The costs of eye exams and prescription eyewear can quickly add up, especially for families. Vision insurance is designed to help manage the costs associated with routine eye care.

What is vision insurance?

Vision insurance is a type of supplemental health insurance that is designed to reduce the costs associated with routine eye care services. While health insurance will cover financial costs related to eye injuries and disease, vision insurance is more of a wellness benefit used to assist with the cost of prescription eyewear and routine eye exams.

Typically, vision insurance plans provide specified dollar amounts for the purchase of eyeglasses and contact lenses and payments for eye exams.  Some plans may even offer discounts on refractive surgery.

Vision insurance may be offered through an employer, association, school, or government program. Individuals who are self-employed can also purchase vision insurance on their own.

What vision insurance typically covers

Vision insurance usually helps offset the cost of one or more of the following services and/or materials: 

• Annual eye exams 
• Eyeglass lenses 
• Eyeglass frames 
• Contact lenses 

To reduce costs, people with vision plans should stick to in-network eye care providers. Some vision plans will have limits on how often they will provide reimbursement for eyeglass lenses and frames. Always check your vision care plan before an appointment to see what services will be covered.