Buying prescription eyeglasses is not a hassle, but there are many ways to get the right glasses and save thousands of dollars! You could be paying hundreds of dollars for $30 lenses if you don’t know the ins and outs.
In the United States, the cost of prescription eyeglasses is mainly focused on three parts: optometry, lenses, and frames.
A. Optometry
If you have eye insurance, you will get a free eye exam once a year, and some insurance may require you to pay a $10 to $15 co-payment.
However, if you need an eye exam for both frames and contact lenses, you will need to pay for one of these exams out of pocket. In addition, some insurance companies only cover eye diseases, not optometry, so you need to check with your insurance company before making an appointment to see if they cover optometry.
For those who do not have insurance, you will need to pay for all of the examinations. The cost is usually around $50 to $200 depending on the size of the clinic or the level of the optician, and $100 to $400 for both frames and contact lenses.
B. Lenses
There are more price brackets for lenses, and the main differences are the material of the lenses, the type of coating, the brand of the lenses, etc.
For example, most of the free lenses covered by insurance are the most common resin lenses, followed by several prices depending on HD lenses, anti-blue lenses, anti-reflective lenses, tinted lenses, anti-scratch lenses, anti-UV lenses, etc. The fees range from $50 to $300.
If you have insurance, you can upgrade your lenses by paying the difference in price on top of the free lens rating, which is cheaper than paying for your lenses, but the scope of coverage may limit your options.
In the case of self-pay, the price difference is also based on the level of the upgrade; although the price may be higher, there are many options, and the price is also very advantageous when there are promotions.
C. Frames
The price of frames varies greatly, usually from $50 to $300 or more, with the main difference being the material, design, and brand.
The presence or absence of insurance does not have a big impact on frames because the price difference between ordinary frames is small, and the price difference is often large brand frames, which are usually not covered.
– Pragmatic eyeglass wearers will choose frames that are comfortable to wear and then choose the lower-priced ones.
– Aesthetically conscious eyeglass wearers tend to pick new designs from the big brands, which are usually very expensive.
Another current source of purchase for frames and lenses is online stores. Most online glasses shops can be as much as 50% cheaper than offline stores, which means that in addition to the cost of optometry, cheap glasses of the same quality can be purchased online for around $50 for regular prescription glasses and perhaps $250 for brand name glasses.