How many times have you been in that local upscale mall shopping for the latest designer handbag or the newest cut of blue jeans. Frustrated that the slacks you tried on didn’t fit correctly, you happen to look into the window of that high end optical store and spot the perfect set of eyeglass frames. You walk inside and ask to try them on. The Heavens open up and Angels begin to sing; it is love at first sight. It is the perfect color, the perfect size, and the perfect shape and you will not be denied.

Your pulse begins to race; the excitement builds as you fumble around in your purse or wallet for your vision insurance card. That is when the optical professional then smugly informs you that their store does not take your vision insurance. Utterly defeated, you sadly hand over the perfect set of frames back to the sales person and walk out of the store. You then continue your search for that perfect frame going to this store and that, but not quite ever finding that perfect piece again. All because the optical store did not take your vision insurance.

This exact scenario is the problem that plays itself out on a daily basis in hundreds of optical stores throughout the country. The one question is WHY? Why do we as a community allow this to happen? Only because you the consumer do not know your vision insurance policy inside and out. Our medical lives have been virtually altered to select doctors and procedures directly based upon whether our favorite general practitioner, our favorite dentist, gynecologist, etc. is in or out of our approved network. So why not our local, favorite optical shop.

Does your vision insurance carrier really have that much power over your decision-making skills to dictate where you can and cannot purchase that perfect frame? Absolutely not!

Every optical store that does not take your vision insurance directly is always considered an out-of-network provider by your vision carrier. Want more? Some of those vision insurance companies will ACTUALLY reimburse you for your frame and lens purchase up to a certain set amount. Who Knew?

You just don’t have to settle anymore; you just have to know your vision plan. And that’s the moral: be sure to know the details of your optical insurance plan before you settle on that perfect pair. You’ll be glad you did!