Insurance can be confusing, especially when it comes to eye care. You might be asking yourself if your eye exam or a sudden eye issue is covered and whether to use vision or medical insurance.
Both vision and medical insurance help with eye care costs, but they serve different purposes. Understanding how each one works can help you get the most out of your benefits and avoid any unexpected costs.
What vision insurance covers
Vision insurance is designed to help cover routine eye care and eyewear. If you wear glasses or contact lenses, it can make annual eye exams, prescription updates, and new eyewear more affordable. Most vision plans include coverage for routine eye exams to help keep your prescription up to date and your vision clear.
Many plans also offer allowances or discounts for frames, lenses, contact lenses, and certain lens enhancements, such as anti-reflective coatings or blue light filters.
What medical insurance covers for eye care
Medical insurance covers eye care related to health conditions, eye diseases, and injuries. This may include visits for eye infections, sudden vision changes, eye pain, or treatment for conditions such as dry eye, cataracts, or glaucoma. It also covers diabetic eye exams, emergency visits for eye pain or vision loss, and procedures like cataract surgery.
How to know which insurance to use for eye care
The type of insurance you use depends on the reason for your visit. If you’re scheduling a comprehensive eye exam to check your vision or update your glasses or contact lens prescription, your vision plan typically applies. If you’re experiencing eye pain, irritation, sudden vision changes, or need care for an eye disease or ongoing eye condition, your medical insurance will likely be used for the visit.
In some cases, both types of insurance might be used together. For example, if you have glaucoma, medical insurance covers your treatment, but vision insurance may still help with the cost of new glasses or contact lenses if your prescription changes.
Making the most of your insurance at Integrity Eye Care
If you’re unsure which plan applies to your visit, our team at Integrity Eye Care is here to assist you. We accept a range of vision and medical insurance plans, along with flexible payment plan options with Cherry and CareCredit.
Have any questions or need to schedule an eye exam in Murfreesboro? Book your visit today and make sure your eyes are well taken care of!
