Eye Care and Vision Insurance Working Together

According to a study conducted by the National Eye Institute, over 44 million Americans wear corrective glasses or contact lenses. That represents a significant number of Americans in need of quality eye care provided at an affordable price. That’s where a good vision plan can help.

For as little as $15 a year, you may be able to sign up for a plan that provides major discounts on a variety of vision care products. You don’t have to wait to be reimbursed to receive your savings. When you show your membership card to participating vendors, the discount will automatically be deducted from the amount of your purchase. With some vision care plans, you also have the option of purchasing products through a mail order service and having them delivered directly to your home or office. In most cases, the money you can save with your vision care discounts will more than make up the cost of your vision care membership fee.

Vision Care Service

In addition to the cost savings, vision care service is also easy to use.

You’ll be able to access your discounts through a variety of conveniently located providers who make up the vision care program’s network. You’ll have access to top vision care specialists qualified to handle eye examinations, contact lens fitting and even elective surgical procedures, such as laser eye surgery. Because most vision care services have a large network of care providers, finding a location near you should be easy as well. Along with numerous privately owned doctors’ offices, the networks are generally made up of recognized leaders in the field of vision care such as Pearle Vision, LensCrafters, Sears Optical, JC Penney Optical and many more.

Frequently Asked Questions

Here are some questions to ask yourself when looking for the right vision care plan to meet your needs:

• How often do you have your eyes examined? If you only have an examination once a year or less often, you may not be as concerned about coverage for eye examinations through a vision care plan. However, if you or a family member wears glasses or contacts, you or your family members are probably going to need regular eye exams. A vision care plan that offers discounts on these examinations, no matter how often you have them, might be a good choice for you — even if you have vision insurance coverage through your employer.
  
  A number of vision insurance plans may only cover you up to a maximum benefit amount each year. With a vision care plan, there are no yearly or maximum dollar amount limits.
• How much money do you spend each year on glasses, sunglasses and/or contact lenses? If you find yourself replacing your glasses once a year or more, then the discounts on lenses and frames could really help you save money. If you wear contact lenses, in addition to the discounts on the lenses themselves, you may also want to look at the plans that offer discounts on lens cleaner and solution. Finally, a number of plans offer discounts for non-prescription sunglasses. If you typically buy designer sunglasses or sunglasses with special tinting, then discounts on sunglasses could be an important benefit you’ll want from your vision care plan.
• How do you buy your glasses, sunglasses and/or contact lenses now? With some vision care plans, you can buy your glasses and contact lenses through medical offices or vision care centers. Other plans allow you to purchase through retail outlets, such as Sears Optical, JC Penney Optical, LensCrafters, Pearl Vision, etc. Still other plans offer the convenience of mail order programs to have your glasses or contact lenses delivered directly to your home or office.

Sources:

1. What are Contact Lenses? National Eye Institute.