Cost of contact lenses?

[disneypharm]

OP here. Thanks again. You all have been awesome
Just got back from the eye center. We ended up paying $110 for the eye exam, fitting, and a class to teach DD about her contacts. They gave her a trial pair which she has been wearing since the exam. I am surprised how comfortable she is in them!! We actually stopped on the way home to get her a nice pair of sunglasses. She was very happy she can wear them now.

She has to go back next week for another exam and we will discuss buying contacts. This time we were told that she can have the daily kind $285 per year with a rebate of $50. This brings it down to $235. This was definitely better than I expected. I talked to another mother in the waiting room and was told that the center is very good when the kids damage the contacts. They replace them free.
I will wait until next week and see what they say. They were really helpful and told DD that she can call anytime if she had difficulties taking the contacts out.
In the meantime I will check the cost of contacts at our Costco and online.

 

[Lewisc]

OP here. Thanks again. You all have been awesome
Just got back from the eye center. We ended up paying $110 for the eye exam, fitting, and a class to teach DD about her contacts. They gave her a trial pair which she has been wearing since the exam. I am surprised how comfortable she is in them!! We actually stopped on the way home to get her a nice pair of sunglasses. She was very happy she can wear them now.

She has to go back next week for another exam and we will discuss buying contacts. This time we were told that she can have the daily kind $285 per year with a rebate of $50. This brings it down to $235. This was definitely better than I expected. I talked to another mother in the waiting room and was told that the center is very good when the kids damage the contacts. They replace them free.
I will wait until next week and see what they say. They were really helpful and told DD that she can call anytime if she had difficulties taking the contacts out.
In the meantime I will check the cost of contacts at our Costco and online.

"Daily kind" can mean the kind you take out every night, clean, disinfect and reuse the next day. The lenses get replaced weekly, bi-weekly, monthly or quarterly. How often depends on the type of lenses and how your eyes react to them.

Lenses can be classified as daily wear (take out at night) or extended wear (sleep in the lenses).

Daily kind might refer to daily disposable, $235 for a years supply seems a little low for that kind of lens.

 

[disneypharm]

"Daily kind" can mean the kind you take out every night, clean, disinfect and reuse the next day. The lenses get replaced weekly, bi-weekly, monthly or quarterly. How often depends on the type of lenses and how your eyes react to them.

Lenses can be classified as daily wear (take out at night) or extended wear (sleep in the lenses).

Daily kind might refer to daily disposable, $235 for a years supply seems a little low for that kind of lens.

Thanks. I didn't realize daily could mean "take out at night" kind and not just daily disposable. Maybe when I asked for daily, they didn't realize I was asking for disposable. I did mention that because DD is a teen, I prefer her not to mess with cleaning and disinfecting. The first conversation I had with another person a few days ago, I asked about the most expensive kind of contacts and was told about $400/year. I wanted to know what to expect. Maybe the second amount ($235) is not for daily disposable! I guess I will find out. How much are daily disposable?

 

[JillyBean1899]

Just for the heck of it, I priced the trial lenses my doctor gave me. I have an astigmatism and dry eyes, and don't wear lenses every day (after 4 hours of looking at a computer I'm ready to claw my eyes out), so I had been using the monthly disposables. He had me try the Acuvue Moist for Astigmagism one day disposables, and they are *AMAZING*. 18 hours+ at IoA/USF *AND* HHN in one day, and I had no trouble at all. I don't have insurance, and my doctor is closed on Saturdays, so I went to the 1-800-Contacts wesbite which shows these are $25/box if I buy 12 boxes at once (so a 6 month supply). Buying them one at a time would be $30/box. A full year of wearing them every day would run me between $600-720. Since I only wear them when I go to concerts and theme parks, I actually still have one of the trial box pairs left, and I'm going to be setting up a consultation for LASIK, so I might not even buy another box of them.

 

[Lewisc]

I wanted to know what to expect. Maybe the second amount ($235) is not for daily disposable! I guess I will find out. How much are daily disposable?

It depends on the brand of lens. COSTCO members can ask at the optical counter otherwise check sites like 1800contacts and lens.com

$400 /year for daily disposables is probably about right. Less if you're wearing a cheaper brand or get a good deal. More if you're wearing a "special lens" such as toric for astigmatism.

edited to add: Looks like some brands cost $300-$350. Some will cost over $500.

 

[i like stitch]

I just bought new contacts. Have been wearing contacts for 30+ years and hate paying a lot of money for them. Used to get them only through my eye dr. and then found out it was much cheaper buying online. After spending a lot of time researching prices this time, I found out that Sam's Club is a provider with VSP. VSP pays $150 towards my contacts if I get them through a contracting provider.

For a years supply of monthly torics (after VSP benefit and the rebate that Sam's gave me to submit) my net cost is $14. I saved well over $100 by not going through my eye dr, and about $10 and the headache of filling out VSP reimbursement paperwork by not purchasing online.

 

[wallskm]

I wear Acuvue Oasys contacts that are meant to be replaced every 2 weeks. My doc said they are OK to sleep in, just need to take them out once a week overnight. Because I only take them out once a week (or less, I often forget), I don't go through much contact solution- I don't ever have to buy any, the sample they give me lasts all year. I can get a 3 month supply for around $70.

 

[Lewisc]

You have to do your homework with vision insurance. VSP favors independent (expensive) eye doctors. Your out of pocket cost at a participating doctor might be higher then your total cost if you shop around, even if you plan doesn't offer out of network coverage. Using your benefits out of network, if offered by your plan, will generally give you lower costs then using a VSP private provider VSP plans vary. At one time affiliate benefits at places like COSTCO was only available if your employer elected that benefit. VSP first offered that to a limited number of employers.

Eyemed favors the chain retailers, most which their parent company owns. Depending on your plan skipping the insurance and buying your glasses at a place like COSTCO might cost less, particularly if your plan has an out of network benefit.

Using your eyemed benefit at a participating retail store generally precludes using other promotions offered by the store. Sometimes the store coupon, lenscrafters 50% off deal, gives you a lower cost then using your insurance. I once got permission to use the out of network portion of my plan at Lenscrafters, in order to use the 50% promotion on lenses.

You need to ask how much your glasses will cost you net of your insurance benefit and how much they will cost if you use whatever promotion the store is running. You need to research how much your glasses, or contacts, will cost if you shop other stores.