Individual vision plans, start any month
Vision Insurance Plans
Coverage for annual eye exams, glasses, and contacts, from a plan you can start any month of the year. I will check your eye doctor and your budget before you enroll.
Free to compare
No obligation
Licensed in 8 states
What your free plan review includes
- Your eye doctor checked against each plan network before you enroll
- Frame allowances, and lens options compared side by side
- Standalone vision priced against a bundled dental and vision plan
- A straight answer on whether vision coverage is worth it for your household
- No cost, no obligation, and no sales script
Direct line: (706) 564-2698
Based in Appling, GA, serving Georgia, South Carolina and six more states.
THE BASICS
What Vision Insurance Actually Covers
Vision insurance is a small, separate policy built for the eye care your health plan usually leaves out. It handles the predictable costs: an annual eye exam, a new pair of glasses, contacts, and the lens upgrades that quietly add up at the counter.
Routine care your health plan skips
The annual exam, a new pair of glasses, contacts, and lens upgrades are the predictable costs a vision plan is built to absorb. Most adult health plans do not include any of them.
A premium you can plan around
You pay a modest monthly premium and a no copay at the visit for routine exams, and the plan covers non-exam visits up to its allowance. That predictability is the point of the policy.
The costs that add up at the counter
Nobody budgets for a cracked lens or a prescription that changed twice in one year. Without coverage those bills land at full retail, which is why this is the least expensive policy I write.
SIDE BY SIDE
Vision Insurance Is Not the Same as Your Medical Plan
Your health insurance does cover your eyes, but not for the visits you would schedule on an ordinary Tuesday. Medical plans step in for disease and injury. Routine vision care is a different line item, and most adult health plans leave it out.
| What You Are Comparing | Your Medical Plan | Vision Plan |
|---|---|---|
| Routine eye exam | Not covered for adults on most plans | Covered once every 12 months, no routine exam copay |
| Glasses and contacts | Not covered | Frame allowance, typically $100 to $200, plus lenses at a set copay |
| Eye disease and injury | Covered: glaucoma, cataracts, retinopathy, infection, injury | Not what a vision plan is for |
| Pediatric vision, under 19 | Covered: an essential health benefit on ACA plans | Optional, and worth comparing first |
| When you can enroll | Open enrollment or a qualifying life event | Any month of the year |
Adult vision benefits were never required under the Affordable Care Act, so if you want them you have to add them on purpose. Pediatric vision is the exception. It is one of the ten essential health benefits, which means an ACA-compliant family plan already includes an exam and glasses for your kids. If you are shopping for major medical at the same time, start with my off-exchange health insurance plans page.
WHO IT FITS
Who Vision Coverage Makes Sense For
If you wear glasses or contacts, or you are due for an exam you keep postponing, vision coverage is one of the easier decisions on this site.
Families
Replacing glasses and contacts every year anyway. A plan turns a recurring retail bill into a predictable copay.
Employees whose group plan dropped vision
Or whose deductible makes claiming an eye exam pointless. Individual coverage does not wait on your employer.
Self-employed and 1099 workers
Assembling your own benefits. Vision is the least expensive piece to put in place, and it starts any month.
Retirees on Medicare
On Medicare Advantage or a Medicare Supplement, when you want a defined eyewear allowance instead of retail prices at the counter.
Adults over 40
Where an annual exam is how glaucoma, cataracts, and macular degeneration get caught early, while they are still manageable.
Small business owners
Who want to offer vision to staff without a full group health contract. Vision is one of the simplest benefits to add.
WHAT IS INCLUDED
What a Typical Vision Plan Includes
Four benefits that show up on nearly every plan I write.
Annual eye exams
One comprehensive exam every 12 months with no copay that commonly, covering your vision, your eye pressure, and the health of the eye itself.
Frames and lenses
An allowance toward frames, often $100 to $200, with standard lenses at a set copay. Progressives, anti-reflective coating, and high-index lenses cost less through the plan than at retail.
Contact lenses
Most plans let you apply the eyewear allowance to contacts instead of glasses, and many cover the contact lens fitting exam.
Discounts past the allowance
Many plans add a discount on LASIK and other elective procedures, along with savings on a second pair of glasses.
GOOD TO KNOW
Standalone, Bundled, or Any Time of Year
Two questions come up in almost every conversation about vision coverage.
