Vision Insurance

Vision care insurance is insurance that provides coverage for services relating to the care and treatment of the eyes. It typically covers services delivered by an optometrist or opthamologist. Depending on the specific plan, some or all of the following services may be covered:

• Yearly eye exams
• Glasses (with an annual limit)
• Contact lenses and fitting (with an annual limit)
• Frames (with an annual limit)

Some plans give an every 12 month benefit while some give an every 24 month benefit. Some plans provide a discount on lasik and other eye surgeries, while others may limit coverage to "reasonable and customary" charges incurred during routine eye exams. Reasonable and customary charges generally don't include the cost of glasses and contact lenses. With some employer-sponsored vision plans, coverage may be even more narrowly limited to the medical treatment of certain eye conditions. This is rare, however.

Plans also offer flexibility in plan design such as:

• Full Service (exam and eyewear)
• Eyewear-Only ( for companies whose medical plan includes exam coverage)
• Exam-Only (for companies who want to offer exam coverage on an employer-paid basis and eyewear coverage on a voluntary basis)

Discount Plans

Discount plans offer a discount on vision exams and eyewear. They do not offer the comprehensive coverage of vision insurance.