Do you have vision insurance? Not covered on ACA plan

Going into our 4th year on ACA while waiting to age into Medicare.

Lost our group vision insurance in the transition out of employment. The large vision services group we worked with charged me roughly $400 for what was included previously. They are IDIOTS in that I’ve called them to see if I can get a fixed price before going in the door for another visit, and they just don’t work that way.

So I paid less than $80 for at least a 90% comparable exam in the Costco optometrist office within our local Costco store. And we’ve long been paying for our frames and lenses directly with Costco as it was lower than our ‘covered prices’ with the chains affiliated with the insurance we used to have.

Sort of fortunately, DW qualifies for medical eye exams. So she continues to see the same doctor at the big clinic.

Kind regards,
Chris
 
Tomorrow our Aetna vision insurance kicks in. This is the first year we have tried the insurance so I can let you know. My Wife and I both wear bifocals and have a second pair of sunglasses. I have the info from two years ago to compare. We will see how it turns out next week then we get our exam and update our glasses.

OK here is a data point for some of you. The last time my wife and I had our eyes checked was in June 2021 at Americas Best using no insurance. At that time 2 pair of bifocal glasses and exams cost us $658

Today we went to Lens Crafters with our Aetna vision insurance. Total cost for 2 exams $78 and 2 pair of bifocal glasses Me ($615.33 retail - $523.34 Insurance) = $91.99, DW ($621 retail - $581 insurance) = $40 for a total of $209.99

Insurance cost is $264 a year so for primary glasses and insurance it's ~$474 a year.

My second pair of sun glasses in 2021 out me $221. Today they cost me $232. Neither pair used insurance. My prescription changed to much to be able to use the pair from 2021.
 
While my wife has vision insurance thru her retirement plan, I do not. But we each get an annual diabetic eye exam from out opthamologist which is 100% covered by Medicare and our supplement. We each need reading glasses which I buy either retail or from Amazon.
 
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