Vision Insurance & Benefit Information

Understanding Vision Plans and Coverage

Navigating vision plans can be daunting. If you’ve chosen your vision insurance through your employer, your HR department and the insurance company’s literature and websites are good starting points to understand what your plan covers and what it doesn’t.

Types of Vision Insurance Plans:

Vision Benefits Package

Often an addition to traditional employer-provided healthcare, this type of vision insurance includes a fixed set of benefits related to eye health and maintenance, such as routine eye exams, discounts on corrective eyewear, and reduced costs for eye surgery. These plans typically involve a network of participating eyecare professionals who agree to honor the plan’s specifics.Vision benefits packages have evolved to offer more personalized choices through defined contribution vision coverage. This allows you to select specific services and discounts based on your anticipated vision expenses. Many plans use pre-tax dollars through Flexible Spending Accounts, ‘Cafeteria’ Plans, Health Savings Accounts, or Health Reimbursement Accounts. Each has specific tax advantages and drawbacks, so it’s wise to discuss these with your vision plan administrator or a tax professional.

Vision Discount Plans

Similar to traditional vision benefits but generally less flexible, vision discount plans offer flat discounts on a wide range of vision-related services, including eye exams, eyeglasses, contact lenses, and surgical procedures. While you agree to pay the difference in cost, these plans typically have lower premiums than vision benefits packages. They also include a network of participating eyecare professionals who honor the stated discounts as long as you pay the difference.

Vision Insurance Planning

Maximize your vision insurance benefits by fully understanding what your plan covers. Discuss options with your eyecare professional to best apply your coverage to your expenses. Also, be aware that certain eye injuries or diseases may be covered by your traditional health insurance rather than your vision insurance.

Use it or Lose it

Vision insurance benefits often expire annually. If you don’t use them, you lose them until the next year. Given that you contribute hard-earned money towards your vision coverage, there’s no excuse to skip your annual eye exam or ignore changes in your vision. Some plans, especially Flexible Spending Accounts, don’t allow unused funds to roll over into the next year, risking the loss of that money. Think beyond the traditional examination to additional eyeglasses, prescription sunglasses, photochromic lenses, or lifestyle-specific eyewear to maximize your coverage.

Acknowledgments

Special thanks to the National Eye Institute, National Institutes of Health, for the source material that aided in the creation of this website.