Health insurance is notoriously difficult to navigate on its own, and the team at Mittleman Eye recognizes how it can be even harder to understand the differences between medical insurance and vision insurance. Accordingly, the staff is happy to provide you with some guidance on this complicated subject.

What Vision Insurance Covers That Health Insurance Does Not

A lot of standard eye care does not fall under the normal health insurance umbrella. As such, vision insurance is a good supplement for people with imperfect sight to purchase to help take care of the cost (co-pays and out-of-pocket expenses usually still apply) of routine needs like a yearly eye exam, eyeglass lenses and frames or contact lenses.

Coverage obviously differs depending on your individual plan, but more expensive plans can also cover items like transition lenses and scratch-resistant coating. Additionally, though you are unlikely to find a plan that will cover refractive surgeries like LASIK, some may offer decent discounts on the procedure.

What Health Insurance Covers That Vision Insurance Does Not

Having health insurance can still be a financial lifesaver when problems arise with your eye health. Generally speaking, health insurance applies when there is some sort of medical emergency or more significant health issue at play.

Ocular-related things that health insurance typically covers:

• Physical injuries to the eye
• Serious eye conditions like cataracts, glaucoma, dry eye and conjunctivitis
• Eyesight that has been directly impacted by another disease in your body like diabetes or cardiovascular disease  

You Cannot Combine Both Forms of Insurance for One Visit

From the above information, it may be tempting to believe that there are certain cases where both types of insurance can apply for extra savings. However, laws prevent medical practices from billing two insurance companies for the same examination. For that reason, it is smart to bring insurance cards for both policies in case something comes up to make one form of insurance more relevant to the appointment than the other.

Knowing the Difference When Seeking Care

Remembering that insurance is rarely black and white, in a nutshell,you will use vision insurance for eyewear prescriptions and regular eye examinations, while health insurance becomes an asset for unexpected medical situations.

For people who are especially concerned with what services and conditions are covered, we advise reviewing your policies ahead of an appointment. Doing so should help you avoid any unexpected charges.

Mittleman Eye Is Available to Help

The staff at Mittleman Eye has worked with patients holding a wide variety of insurance plans. We will do our best to explain which type of insurance is suitable for the treatment you seek so that you save the money your policies entitle you to. No matter what insurance coverage you carry, your vision and eye health are extremely important. Schedule an appointment with Mittleman Eye to keep your eyes at peak performance.