The Independent Worker's Guide to Vision Insurance
If you know you'll need a new pair of glasses soon or if you've been considering getting contacts, it’s worth it to look into vision insurance. But what does vision insurance cover, exactly?
Vision insurance is entirely separate from a health or dental plan. It helps reduce the cost of routine eye exams, prescription eyewear, and other necessary care. Considering 66 percent of U.S. adults need vision correction, this can really pay off.
In this guide, we'll answer common questions about vision insurance to help you pick the best plan for you.
Is vision insurance worth it?
Short answer: Yes, vision plans are worth it.
Scheduling regular eye exams helps your doctor see if you need vision correction. It also helps detect the early stages of eye diseases. Vision plans reduce the cost of regular eye exams, save you money on vision correction, and can alleviate some of the costs of other procedures.
What does vision insurance cover vs. health insurance?
It can be confusing to understand what vision insurance covers versus what health care insurance covers.
Going to an eye doctor isn’t exclusively covered by vision insurance. In fact, your health care plan will generally cover anything medical in nature, even when it comes to your eyes. This means health insurance often covers things like eye infections, styes, glaucoma, dry eyes, retinal tears, cataracts, and diabetes.
So what does vision insurance cover, then? It typically gives you extra coverage for preventative care and eyewear.
What's usually included in a vision insurance plan?
As mentioned, most plans cover preventative care and prescription eyewear. You can also choose plans with more options.
Preventive care: This includes eye exams, vision tests, and glaucoma testing. Eye exams help detect vision problems, including serious issues like cataracts. This type of care is often covered at 100 percent (up to a specific amount), meaning you don’t have to pay anything out of pocket.
Prescription eyewear: This includes glasses frames, lenses, and contacts. It also often includes lens protection and upgrades. Prescription eyewear is usually covered at 100 percent up to a certain dollar amount.
Additional care: This might include things like daily disposable contact lenses and corrective eye surgery like Lasik.
Insider tip: These are just general outlines. Be sure to read all the details when you pick a plan, because they can differ from the above. For instance, plans through Stride cover different percentages than outlined above.
Where can I purchase vision insurance?
Stride is now offering an exclusive vision plan for just $9.12 per month.
Sounds too good to be true, right? Check it out here!
What comes with Stride's vision plan?
$100+ per year towards glasses or contacts
No wait times — start using your plan the first of the month after you enroll!
Nation-wide network of tens of thousands of vision specialists
