Eye exams are an essential part of maintaining your overall health and wellness, yet many people neglect them due to the costs involved. The price of eye exams can vary depending on several factors, including whether or not you have vision insurance.
Let’s explore the basics — and the benefits — of regular eye exams, the risks of skipping regular eye exams, eye exam costs with and without vision insurance, and the steps you can take toward better vision health at a more affordable price.
What Is an Eye Exam?
In an eye exam, your eye doctor will perform tests to check your vision sharpness, determine your glasses or contact lens prescription strength, examine how your eyes work together, and check the fluid pressure in your eyes. Your eye doctor may also dilate your eyes to see if you have any eye conditions or signs of other serious health conditions. They’ll run different eye tests with specialized equipment designed to quickly and accurately assess your eye health.
Why Is Getting an Eye Exam Important?
A full-service eye exam is an important part of caring for your overall health, whether you need vision correction or not. By looking into your eyes, your doctor can check for vision and eye health issues and detect early signs of hundreds of eye problems and diseases.
What Are the Benefits of A Regular Eye Exam?
Whether you have vision insurance or not, it’s important to get regular eye exams. Here are just some of the health benefits of regular eye exams:
- Eye exams help detect and prevent eye problems: Regular eye exams can help detect and prevent eye problems before they become more serious and expensive to treat. According to the American Optometric Association, early detection and treatment of eye problems can help prevent vision loss and improve overall eye health.
- Regular eye exams can identify other potential health problems: sometimes before other symptoms appear. The National Eye Institute reports that an eye exam can reveal early signs of chronic diseases that can have an impact on your overall well-being, such as diabetes and high blood pressure.
- Keep your vision prescription up-to-date: If you wear glasses or contact lenses, regular eye exams can help ensure that your prescription is up-to-date, which can help improve your vision and prevent headaches and eye strain.
Are there risks to skipping regular eye exams?
Beyond vision health, eye exams play an important role in your overall health. During eye exams your eye doctor can detect signs of other non-vision-related health issues, such as diabetes and hypertension. Undiagnosed hypertension and diabetes can not only lead to serious other health issues, but may also lead to eye damage and potentially vision loss. It’s important to schedule regular eye exams for your health!
How much does an eye exam cost without vision insurance?
Without vision insurance, the cost of an eye exam can range from $50 to $200 or more, depending on the location of the eye doctor and the type of eye exam you need. For example, a basic eye exam can cost around $50, while a more full-service eye exam with an independent optometrist, including a dilated eye exam, can cost upwards of $200.
Additional vision tests or procedures, such as a contact lens fitting or a glaucoma test, can also add to the cost of your eye exam. According to VisionCenter.org, the average cost of a full-service eye exam ranges from $75 to $200 for patients without vision insurance.
How much does an eye exam cost with vision insurance?
Having vision insurance can significantly reduce the cost of an eye exam. Most vision insurance plans cover the cost of a full-service eye exam and provide discounts on glasses and contact lenses. Some vision insurance plans may also cover additional tests or procedures, such as a contact lens fitting or a glaucoma test like the ones mentioned above.
The cost of vision insurance can vary depending on the type of vision plan you choose and the level of coverage you need. For example, a basic vision insurance plan may cost around $10 to $20 per month, while a more full-service vision plan with higher coverage limits may cost around $30 to $50 per month.
With many vision insurance plans — including VSP® Individual Vision Plans — premiums are low enough to save you hundreds of dollars each year. Affordable premiums can help you save more than $300 a year on eyecare and eyewear, especially if you wear corrective lenses. Many vision insurance plans offer a free or discounted eye exam every year, giving you incentive to schedule that regular eye exam for your overall health.
Conclusion: Get an Eye Exam
Eye exams are an important part of maintaining overall health and wellness. Regular eye exams can help detect and prevent eye problems, such as glaucoma and cataracts, as well as identify other health problems like diabetes and high blood pressure. While having vision insurance can significantly reduce the cost of an eye exam, it’s important to get regular eye exams whether you have vision insurance or not.
Want to know more about the cost of getting your next eye exam covered? VSP vision insurance has everything for complete vision health including vision correction allowances, preventive health screenings, annual eye exams, and more. With vision providers across the country, it’s easy to find a location near you. Get started today with our Vision Plan wizard or compare vision plans to find the vision insurance plan that’s right for you and your family.
By choosing vision insurance from VSP, you’ll get access to reliable vision care plus the ability to detect more serious problems. You’ll have access to a huge network of eye doctors all over the country. Vision insurance is an essential part of your total health coverage.
Disclaimer: Information received through VSP Individual Vision Plans’ social media channels is for informational purposes only and does not constitute medical advice, medical recommendations, diagnosis, or treatment. Always seek the advice of your physician or other qualified health provider with any questions you may have regarding a medical condition.
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