What To Think About When Looking For Vision Insurance
Proper eye care requires proactive attention, but like most things in life taking care of your eyes costs money. Cost and lack of eye care insurance are among the main reasons why many Americans skip visiting their eye doctor for a regular eye exam according to the CDC.
Most people worry about health insurance because a medical bill is more likely to land you in financial trouble than a bill from your eye doctor. But this doesn’t mean that eye care insurance is not important. Not only can proper vision insurance help you afford annual eye exams, but it can also subsidize the cost of prescription lenses.
Check With Your Employer
It may sound obvious, but many people are unaware of the benefits they have through their employer. You may already be covered for annual eye exams through your workplace coverage. Check with human resources to confirm what kind of coverage you have.
If you are not covered,, or you’re only covered with regular health insurance, then you will need to look for providers on your own.
Verify That Your Preferred Eye Doctor Accepts A Specific Plan
If you have a preferred optometrist or ophthalmologist and you are looking into vision insurance, you should verify that they accept any plan you choose.
As a rule of thumb, make sure you check with your doctor instead of checking with the vision insurance company. While your vision insurance company will likely have a list, if it’s outdated and you find out after signing up for a plan that your preferred doctor doesn’t accept your coverage, that’s a huge pain and inconvenience.
Look for Vision Insurance Sooner Rather Than Later
Waiting until you need glasses may sound like a smart strategy, but vision insurance companies have a plan in place to prevent that. When you apply for vision insurance, there is typically a waiting period, usually a minimum of 30 days. If everyone only applied to vision insurance when they needed a payout, an insurance provider’s business model would be unsustainable since they rely on the premiums of healthy people. As a result, it’s smarter to look for vision insurance sooner rather than later.
What You Should Not Expect From Vision Insurance
Vision insurance traditionally covers routine eye care costs like eye exams, prescription glasses, contacts, and frames. They usually do not cover elective procedures like LASIK or KAMRA, although insurance providers are starting to include discounts for LASIK as the procedure becomes more popular.
You should also be mindful of whether conditions like cataracts or glaucoma are covered under the vision insurance you’re considering since these may require specialists, medication, or surgery. There are some plans that will give you a lump sum payout if you are diagnosed with a condition that could lead to blindness.
Vision insurance can help lessen the cost of taking care of your eyes. You can find plans for as low as $12 a month depending on the amount of coverage you want. Book your annual eye exam with one of our optometrists at Eye Associates of Tallahassee to start getting the comprehensive eye care you deserve.
