurances already provide coverage for unexpected eye injuries and diseases. Additional vision insurance, however, is also available. As opposed to accidental coverage, additional vision insurance is a wellness benefit that provides coverage for routine preventive eye care, eye exams, and other services that eye doctors in urbane scrubs can provide at reduced costs.
Thousands of medical insurance companies are fighting for your business. Each of those thousands has hundreds of plans. It’s even more complex because each plan has different expenses, deductibles, and other large and small details that only lawyers can understand them. But most of the plans have some common characteristics.
Vision insurance typically comes in the form of either a vision benefits package or a discount vision plan.
Typically, a vision benefits package provides enrollees eye care services in exchange for an annual premium or membership fee, a yearly deductible (a dollar amount) for each enrolled member and a co-pay (a smaller dollar amount) each time a member accesses a service.
A discount vision plan provides eye care at fixed discounted rates after an annual premium or membership fee and a deductible are paid.
Both kinds of vision insurance can be custom-designed to meet the different requirements of a wide range of customers, including school districts, unions, and big and small companies.
Typical Features and Benefits of Vision Coverage Plan features and benefits will vary depending on the provider, but features typically discounted include:
- Eye examinations
- Surgical procedures – including Lasik procedures where available.
- Frames
- Lenses
- Contact Lenses
- Non-prescription sunglasses
People should also look at the size of the plan’s network. They should be sure that the network offers plenty of options for providers in their area. Another great benefit is in-network retail locations. Many retail locations offer convenient evening and weekend hours, with some filling orders in as little as an hour.
A basic, no-frills coverage plan can be purchased for as little as $50 a year, per individual. This can even be clubbed with the health insurance plan and allow you to save a little on the premium. But such insurance providers usually have a very narrow set-up that might not suit all your needs.
It is a good deal to get quotes from 3-4 insurance carriers and then choose the plan and carrier that is best suited to what you have in mind.
A common misconception is vision insurance only covers an individual’s annual eye exam coverage and any unexpected eye related conditions. However, depending on the provider and policy selected, there may be many other inclusions and benefits. Although each policy will be different, most include coverage for a wide array of eye doctors such as optometrists, ophthalmologists and others in the vision arena. Policies may also cover a variety of eye-related needs such as eye exams, consultation for eye problems and the need for glasses and/or contact lenses. By having a policy in place, you are in effect making sure that you and your family members are covered whenever you need to be seen by an eye doctor for one reason or another.
If you think that a vision insurance company could have some benefits to offer, it is important that you find the right plan for your needs. Carefully review the benefits that are offered, what is covered, how often you can get an eye exam and how many pair of eye glasses or contact lenses you can get within a year or a six month period.
