Skip to Main Content
chevron-right
chevron-left
chevron-down
chevron-up
chevron-circle-up
chevron-circle-right
chevron-circle-down
chevron-circle-left
Facebook Logo
Twitter Logo
Linkedin Logo
Youtube Logo
Instagram Logo
Google Plus Logo
Vimeo Logo
Issuu Logo
Right arrow
Left arrow
Location
Search
Phone Icon
Services
Home Care
Senior Care
Home Nursing Services
At Home Therapies
Respite Care
Home Care FAQ
Hospice
Bereavement & Grief
Hospice & Alzheimers
Hospice Costs
Hospice Pet Therapy
Special Care Programs
Your Care Team
Specialized Home Care
Patient-Centered Dementia Care
Arthritis
Congestive Heart Failure
Huntington’s Disease
Hypertension / Blood Pressure
Coronary Artery Disease
Diabetes
COPD
Joint Replacement
Mental Health and Depression
Home Care Support for Multiple Sclerosis
Palliative Care
Paraplegia and Quadriplegia
Parkinson's Disease
Pediatric Care
Traumatic Brain Injury
Ventilator Care
Wound Care
Veterans Care
Staffing
Staffing FAQ
COVID-19 Vaccination Staffing
Careers
About Us
COVID-19 Update
Our Standard of Care
Our History
Franchise Leader
Executive Team
Caring Brands International
Press Releases
Honoring Veterans
Historic Milestones
Contact Us
Education Center
Aging in Place
Questions to Ask Before Hiring a Home Health Aide
8 Dietary Tips for Improving Senior Heart Health
Talking About Substance Abuse as a Caregiver
How to Take Care of Aging Hair
4 Ways to Improve Indoor Air Quality for Seniors
Designing Outdoor Living Areas for Seniors
Getting A Grip: How and Where to Install Bathroom Grab Bars
Keeping Active: Tips for Senior Gardening
Alzheimer's and Dementia
Calculating the Cost
Certified Senior Advisors
Consumer Health Care Education
Advisor Care Giving Guide
Care in a Residential Facility
Check Your Home Care IQ
Elder Care Communities
Consumer Alert
Medicare and Home Care
Senior Care Resources
Senior Care Scams
Consumer Rights
Signs That Care At Home is Needed
Long Term Care
Fall Prevention
Mobility in Seniors
Falls FAQ's
Home Safety Checklist
Home Safety Tips
Hidden Hazards
Medications and Fall Risk
Reduce the Risk of Falling
Risk of Falling
Visiting the Doctor and Discussing Falls
What to Do If Someone Falls
Family Caregiving
Elder Care Videos
Hiring Your Own Caregivers
Family Care Giving Facts
Information for Seniors
Long Distance Caregiving
Starting the Conversation
The Stress of Family Caregiving
Taking Care Of Yourself as a Family Caregiver
Home Care Technology
Hospice Fact or Myth
In-Home Caregivers
Senior Health
Exercise and Older Adults
Senior Nutrition
Taking Medications
Tips for Lowering Blood Pressure
Seniors and Zika Virus
Savvy Senior
Stories From Home
Transitioning from a Facility
Independent Living Assessment
Blog
Facebook
Linkedin
Twitter
Youtube
Instagram
Home
>
Education Center
>
March 2016
>
How Retirees Can Save on Prescription Eyeglasses
How Retirees Can Save on Prescription Eyeglasses
Posted: 3/10/2016 12:43 PM by
Interim HealthCare
Dear Savvy Senior,
What tips can you recommend for finding affordable prescription eyeglasses? I used to have vision insurance through my work, but lost it when I turned 65, retired, and signed up for Medicare.
Looking For Eyeglasses
Dear Looking,
Prescription eyeglasses today aren’t cheap. You can easily spend $200 for a basic pair, but if you want designer frames or need bifocal or progressive lenses the price can more than double. Here are a few different options that can help you save.
Medicare/Insurance Coverage
If you are a Medicare beneficiary, you already know that original Medicare (Part A and B) and Medigap supplemental policies do not cover routine eye exams or eyeglasses (unless you’ve just had cataract surgery), but there are some Medicare Advantage (Part C) plans that do.
Many of these plans, which are sold through private insurance companies, cover vision as well as dental, hearing and prescription drugs, in addition to all of your hospital and medical insurance. To locate Advantage plans in your area that provides vision coverage, visit
Medicare.gov/find-a-plan
or call 800-633-4227. But before enrolling in a plan, check the benefit details to ensure the plan’s vision coverage includes routine eye exams, eyeglass frames and lenses.
You can switch from original Medicare to a Medicare Advantage plan each year during the open enrollment period, which is between Oct. 15 and Dec. 7.
If, however, you don’t want a Medicare Advantage plan, you can still get coverage by purchasing an inexpensive vision insurance policy – see
eHealthInsurance.com
. Policy costs vary depending on where you live, but they usually start at around $6 to $9 per month for an individual. Before signing up, make sure your savings potential is worth the cost of the premiums and copays.
Discount Stores
Purchasing eyeglasses from discount retailers is another way to save. Costco is one of the best discount stores for good eyewear and low prices. Eyeglasses cost an average of around $150, but to shop there you have to pay a $55 annual membership fee. Some other good retail options for low prices include For Eyes Optical, BJ’s Optical, Sam’s Club and Walmart.
You also need to find out if you are eligible for any discounts. Many retailers provide discounts to membership groups like AARP and AAA. AARP members, for example, can get 30 percent off a pair of prescription eyeglasses as well as discounts on eye exams at any LensCrafters, most participating Pearle Vision, Sears Optical, Target Optical, JCPenney Optical and thousands of private optometrist offices.
Look Online
Buying eyeglasses online can also offer huge savings. Some online stores like
ZenniOptical.com
,
Goggles4u.com
and
EyeBuyDirect.com
sell prescription eyeglasses for as little as $7 plus shipping. These sites let you upload a photo of your face, so you can see what you’d look like in different frames.
Or, for a fancier choice of frames see
WarbyParker.com
, which offers single-vision glasses for $95. They even offer a free program where you can request up to five pairs to try on at home for five days.
To purchase glasses online, you’ll need your eyeglass prescription from a local eye doctor, plus your pupillary distance number, which is the distance, measured in millimeters, between the centers of your pupils in each eye.
Low-Income Assistance
If your income is low, depending on where you live, there may be some local clinics that provide free or discounted eye exams and eyeglasses. Put in a call to your local Lions Club to see what’s available in your area. See
directory.lionsclubs.org
for contact information.
You may also be able to get free eyeglasses through New Eyes (
new-eyes.org
, 973-376-4903), a nonprofit organization that provides free eyeglasses through a voucher program to people in financial need.