Check free options first: Medicaid covers eyeglasses for children under 21, CHIP covers many other kids, and EyeCare America offers no-cost medical eye exams to uninsured adults. For a plan you buy yourself, Aetna Vision is our top pick, with plans from $11 a month and no deductible or waiting period; VSP is best for progressive lenses and Humana has the highest frame allowance. Choose the plan whose network includes your eye doctor and whose allowance covers the glasses or contacts you actually buy.
This guide is for people buying vision insurance on their own, outside an employer plan. We compared individual plans from Aetna, VSP, Humana, Superior Vision and Anthem.
Vision plans are simple: you pay a monthly premium, a small copay for an annual eye exam, and the plan gives you an allowance toward frames or contacts. The differences are in the allowance, lens add-on costs, how often benefits renew and which doctors and stores are in network.
Below you will find free and low-cost options to check first, each pick's published copays and allowances, how Medicare handles eye care, and which brands are only sold through employers.
Free and low-cost eye care to check first
- Medicaid and CHIP for kids. Medicaid’s EPSDT benefit for children under 21 must include vision screening, diagnosis and treatment, including eyeglasses. CHIP covers children in families that earn too much for Medicaid; a family of four earning up to $80,000 a year or more may qualify, depending on the state. Call 1-877-KIDS-NOW (1-877-543-7669).
- EyeCare America. This American Academy of Ophthalmology program gives uninsured and underinsured adults 18 and older medical eye exams from volunteer ophthalmologists at no out-of-pocket cost. Call 877-887-6327.
- Medicare after cataract surgery. Part B covers one pair of glasses with standard frames, or one set of contacts, after each cataract surgery that implants an intraocular lens. You pay 20% after the Part B deductible.
How much vision insurance costs
Published starting prices as listed October 2026 run from $11 a month at Aetna to $12.50 at Superior Vision, and VSP lists typical prices of $12 to $35 a month depending on the plan. Humana and Anthem show prices only after you enter your details.
A plan pays off when your yearly eyewear costs exceed the premium. For example, a $17 a month plan costs $204 a year. If you get an exam and new glasses every year, compare that with what you paid out of pocket last time, then add copays.
How to choose vision insurance
- Check your eye doctor’s network. VSP, EyeMed (Aetna) and Versant Health (Superior and Davis Vision) are separate networks.
- Compare the allowance with what you buy. Frame allowances in this guide range from $125 to $250.
- Plan for lens add-ons. Progressives and anti-glare can cost more than the frame. VSP’s EasyOptions covers progressives at $0.
- Check how often benefits renew. Some plans cover frames every 12 months, others every 24.
- Contacts wearers: compare the contact allowance, which runs from $80 to $200 among our picks.
Vision coverage with Medicare
Original Medicare does not cover routine eye exams for glasses or contacts, and you pay all costs for them. Many Medicare Advantage plans add some vision benefits, so check your plan before buying a separate policy. If you have Original Medicare, a stand-alone plan such as Humana Vision PLUS or a VSP individual plan can fill the gap.
Who runs which network: Davis Vision, Spectera and Guardian
Several brands share networks or are sold only through employers:
- Davis Vision mainly serves employer and health plan members. Its individual and family coverage is sold through its sister brand, Superior Vision; both are Versant Health companies.
- Spectera administers UnitedHealthcare Vision plans and is not sold directly to consumers. You get it through an employer or a UnitedHealthcare plan.
- Guardian offers vision plans on the VSP or Davis Vision network, and its individual vision insurance is provided through VSP. Its site does not list individual prices, copays or allowances.
Red flags before you sign up
- A low premium with a small frame allowance and few lens savings.
- Enrollment or association fees that are only disclosed at checkout.
- Benefits that renew every 24 months when you expected 12.
- Confusing a vision discount card with insurance that pays allowances.
Terms to know
- Frame allowance
- The most your plan pays toward eyeglass frames, with you paying any amount above it.
- Exam copay
- The flat fee you pay at an in-network eye exam before the plan covers the rest.
- Contact lens allowance
- The amount your plan pays toward contacts, usually in place of glasses.
- Lens enhancements
- Add-ons like progressives, anti-glare and scratch coating that often carry extra copays.
- In-network provider
- An eye doctor or store that has agreed to the plan's rates.
- Progressive lenses
- No-line multifocal lenses for both near and far vision.
