Vision insurance enables people to close the gaps in their standard health insurance regarding eye care.
For seniors, vision insurance makes up for Medicare’s well-known shortfalls regarding the coverage of vision-related services.
Below, our panel of experts present their list of the most important benefits of having vision insurance.
14 Benefits Of Vision Insurance
Preserving your eyesight is no laughing matter. Vision insurance can help you do that while providing a host of secondary benefits as well.
1: Vision insurance helps preserve your eyesight.
Is there a better reason to have vision insurance? Vision is considered by many to be the most important of our senses (1). Humans are uniquely reliant on vision, as opposed to many other mammals like dogs and bears that rely heavily on smell. We learn from what we see. Our emotional reactions are based largely on what we see. And we make decisions based largely on what we see.
2: Vision insurance will enable you to have regular eye exams.
In order to maintain this most important of senses as we go through life, it’s necessary to have regular eye exams. All major vision insurance policies cover annual, or bi-annual eye exams. All you need do is kick in a minimal co-payment. This enables you to stay ahead of vision problems and ensure your vision is always the best it can be.
3: Vision insurance lowers the cost of comprehensive eye care.
Even if you don’t have insurance eye exams are not typically something that’s going to break the bank (2). Should the eye doctor uncover a problem during that eye exam, however, you could be in for some significant expenses if you don’t have vision insurance. Vision coverage usually won’t cost more than a few hundred dollars a year. Maybe less.
4: Vision insurance may cover the cost of contacts.
Sometimes people want or need new glasses. But other times they want to free themselves from eyeglasses and get contact lenses. If you don’t have vision insurance contacts can cost you several hundred dollars a year for either disposables or extended wear (3). With insurance, your out of pocket costs will be much less. Keep in though that not all vision insurance plans cover contacts.
5: Vision insurance provides flexibility.
There are eyeglasses and then there are bifocals (4), trifocals (5) and even lenses that adjust to the ambient light. Some lenses are impact resistant and others are polarized to eliminate glare. Without vision insurance these bells and whistles may be outside your budget. Some vision insurance plans, however, will cover a large portion of such extra features.
6: Vision insurance is a great complement to Medicare.
Medicare provides much-needed healthcare services to the elderly, many of whom are on fixed incomes. But, as necessary and effective as it typically is, it doesn’t provide insurance for eyecare basics. A good, affordable vision insurance plan does an important job filling the gap in the healthcare coverage provided by Medicare for countless older individuals.
7: Vision insurance helps ensure long term overall health.
As vision is arguably the most important of our senses, it follows that it plays a key role in overall health. Being able to see clearly allows us to avoid accidents. With older individuals maintaining good vision can help prevent falls (6). We use vision to determine whether the food we’re about to eat has gone bad. Impaired vision also represents an acute danger for older drivers (7).
8: Vision insurance is important for young people too.
Many people think vision insurance is only relevant to senior citizens. But that’s hardly the case. More and more young people are spending all day every day staring at computer screens with unblinking eyes. This is an unprecedented development that can lead to myriad vision problems (8). Having your eyes checked regularly can help ensure you stay ahead of any problems.
9: Vision insurance will promote regular eye exams.
By that we mean that people with vision insurance are more likely to have regular eye exams than people without vision insurance. It’s hard to know exactly why, but it’s probably related to the very human notion that “If I’m paying for it, I might as well use it.” As a result, these individuals stand a better chance of catching problems before they become serious.
10: Vision insurance gives you access to a huge network of eye doctors.
If you don’t have insurance it can be difficult to find an eye doctor that is A) in your area and B) in your budget. Some of the insurance plans we outlined above have as many as 70,000 eye doctors in their networks. And they offer you convenient apps that let you locate one near you. No matter where you are, you’ll be able to find the eye care you need.
11: Vision insurance is affordable.
It’s difficult to put a price on being able to see properly. In fact, if you asked most people what their vision is worth chances are most of them would use words like ‘priceless’. And they’re right. With that in mind paying $15 or $20 a month for basic vision insurance that can enable you to maintain good eyesight doesn’t seem like such a stretch.
12: Vision insurance provides peace of mind.
The thing people fear most regarding their physical being is loss: loss of mobility, loss of mental acuity, loss of vision. The entire healthcare system exists to help us prevent these kinds of losses. But if you don’t have proper insurance, healthcare, including eye care, is often prohibitively expensive. Vision insurance is an affordable way to buy the peace of mind that comes with access to proper eye care.
13: Vision insurance plans provide seniors with options.
Ironically, senior citizens who typically have the greatest need for access to healthcare are often the people who have the hardest time getting insurance. While Medicare picks up some of the slack it typically does not provide for basic eye care services including eye exams, glasses and contacts (9). Vision insurance provides seniors with workable options rather than closed doors.
14: Vision insurance enables a higher quality of life.
Being able to see well has a positive effect on every aspect of a person’s life. They’re able to enjoy beautiful sunny days, play sports, navigate crowded streets safely and drive to their favorite restaurants. They’re able to enjoy time with the grandkids, take and share photos and cook their favorite dishes without worrying for their safety. Vision insurance can help make all that possible.
Conclusion
Vision insurance can help cover the cost of eye exams, contact lenses and other vision-related products and services. Vision insurance is an affordable, dependable way to ensure that you give your eyes the respect and care they deserve, regardless of your age.