Cost of contact lenses?

[disneypharm]

DD15 has been wearing glasses for years. She would like to start wearing contact lenses soon. We have VSP eye insurance and the coverage allows her to get a new eye glasses frame plus lenses once every 2 years or contact lenses (up to $105/year). A friend who wears contact lenses told me that she spends about $1000 per year on contact lenses. Another friend said that she only spends the amount the VSP covers. Both wear contact lenses all the time, well during the work hours.
So, my question is how much should I expect to pay for DD's contact lenses.
Thanks

 

[elgerber]

DD15 has been wearing glasses for years. She would like to start wearing contact lenses soon. We have VSP eye insurance and the coverage allows her to get a new eye glasses frame plus lenses once every 2 years or contact lenses (up to $105/year). A friend who wears contact lenses told me that she spends about $1000 per year on contact lenses. Another friend said that she only spends the amount the VSP covers. Both wear contact lenses all the time, well during the work hours. So, my question is how much should I expect to pay for DD's contact lenses. Thanks

I get my daughters at Costco and they are a bit more for one eye because of astigmatism but I cannot imagine anyone ever spending $1000 a year. One year for my dd at Costco was $153 in November.

 

[disneypharm]

I get my daughters at Costco and they are a bit more for one eye because of astigmatism but I cannot imagine anyone ever spending $1000 a year. One year for my dd at Costco was $153 in November.

Great! I have membership to Costco. I know, $1000 seems a lot! She said that she has allergies and sometimes goes through more than a pair a day, because of things being stuck to her lenses!!!! The other friend was shocked too.

 

[goingtowdwwithkiddos]

I would expect 100-200 extra (after insurance) a year for semi disposable

edit to add also about 60 a year for solution depending on brand

 

[StephMK]

Thanks for this post!!! DD13 wants to switch to contacts and I really had no idea of what to budget or where to get supplies. We belong to Costco so this will be really helpful.

 

[jmb912]

My Dd 17 has been wearing contacts for about 18 months. She changes them once a month. I pay $110 for each six month supply. We have a 15 percent discount through our insurance.

 

[marmalade]

I don't have vision insurance and I pay $50 for my yearly eye exam and fortunately I have the same script in the same eye and I pay $85 for a 6 months supply of lenses. I go to a locally owned optician.

 

[stacieps]

My DD16 wears Acuvue daily (so new lenses every day), I spend about $100 for a 90 day supply, so $400/yr. Obviously if you have lenses that can be cleaned they will be less expensive (but then you have the expense of cleaning supplies); for a teenager we thought the new lenses daily would be best.

 

[aprilgail2]

I get the dailys for my daughter- costs about 300 a year.

 

[DianeV]

Also with VSP, at least our plan, you can get the lenses at Costco but its a reimbursement.

They wont pay for an exam at Costco but they pay a decent amount towards exams at other places in their 'network'

 

[roflclaw]

I get mine through lens.com and I think a years' supply is around 150, where my local eye doctor will price match so I don't have to go through shipping.

fwiw I use 2 week disposables.

 

[curseofcurves]

I wore a monthly disposable for years and they ran $220 per year. Just switched to a 2 week disposable and they will run closer to $300 per year. I wear a toric lens in one eye.

My VSP insurance will kick in next month and I have no idea how it works. I see a non-network doctor that I've seen for over 15 years because of my special eye conditions, and I'm not willing to change until she retires! I've never had insurance before, but I think the reimbursement will be worth it...or at least I hope it will.

 

[Kathryn Merteuil]

I do not spend nearly that amount on contacts per year. I would dare say It all depends on what you buy though, some types are more expensive than others. The ones I get, Acuvue 2 disposables are less than $20 a box. I don't know how long you are supposed to use them exactly (I think it is 2 weeks)...I stretch them out for a couple months. I can make it a year on 4 boxes. The cost of solution is quite minimal.

 

[Marionnette]

DD15 has been wearing glasses for years. She would like to start wearing contact lenses soon. We have VSP eye insurance and the coverage allows her to get a new eye glasses frame plus lenses once every 2 years or contact lenses (up to $105/year). A friend who wears contact lenses told me that she spends about $1000 per year on contact lenses. Another friend said that she only spends the amount the VSP covers. Both wear contact lenses all the time, well during the work hours.
So, my question is how much should I expect to pay for DD's contact lenses.
Thanks

Just so you're aware, most insurance plans will not cover the contact lens fitting fee that your eye doctor will charge. It is a separate fee from the routine eye exam and can run about $40-$50 in our area. This charge will apply every time a new contact lens prescription is written. By law, she will need a new script every 2 years.

The doctor may also charge a dispensing fee for first-time contact lens patients. Again, this is separate from the other fees and covers the trial lenses (used to make sure that the prescribed lenses are comfortable and providing the proper correction), the wearing instructions and all follow-up visits during the trial period.

Then there's the actual cost of the lenses, which appear to be covered by your insurance but in actuality, your insurance will have an "up to" dollar amount that they will cover. Most likely, they will cover a 6-month supply of standard, disposable lenses. Torics, multi-focals, extended wear, and daily wear lenses will all be more costly.

