This blog was last updated May 2022
Along with health insurance, most Californians usually buy dental and eyesight insurance. These plans are often included with health insurance coverage provided by your employer. At other times, however, individuals may find that they need to purchase their own California vision insurance.
While not everyone needs glasses, maintaining vision and eye health are still essential functions. And if you already wear glasses, you can appreciate the value of good vision insurance. However, many individuals forgo coverage either due to a lack of need or an understanding of the cost savings that vision insurance can provide.
As a single eyewear supplier NotesIn the United States, eyeglasses cost from $50 to over $1,000 per pair, and the average cost is $196 for a typical pair of glasses.
While this may seem rather insignificant in and of itself, the cumulative costs of office visits, eye exams, prescriptions, and other expenses related to vision health can increase dramatically.
The Importance of Securing Vision in California
Who needs vision insurance in California?
The simple answer is for anyone with healthy visual requirements. These could be corrective lenses in the form of eyeglasses or contact lenses, treatment for common conditions such as stigma or glaucoma, or even laser surgery to correct vision problems.
While it is true that not everyone needs optical services, unlike medical or dental care, a surprisingly large percentage of people do.
according to National Institutes of HealthAnd the
“The prevalence of presbyopia has been estimated to be around 80% at ages 45-55 in North America 3,4 with an estimated 16% of these individuals without appropriate correction.”
Presbyopia is the medical term for what many call “low vision,” or old eyes.
Harvard Health Online describe it from here,
“As we age, the lens of the eye becomes increasingly inflexible, making it difficult to focus clearly on close objects. This is called presbyopia. No one knows exactly what makes the lens inflexible, but it happens to everyone as a normal part of aging.”
And the, to me At the Vision Council of America, nearly 75 percent of adults use some form of vision correction. Most of us, about 64 percent, wear glasses, while another 11 percent choose to wear contact lenses. In addition, optometrists recommend replacing eyeglasses every one to three years.
It is also interesting that more than half of women and only 42 percent of men wear glasses.
Eye health is critical and securing vision can help preserve it
Center for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC) You selected a survey which found that the biggest health concern for many Americans is blindness. In fact, most people are so afraid of losing their eyesight that many would rather lose their memory, their speech, and even a limb!
The fact is that even in developed societies with the healthiest population, eye diseases and conditions occur.
For example, many serious eye conditions that do not have early warning signs or symptoms include glaucoma, diabetic eye disease, and age-related macular degeneration. These cases can only be detected through a comprehensive eye examination.
A common benefit of regular eye exams, which is largely overlooked, is that they can help detect health conditions such as diabetes, high cholesterol, and even high blood pressure.
The bottom line, then, is that vision insurance can help pay for regular eye exams, which can be helpful in detecting a variety of potential vision and health problems, as well as covering many of the costs of treatment and eyeglasses.
Choosing vision insurance in California
Vision insurance is primarily used to reduce the costs of eyeglasses, contact lenses, and eye exams. Some plans will even help cover a portion of the costs of LASIK surgery. Vision plan details vary, just like health insurance, with some plans covering the full cost of eye exams, while others require a co-pay, for example.
Vision insurance plans typically include coverage for annual exams, eyeglass frames and lenses, as well as contacts. Many plans have price limits for tires and contacts, while some may cover certain brands. Optical insurance coverage providers often have higher level plans that also include coverage for contact lens fitting appointments, lens protection, and even LASIK surgery.
Choosing vision insurance in California can make a big difference to the total cost of your vision care, but this depends on the specifics of the plan. It’s not uncommon for two different plans with similar premium costs to offer significantly different benefits.
Choosing the right vision insurance plan largely depends on the specific services you need today – and expect to receive in the future.
While there are many factors to consider with vision insurance, there are a few key considerations we review here.
1. Competitive premiums
Sure, paying as little as possible is an understandable goal, but when it comes to products like vision insurance, lower costs can mean minimal benefits.
And while paying a lot more is certainly possible, the best vision insurance providers work to keep their premiums competitive, and their plan benefits attractive. Low-cost plans, for example, often provide minimal benefits such as covering new glasses only once every two years or only covering the costs of eye exams. Some plans are just discounts on glasses and don’t offer any allowances.
2. Allow glasses frame
Recommended vision insurance plans, such as the VSP, provide substantial frame allowances. These will vary by plan and carrier, but are typically between $100 and $250, with $150 to $175 being the most common.
If you wear glasses all day and are under 30, for example, a plan that offers a larger allowance for eyeglass frames may be better than a low-cost plan that has more limited frame limits.
3. Inexpensive lens options
According to one Article – CommodityAnd the
“The amount of eye-related expenses that a vision insurance plan will cover varies widely from plan to plan. One plan might charge a combined $10 for an eye exam and cover the difference. Another plan might pay $35 of your exam and expect you to pay the rest.“
VSP . visionFor example, it offers several plans including Standard and EasyOptions plans.
For their Standard plan, monthly installments start around $13, depending on where you live, with a combined subscription for a $15 eye exam that covers up to $150 for new tires.
Their EasyOptions plan costs a bit more at around $24 per month. Although this plan has the same benefits, the Standard option also allows members to customize their benefits package by allocating more money to the products they use often.
4. Comfortable mesh
Similar to health insurance coverage, many vision plans are part of Preferred Provider Organization (PPO) networks. This means that you can usually choose to use a vision care provider who is not part of the network, although coverage amounts are often lower for out-of-network providers.
When it comes to breadth of coverage, it’s also important to choose a plan that has vision care providers near where you live. This is especially true for plans that are not in a PPO.
JC LEWIS INSURANCE AND VSP – FANTASTIC OFFER
While we understand that there are certainly options available, at JC Lewis Insurance we believe that the best vision insurance option we can offer our clients is a Vision Care Plan, or VSP.
With four different types of policies available and they have coverage in 47 states, choosing to cover your California vision plan with VSP Vision Care also means that you can choose to use a provider with either a VSP network or choose a provider outside of a VSP network.
Many consider VSP to be the leading visionary insurance company in the state as well as in California.
One reviewer, for example, cited several perks they rated as important including:
- To be the largest vision insurance company in the United States
- Monthly installments start at $13
- No waiting period
- Handy online plan wizard
In addition to, Note which – which,
“VSP is our top pick because it offers multiple plans with flexible coverage and costs, and because it’s the largest provider of vision insurance available to most people.”
Offer the best vision insurance plans in California
JC Lewis Insurance wants to be your vision insurance partner and we can also help you with quality health insurance plans only from leading health insurance companies licensed to do business in California.
We are a family owned and operated health insurance agency located in Santa Rosa, California for over four decades.
Specializing in finding and administering vision insurance plans, along with medical and dental coverage for both individuals and families, as well as small businesses, we are authorized and approved by every insurance company we represent.
In addition, we help seniors get the best coverage for Medicare supplement plans and prescription drugs.
We at JC Lewis Insurance understand that when considering different vision, dental, and health insurance plans, you likely have questions and concerns. We encourage you to ask your questions about health insurance coverage to us and you can rest assured that JC Lewis Insurance Services will help you find the right solutions for your health insurance needs, as well as vision coverage.
So, contact us today for more information or request a quote online.
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