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Vision insurance



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miami85




 
 
    
 

Post Fri, May 26 2017, 12:46 pm
We can get a family vision insurance plan that has reasonable copays for exams and glasses/contacts. We are a family of 5 of whom 3 wear glasses/contacts. In the future, it is likely that more members of our still-growing family will need glasses etc. is it worth it to pay the $400/year for the insurance or is it worth it to just pay out of pocket or cheap on-line glasses?
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ra_mom




 
 
    
 

Post Fri, May 26 2017, 1:04 pm
Can you go to an ophthalmologist on your regular insurance plan and include eye exams there?
For us vision wasn't worthwhile because it's something like $80 a year for up to $150 payout (but then they only offer like $30 toward the frames so I wouldn't really get much payout). We don't even buy new glasses each year and they cost hundreds a pair. Cheaper to just buy ourselves.

For children it's another story but only if you have a place that offers decent glasses that don't cost you much after insurance. Most glasses places don't have options that insurance willing to cover.
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MagentaYenta




 
 
    
 

Post Fri, May 26 2017, 1:43 pm
Over the years I've found vision insurance so not worth it. Even when I was a public employee and had Cadillac insurance the coverage was meh. One vision and medical exam every two years and at the most $150 to eyeglasses (lens and frames).

I have friends without vision insurance and they have made some very good private pay deals with local vision groups. In one instance a family of 5 was able to get full eye exams discounted to $25 perperson (average cost in the area is $65). Single vision frames and lens on the internet are a deal.

I get skunked since I wear trifocals, although working with my local Lions Club I've gotten some of the best deals going with the referrals they've provided.
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amother
Blue


 

Post Fri, May 26 2017, 1:52 pm
I have VSP through my employer. We have $10 copay for eye checkups. (doesn't include contact fitting)
$10 copay on new lenses or contacts every year.
$10 copya on new frames every other year. our eye dr has lots of frames that are fully covered so we just choose from theirs and he has a 1 year warranty on all frames we buy so we typically are able to make them last 2 years.
My DH lenses are very expensive - high prescription + astigmatism + special coating and make thinner - they pay a portion of each upgrade.

For me it comes out very worth it (5 glasses wearers in my home)- but my employer pays a large part and my monthly portion is pretty low.
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miami85




 
 
    
 

Post Fri, Jun 02 2017, 9:12 am
So on our medical insurance, regular vision is not included at all without a medical reason--I.e. scratched cornea, pink eye etc. DH and I wear contact lenses almost exclusively, we both hate our glasses and only wear them when lenses are not an option--we manage to stretch our 3 month supply of lenses way longer than recommended, not great we know, but works for our budget. Nevertheless, our prescription expires yearly so we have to get an exam. DS who wears "only for distance" is not picky about his glasses yet, but I want him to be happy, so not sure how I would do online frames. He needs to update his prescription, I got his last exam covered on an insurance we were dropping.
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amother
Blue


 

Post Fri, Jun 02 2017, 9:35 am
miami85 wrote:
So on our medical insurance, regular vision is not included at all without a medical reason--I.e. scratched cornea, pink eye etc. DH and I wear contact lenses almost exclusively, we both hate our glasses and only wear them when lenses are not an option--we manage to stretch our 3 month supply of lenses way longer than recommended, not great we know, but works for our budget. Nevertheless, our prescription expires yearly so we have to get an exam. DS who wears "only for distance" is not picky about his glasses yet, but I want him to be happy, so not sure how I would do online frames. He needs to update his prescription, I got his last exam covered on an insurance we were dropping.


Please don't stretch - or at least talk to your dr about the risks. I wore contacts for 25 years and last year got an infection from my contacts that made me lose my vision for a month, excruciating pain, and I still can't wear contacts a year later. I saw many specialists and they all agreed that you should wear most contacts max the recommended time - many recommended changing even more often. I spent $100s on specialist and $70 eye meds weekly after stretching my contacts.
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miami85




 
 
    
 

Post Fri, Jun 02 2017, 9:40 am
amother wrote:
Please don't stretch - or at least talk to your dr about the risks. I wore contacts for 25 years and last year got an infection from my contacts that made me lose my vision for a month, excruciating pain, and I still can't wear contacts a year later. I saw many specialists and they all agreed that you should wear most contacts max the recommended time - many recommended changing even more often. I spent $100s on specialist and $70 eye meds weekly after stretching my contacts.


Believe me I know, I interned at an optometrist office for a semester, I know that there are risks, more often than not I don't even realize that I'm doing it. I've only had a problem like once in over 15 years in wearing them. Wondering if getting vision insurance will make the lenses more affordable.
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SixOfWands




 
 
    
 

Post Fri, Jun 02 2017, 11:54 am
miami85 wrote:
We can get a family vision insurance plan that has reasonable copays for exams and glasses/contacts. We are a family of 5 of whom 3 wear glasses/contacts. In the future, it is likely that more members of our still-growing family will need glasses etc. is it worth it to pay the $400/year for the insurance or is it worth it to just pay out of pocket or cheap on-line glasses?


If you want to get your frames through the internet, enjoy. But eyeglass lenses are a terrible idea. You need measurements to make the lens placement accurate, and its very unlikely that you will be able to do it accurately on your own.
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miami85




 
 
    
 

Post Fri, Jun 02 2017, 12:03 pm
SixOfWands wrote:
If you want to get your frames through the internet, enjoy. But eyeglass lenses are a terrible idea. You need measurements to make the lens placement accurate, and its very unlikely that you will be able to do it accurately on your own.


The glasses places don't do that if you send in the prescription?
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SixOfWands




 
 
    
 

Post Fri, Jun 02 2017, 12:11 pm
miami85 wrote:
The glasses places don't do that if you send in the prescription?


They need to measure precisely where the center of your eyes are. That differs from person to person, based on your nose, eyes, etc. If you sent in your prescription, they tell you to measure that yourself, using a credit card or a ruler. You're not likely to get it right. That will make the center of your prescription too far in, or too far out.
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ra_mom




 
 
    
 

Post Fri, Jun 02 2017, 12:42 pm
It sounds like you are leaning toward taking the insurance. Go for it. You can always cancel for the following year if you see it's not worthwhile.
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miami85




 
 
    
 

Post Fri, Jun 02 2017, 12:59 pm
SixOfWands wrote:
They need to measure precisely where the center of your eyes are. That differs from person to person, based on your nose, eyes, etc. If you sent in your prescription, they tell you to measure that yourself, using a credit card or a ruler. You're not likely to get it right. That will make the center of your prescription too far in, or too far out.


got it, as a long-time glasses wearer, I always went to an optical shop, so ordering glasses online was always a strange concept to me--though ordering online is not.
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miami85




 
 
    
 

Post Fri, Jun 02 2017, 1:00 pm
ra_mom wrote:
It sounds like you are leaning toward taking the insurance. Go for it. You can always cancel for the following year if you see it's not worthwhile.


Finances are somewhat tight for us, so I don't want to gamble too much if people find that its not worth it from the get-go
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