Just like other health insurances, having VSP vision insurance is not a one-size plan. Your copays and allowances may be different from other people with VSP. You would be best off discussing the costs with your eye care provider. They can pull up your insurance coverage online and tell you what will be covered and what you can expect to pay OOP.

 

[4HppyCamprs]

I wear some of the most expensive contacts (focus day and nights) and we have no vision insurance. My contacts cost about 380.00 a year. I have worn them for years and years.

 

[JessM]

I actually just purchased a year supply of contact lenses.

I wear the Air Optix aqua, they are monthly lenses that I take out every night. They cost me $208 for a year supply, that is without using my insurance. I have VSP too but I had to use mine on glasses this year since my dog chewed up my other ones

I do have an astigmatism and allergies to certain contacts.

I also have allergies to most contact lenses solutions so the solution I buy is a bit more expensive, $15.99 for two bottles. They normally last me a couple months.

Also, be aware most eye doctors charge extra for a contact lenses exam every year, mine charges $30, which isn't covered by VSP (only one exam general eye (eyeglasses) or contact lense is covered) I prefer to have both done every year so my prescriptions are up to date.

I LOVE my contacts and would never go back to glasses all the time even though it is an extra expense. So much easier in the summer, playing sports, skiing, etc without glasses.

 

[photos_101]

Hi, DS17 wears contacts and gets accuvue. Both eyes are the same so makes it easy to order his contacts. We have VSP and same $105 allowance (seems same ins plan as yours perhaps). Anyways, for him the contact fitting WAS covered as part of his $105 allowance but that made us pay a little more OOP for his first year of contacts. His are $35 box (3 pair) and each box last about 3mo. I just ordered 3 boxes for this year which will be covered completely by our VSP ins. This should get him thru about sept. which will be his annual exam. Then I will order another box (maybe 2) to get him thru the rest of the year, which means I will have to pay for this last box OOP. $35 not bad at all for the year!

It will all depend on how well your child wears them. My son takes them out when he knows he is tired (like early evening and feels he may fall asleep) this will help with them drying out in the eyes which will make them tear easier. And he sometimes doesn't wear them on weekends, he will just wear his glasses if not going anywhere. This definitely prolongs the life of each pair.

Just be aware you may go thru more in the first year since they are adjusting to them and my son tore some accidentally just trying to get them in and out. lol After a few months he had it down pat and no more issues.

Last year he got a new pair of glasses so we had to pay oop for the contacts for that year. But this pair of glasses should last a few years. So that gives me time to save up some $$ for the next pair of glasses since he always spends more on frames than our ins. covers.

BTW- He just gets his from our local (very small town) office so they may be cheaper other places but since he really likes this dr. and they are within a few blocks of our home we feel it is easier to get them there.

 

[JAMIESMITH]

I'm twenty six and I've been wearing contacts since I was thirteen. My contacts are about $70 every six months. I buy them from a local optometrist. I spend $200 every other year when I go to the eye doctor to get my eyes checked and a new prescription. I don't have vision insurance.

 

[scrapquitler]

DD15 has been wearing glasses for years. She would like to start wearing contact lenses soon. We have VSP eye insurance and the coverage allows her to get a new eye glasses frame plus lenses once every 2 years or contact lenses (up to $105/year). A friend who wears contact lenses told me that she spends about $1000 per year on contact lenses. Another friend said that she only spends the amount the VSP covers. Both wear contact lenses all the time, well during the work hours.
So, my question is how much should I expect to pay for DD's contact lenses.
Thanks

I have no idea about that insurance that you are mentioning. My DD16 has started wearing Accuvue Oasys contact lenses recently (those are ones that you are supposed to use new ones every two weeks). I've purchased them at Walmart, and a 3 month supply cost me about $70. I do think that I could buy them for slightly less if I bought a larger supply all at once online. I had to buy contact lense cases (about $3 each, should be replaced monthly) and contact lens solution (I've spent less than $25 on that since October when she started wearing contacts).

Both of your friends might be correct....there are lots of different types of contact lenses, and I think different types might cost very different amounts.

 

[disneypharm]

OP here.
Thank you all for giving me information about what to expect and prices.

I called the eye center this morning. This is a eye center that DD has been using for the past few years. I made her an appointment for this Friday to do the contact lens fitting. They do have separate appointments for eye exam and fitting.

She did her eye exam back in December. The receptionist said that they charge about $119 for the contact lens fitting (actually $140 for fitting, but we get 15% discount for VSP members). It will be $55 next year. Fitting is not covered by VSP.

The daily contact lenses (the most expensive kind) run about $400/year. That is for 8 boxes of $90 each. If we use our VSP $105 yearly limit, that will bring it down to $295. There is a $70 rebate with yearly amount, which brings it down to $225. That is if we use the VSP contact allowance and lose the eye glasses allowance.

I think we will buy the glasses with VSP and pay contact lenses out of pocket.
This eye center is very expensive, but since DH took DD to the eye appointment, now we are stuck to get the fitting here too. I did add about $1000 to our Flexplan this year, so the total of about $500 will be covered for now. Most likely we will go to a less expensive place next year.

Oh, I might just get the first box at this eye center and then switch to Costco if it is cheaper.