How to Choose Vision Insurance

Vision insurance plans are most often chosen by those who use a lot of routine eye care. If you use a lot of these services, you may benefit from getting an insurance plan. First, take a look at what eye care services you and your family use or are likely to use in the near future. Calculate an average of your expenses to get a sense of what you are likely to spend each year and therefore how much coverage you will need to have. Then look at several plans and answer questions such as the following: 

Coverage 

• Does the plan cover the services you will need? If not, can you afford to pay for them out of pocket or with a health savings account, health reimbursement account or flexible spending account? 
• Who is on the list of network providers? 
• Does the plan allow out-of-network providers? 
• Do out-of network providers need to be approved first? 
• What are the limits on coverage? 
• Are value-added products covered? 

Costs and making payments 

• Which plan saves you the most money? 
• Is the deductible affordable? 
• How much are co-pays? 
• For vision discount plans, what is the discounted rate that you must pay for services? 
• For vision discount plans, are there prepaid discount cards or prepaid coupons? 
• How do you get reimbursed if you use an out-of-network provider? 
• How much reimbursement do you get if you use an out-of-network provider? 

Other factors 

• Does the plan have grievance procedures? Does it have quality assurance mechanisms? 
• What is the reputation of the insurance company? Does it have a lot of complaints against it? 

Compare the costs and benefits of several plans. 

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