Can you buy eyeglasses insurance?
If you've recently realized that you need glasses, you know it's time to start budgeting for them. Glasses can cost hundreds of dollars and may need to be updated every year! But don't stress yourself out. There's a product that can help cover your costs. Technically speaking, there is no official eyewear insurance product. But that doesn't mean that there aren't products that can cover glasses. This product is called vision insurance. But don't call it "eyeglass insurance."
What is vision insurance?
The term "vision insurance" is commonly used to describe health and wellness plans designed to reduce the cost of regular preventive eye care (eye exams) and prescription glasses (glasses and contact lenses). Some vision plans provide discounts on elective vision correction precesses, like LASIK and PRK. But unlike large health insurance plans, most vision plans are discount or health benefit plans that provide specific benefits and discounts on annual premiums. They can be used to cover most of the cost of eyewear, or they can be used to make high-end eyewear products and improvements, like progressive lenses, anti-reflective coatings, and photochromic lenses, which are much cheaper. Vision insurance plans usually operate differently than other health insurance plans or large medical insurance plans.
What does vision insurance cover?
Vision insurance and vision benefit plans usually cover the cost of annual eye exams, prescription glasses, and/or contact lenses. Vision insurance includes traditional health/medical policies and health/discount plans that provide vision benefits and cover most. Coverage will vary depending on the type of vision insurance or vision benefit plan you choose. Group vision insurance is usually provided through an employer, an organization, or a government plan like Medicare or Medicaid. If you don't qualify for any of these options, you can purchase a personal vision care plan from a vision insurance provider.
