Vision Insurance – Should You Get One?

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.  This type of insurance is ideal for families or companies and is usually obtained as a group. If your family is more genetically predisposed to having poor eyesight, then preventive care is advisable.  For companies who need to invest on their employees having keen eyesight such as pilots, designers, writers, programmers, illustrators, and so on, group vision insurance are invaluable.  

Where to get vision insurance

Group vision insurance can be obtained through your association, company, school district, or a government program such as Medicaid or Medicare.  As an individual, you can purchase your own vision benefit plan from your health insurance company.  Vision insurance is typically a value-added benefit linked to health insurance, preferred provider organizations (PPOs), and health maintenance organizations (HMOs). These organizations have contracts and are affiliated with managed vision care networks (i.e. hospitals and eye doctors) that provide the eye care services to insured clients.        

Benefits of vision insurance


When you obtain value-added vision insurance, you will have access to a network of eye care providers including ophthalmologists and optometrists, optical laboratories, eyewear stores, and LASIK/PRK surgeons.   You will also have access to routine eye check-ups and preventive eye care services at reduced rates. In general, vision insurance covers basic eye services including annual eye examinations, dilations, eyeglass frames, eyeglass lenses, contact lenses, and LASIK and PRK vision correction at discounted rates.  The services that are acquired from network providers are obviously cheaper than services received from providers that are not part of the network.   One of the best things about getting care within the network is that most health insurance companies implement standards and a quality assurance mechanism in choosing service providers.  This way, you are assured that your eye doctor or eye surgery center is reputable and can be trusted.   


Available vision insurance plans


Typically, when obtaining a vision insurance plan, you can choose from either a benefits package or a discount plan.  In a benefits package, you usually pay an annual premium or a membership fee in exchange for eye care services. There will be yearly deductibles and co-pay each time you access a service.   A discount plan, on the other hand, gives you access to eye care services at fixed discount rates after you pay a membership fee or annual premium and a deductible.  Both types of plans can be customized according to your requirements whether as an individual or as a group.
Cost of vision insurance


Costs of vision insurance depend on the design of the program and the services available.  Monthly membership fees range from less than a dollar to twelve dollars, deductibles from less than a dollar to thirty-five dollars, and co-pay of ten dollars to fifteen dollars for each network service.