Best Vision Insurance in Indiana

Getting the proper insurance coverage can help ensure that you and your family remain healthy. But did you know that vision insurance may not actually be included in your regular health insurance plan? Read on for everything you need to know about vision insurance in Indiana and whether you need it.

Quick Look: Best Vision Insurance in Indiana

• Best Overall: VSP Individual Vision Plans 
• Best for Value: Humana
• Best for Plan Options: EyeMed
• Best for Medicare: Anthem

4 Best Vision Insurance in Indiana

Get a quote from various companies that offer vision insurance. Here are some of the best vision insurance companies and plans in Indiana for you to consider. 

1. Best Overall: VSP Individual Vision Plans 

VSP is a top vision insurance provider. It offers a wide range of coverage options that can fit almost any individual or family situation. If you enroll in a VSP vision insurance plan, you’ll receive access to its large network of participating eye doctors. VSP also offers a Premier Program, which gives you the option to visit a participating provider who will give you personalized attention you want. They also carry the latest technology available for eye care. 

VSP member also get access to Exclusive Member Extras like savings on glasses lens enhancements, rebates on your contact lenses, savings on sunglasses and more. Bonus offers provide you with access to savings of more than $3,000 from leading industry brands.

Plans from VSP Individual Vision Plans start as low as $13 per month. 

2. Best for Value: Humana

Humana offers plans that are packed with value and which are easy to understand. Plans from Humana may include no deductibles and no waiting period. This makes it a great option if you’d like to purchase a plan and be able to benefit from the cost savings on your covered vision services immediately. 

Humana’s plans offer coverage for annual eye exams with copays as low as $15. The plans also include 100% coverage for medically necessary eyeglass lenses and contact lenses. The copays for eyeglass lenses — which can be quite costly depending on your prescription — are between $15 and $65. You’ll also receive an allowance for eyeglass frames every 12-24 months.

3. Best for Plan Options: EyeMed

EyeMed is a great choice if you’re looking for a company that offers plans with a range of coverage options. The starting plan from EyeMed — EyeMed Healthy — offers coverage for annual eye exams and discounts on eyeglasses and contact lenses. Since it starts at just $5 per month, it’s a great choice for basic coverage. 

EyeMed also offers plans with additional coverage at higher costs. The additional benefits of these plans include allowances for eyeglasses and contacts. You can also purchase a family plan through EyeMed.

4. Best for Medicare: Anthem

Since Anthem also offers Medicare plans, it’s a great choice for vision insurance for Medicare recipients. Some of Anthem’s Medicare Advantage (Part C) plans and Medicare Supplement plans already include vision coverage. Anthem also offers optional vision packages to provide more benefits than a Medicare Advantage plan.

If your Medicare plan does not offer vision benefits, you can purchase a supplemental vision package from Anthem.

An Overview of Vision Insurance in Indiana

Vision insurance is an insurance product sold separately from a health insurance plan. It offers partial or more coverage for basic vision care, including routine and prescription eye exams. Vision insurance plans may also offer coverage or benefits for glasses frames and lenses and contact lenses. 

Health insurance sometimes comes with vision benefits. If your health insurance plan does offer vision benefits, you may not need vision insurance. In some cases, getting vision insurance may be a smart option to provide fuller coverage for your vision care.

If you purchased your health insurance plan through Indiana’s Marketplace, it’s important to familiarize yourself with what is required of these plans. All plans sold through the Marketplace are held to minimal requirements to provide 10 essential health benefits. These benefits include prescription drug coverage and emergency services. Vision care is not 1 of the 10 essential health benefits, so your plan does not need to include any vision services. 

Indiana Marketplace’s requirements for children are a bit different. While vision care is not considered an essential benefit for adults, it’s considered an essential health benefit for children. This means that if your child or children are covered by a health insurance plan through the Marketplace, it must cover some vision services. 

Indiana Average Cost of Vision Insurance

To understand the true cost of vision insurance, it’s important to become familiar with a few insurance terms:

Premium

When you hear how much a plan costs, this most likely refers to the vision insurance plan’s premium. This is the amount of money you will need to pay each month to keep your insurance plan active.

Deductible

The deductible is important to take into consideration when you look at the total costs associated with your plan. The deductible is the amount of money you must pay out of pocket for services covered by your vision insurance plan. The insurance plan will not pay out for any covered claims until you have met your deductible. 

Copayments

After you’ve met the deductible, you may still be held responsible for some of the costs for your covered services. Your copayment (otherwise known as a copay) is a set amount of money you must pay for vision services covered by your plan. For example, if your copay is $15 for a vision exam, you will pay $15 to your eye doctor and your insurance company will be responsible for the remainder of the bill.

Out-of-Pocket

You’ll probably see the term “out-of-pocket” mentioned often when you review vision insurance plans. Out-of-pocket costs refer to the costs you’re responsible for paying, not your vision insurance company. 

So how much is vision insurance, anyway? The cost of your plan will be determined based on a number of factors, including the level of coverage you have and how many people are covered by your plan. Some vision insurance companies offer insurance plans for as low as $5 per month. 

To give you an idea of the average costs for vision services in Indiana and how vision insurance can help you save, take a look at this example:

Calculated using the VSP Savings Calculator

When is Vision Insurance Worth it?

When considering whether you should purchase vision insurance, it’s important to take a look at the full picture. A few things you may want to consider are:

• Do you have a family history of vision issues or poor eye health?
• Do you currently wear glasses or contact lenses?
• Does your prescription change often? 
• How often do you purchase new glasses or contact lenses?
• How much does the vision insurance plan cost and what benefits does it offer?

The answers to these questions can help you determine whether vision insurance may be worth the extra monthly cost. For example, if your prescription tends to change yearly and you need to buy new contact lenses and glasses each year, those costs can add up. Purchasing a vision insurance plan that offers at least partial coverage for these costs can help you save a significant amount of money throughout the year.

Even if you don’t experience vision issues or currently need corrective eyewear, vision insurance can still benefit you. Regular eye exams are a crucial component of taking care of your overall health. In fact, getting a regular annual eye exam can be just as important as getting an annual physical with your primary care doctor. A thorough eye exam gives an eye doctor the opportunity to look out for certain health conditions that may show early signs in your eyes. Some of the conditions that can be detected early through regular eye exams are:

• Diabetes
• Glaucoma
• High cholesterol
• Macular degeneration
• Multiple sclerosis
• Other serious conditions, such as heart disease and stroke

Getting annual eye exams can help you stay on top your health. If your eye doctor does notice early signs of a health condition, make sure to talk to your him/her and coordinate with your primary care doctor. 

It’s also important to take Medicare into consideration if you’re eligible or already enrolled. Original Medicare does not offer coverage for eye exams, eyeglasses or contact lenses. However, if you have a certain condition that requires vision services, Medicare Part B may offer coverage. It may offer coverage for eye exams, diagnostic tests and treatment for conditions such as diabetes or age-related macular degeneration. If you’re at high risk for glaucoma, Medicare Part B may also offer coverage for annual glaucoma tests.

Next Steps for Vision in Indiana

To find the right vision insurance plan for you or your family, get a customized quote from the companies on our list. Your free quote can help you compare vision insurance plans and costs.

Frequently Asked Questions