Standalone or bundled with dental?
You can buy vision on its own or as part of a combined dental and vision plan. Standalone works when you already have dental through an employer or a policy you are happy with. Bundling works when you need both, and the combined premium is usually lower than buying the two separately. I write both, so you can see the numbers side by side and pick.
Why you can enroll any time of year
ACA health plans run on an open enrollment window, and outside of that you need a qualifying life event to get in. Individual vision plans do not work that way. You can start one any month, and coverage typically begins the first of the following month. If your glasses broke this week, or your last exam was two years ago, you do not have to wait until November.
THE PROCESS
How It Works
Four steps from your first question to an active policy.
STEP ONE
We talk for a few minutes
Call me or request a free plan review and tell me about your eye doctor, your prescription, and your budget.
STEP TWO
I compare the market
I pull quotes from multiple carriers and lay out the real differences in plain English, including frame allowances.
STEP THREE
You pick, I handle the paperwork
You choose the plan and I complete the enrollment, then send you everything in writing.
STEP FOUR
I stay on call
Every year at renewal we re-shop your options together, so you never pay more than you should.
WHY JAYME
Why Work With Jayme Marsh
An independent agent, not a call center.
Local and accountable
I was born and raised in Augusta, I am based in Appling, and clients reach me directly at (706) 564-2698.
Multiple carriers, compared for you
I am not tied to one company, so my job is fitting the plan to your eyes rather than the other way around.
Education first, pressure never
You will know your frame allowance, and network before you enroll, not after.
Help that outlasts enrollment
A question about a claim in July gets the same answer as a question in December, and renewal season is always a conversation.
COMMON QUESTIONS
Frequently Asked Questions
The questions I hear most from Georgia and South Carolina households shopping for vision coverage.
Is vision insurance worth it if I already have health insurance?
Usually yes, if you wear glasses or contacts. Most adult health plans do not include routine vision benefits, so an exam and a new pair of glasses come out of your pocket at full price. A vision plan costs a modest amount each month and covers the exam, an eyewear allowance, and lens options. For most people who need correction, it pays for itself in a single visit.
Does vision insurance cover LASIK?
Not the procedure itself. Most plans offer a discount off the retail price plus savings on the pre-operative and post-operative exams, and some apply a small allowance. I will tell you what the specific plan does, not what the marketing page implies.
Can I keep my current eye doctor?
That depends on the plan network, not on whether the plan is standalone or bundled. Some networks include a wide range of independent optometrists, while others lean on retail chains. During your review I confirm your doctor is in network before you enroll, so there are no surprises at the appointment.
Can I buy vision insurance any time of year?
Yes. Individual vision plans are not tied to the ACA open enrollment window. You can start coverage in any month, and it typically takes effect on the first of the following month. That makes vision the easiest piece of coverage to add when something changes mid-year.
Do I need a separate plan for my kids?
Not always. ACA-compliant family health plans include pediatric vision as an essential health benefit, so a child exam and glasses are often covered there already. A standalone plan can still make sense if that benefit is thin or you want a larger frame allowance. We compare the two before you add anything.
How much does vision insurance cost?
It is the least expensive policy I write, usually a modest monthly premium per person. Your exact rate depends on your ZIP code, how many people you are covering, and how much the plan pays toward eyewear. Quotes are free, and I will show you a few options together so you can see the range.
What if I need glasses but not contacts?
Then you would use the eyewear allowance on frames and lenses and skip the contact lens portion. You are not paying extra for a benefit you will not use, and that is part of why these plans stay inexpensive. Many plans also allow a second pair at a discount if you want readers or sunglasses.
Can I offer vision coverage to my employees?
Yes, and it is one of the simpler benefits to add. Vision can stand alone or ride along with a group dental or health plan, and it gives staff a defined benefit without a large payroll commitment. If you want the bigger picture, see my small business coverage options.
NEXT STEPS
Get a Free Plan Review
Tell me who needs coverage and what you wear. I will pull the plans, explain the tradeoffs, and you decide from there. It costs nothing, there is no obligation, and I will not run you through a sales script.
Based in Appling, GA, serving individuals, families, and small business owners in Georgia and South Carolina, plus several other states.
Request your free plan review
A few quick details and I will come back to you with real vision plan options.