From the name, you can probably guess that vision insurance offers coverage for many services designed to improve your sight, but you may not realize that vision insurance has health benefits that extend beyond your eyes.  In addition to testing your eyes for common conditions like myopia (nearsightedness), hyperopia (farsightedness), and astigmatism, your optometrist will perform a variety of eye scans that may detect serious health conditions like diabetes, arthritis, or cancer.

For the majority of people who enjoy vision insurance, the primary benefits of this type of coverage is discounted eyewear.  For people with a history of myopia or other eye issues, it is a yearly or bi-yearly necessity to see an optician for a new pair of glasses or contacts.  This regular investment can quickly become a large sum that can be offset by vision insurance.

How Vision Insurance Works

Like other forms of health insurance, vision insurance is a form of financial protection that helps pay for certain health services and products. You will need to find a reputable insurance company like that offers vision insurance policies and obtain a policy. You may already have a health insurance policy, but it is unlikely to cover services like eye exams, eyewear or elective vision correction surgery. A vision insurance policy provides coverage for these services on top of your existing health plan.

Once you choose a vision insurance policy and your insurer issues the policy to you, you will need to make monthly payments called premiums. In most cases, the monthly premium ranges from $5 to $10 for an individual and may be slightly greater for a family plan. Like most health insurance plans, you may opt for broader or more narrow coverage, in which case, your premium would vary accordingly.

The typical vision insurance policy will cover an annual exam which will screen for visual acuity, color blindness, retinal disorders, glaucoma, and pupil dilation. In addition to the exam, a vision plan should provide a certain amount of coverage for eyeglasses or contacts. Depending on the type of policy, this may be an annual or biennial allowance that may be applied to eyeglass frames, lenses, or contactss. Many policies will require that you make a copayment for an exam or eyewear.

Although most vision insurance policies do not normally cover the costs of vision correction surgeries like LASIK, because they are considered cosmetic and elective, some insurance plans can secure discounts as a courtesy from some eye surgeons. There are some rare cases when a plan might cover LASIK surgery, e.g. if you are a professional athlete, public safety officer or special forces military service member. If you suffer from certain medical conditions like severe allergies, dry eyes or contact lens intolerance, your insurer may also make a coverage exception.

The Many Benefits of Vision Insurance

In addition to the low cost of vision insurance, there are a number of proven health benefits that can ensure the ongoing good health of you and your family.  There is the obvious benefit of protecting your sight which is critical to almost all aspects of your life. Corrective lenses or surgeries may be essential to maintaining your vision throughout your life. The modern world is full of devices like smart phones, televisions and computers that put enormous strain on your eyes, and regular vision checkups ensure that they are performing at peak health.

A typical eye exam will do much more than determine the acuity and strength of your eyes, it will also provide a snapshot of your overall health. Many parts of your eye including the cornea and retina are examined to see if there are any symptoms of serious health problems like diabetes, cataracts or glaucoma.  Almost 20 million Americans suffer from cataracts, while 2.2 million have glaucoma.  Eleven percent of Americans with diabetes have some form of visual impairment.

Seeing an optometrist may also provide a window into your general health.  Many common health conditions reveal themselves by manifesting in the eye area.  For example, hypertension may produce tears or kinks in eye blood vessels.  Other diseases with eye symptoms include melanoma, high cholesterol, Lupus, or thyroid disease.

Compelling Reasons to Get Vision Insurance

Obviously, if you want to protect your health and that of your family, vision insurance is a cost effective solution. For just a few dollars each month, you get the assurance that your family’s precious eyesight and general health will be monitored and protected.  There are few better deals in the insurance market.

Vision insurance is almost a necessity for most families because eventually, almost everyone’s eyesight deteriorates. According to Statistic Brain, almost 225 million Americans or 75 percent of the national population uses some form of corrective lenses.  Odds are that you or one member of your family will need glasses at some point, and when they do, you will be enormously happy that you had vision insurance.

You may believe that you can afford glasses or contacts without the help of an insurance company, but vision insurance is also an incentive to visit your optometrist on a yearly basis.  This annual checkup will ensure that you are doing your best to preserve your eyesight and that your next set of glasses or contacts matches your current vision requirements precisely.

In the end, vision insurance also helps save you money.  While a pair of reading glasses may be fairly cheap, if your vision requires bifocals or UV protection, or if you want perks like designer frames or high refractive index lenses, you will be glad that your vision insurance policy will help offset the high price tag.  The annual cost of disposable contact lenses range from $100 to $400, so, if you wear contacts, an insurance policy virtually pays for itself.

If you have questions or concerns about a vision insurance plan, the highly qualified insurance professionals at Boost Health Insurance are always available to help you get the answers you require.  Speak with us today!