Getting Coverage for Your Shades: Does Sunglass Hut Accept Insurance?

Protecting your eyes from harmful UV radiation is crucial for long-term health. For many, a good pair of sunglasses is essential. But with high price tags at retailers like Sunglass Hut, can vision insurance help pay for stylish shades? This article looks at whether Sunglass Hut accepts insurance and how to get coverage for sunglasses.

Overview of Vision Insurance

Before diving into Sunglass Hut’s insurance policies, let’s review some basics on vision coverage. Vision insurance is an optional supplemental health plan that provides discounts and allowances for routine eye exams, glasses, and contacts. Many employers offer voluntary vision benefits, or consumers can purchase individual/family plans.

Vision insurance typically includes:

• Annual eye exam allowance
• Lenses coverage every 12 or 24 months
• Frame allowance every 12 or 24 months
• Contact lens allowance instead of glasses
• Discounts on lens extras like coatings and tints
• Discounted rates on additional pairs purchased

Plans have out-of-pocket costs like copays, deductibles, and co-insurance. Allowances based on fixed dollar amounts or percentages. Higher premium plans provide richer benefits.

Key vision insurance providers are VSP, EyeMed, Davis Vision, Aetna, UnitedHealthcare, and more. Plans can be used at participating eye doctors and retail optical chains like LensCrafters, Target Optical, and Sunglass Hut.

Does Sunglass Hut Accept Vision Insurance?

Yes, Sunglass Hut accepts most major vision insurance plans. If Sunglass Hut is an in-network provider with your specific vision insurer, you can use your benefits to purchase prescription sunglasses or apply your frame allowance towards non-prescription shades.

Sunglass Hut’s optical department is called Sunglass Hut VisionWorks. They have independent on-site optometrists who can perform eye exams and write prescriptions. Sunglass Hut VisionWorks bills applicable vision insurance plans for eligible exam fees, lenses, and materials.

To use your vision insurance at Sunglass Hut:

1. Verify Sunglass Hut participates with your vision carrier.

2. Bring your vision insurance card to track benefits usage.

3. Schedule an eye exam at Sunglass Hut VisionWorks if you need an updated glasses prescription.

4. Work with opticians to select sunglasses within your plan allowances.

5. Pay any applicable copays or remaining charges after insurance.

Sunglass Hut VisionWorks will submit the claim to your vision insurer and handle the reimbursement process.

What Vision Plans Does Sunglass Hut Accept?

Sunglass Hut accepts hundreds of vision insurance providers across the country. As an EssilorLuxottica company, Sunglass Hut VisionWorks is part of one of the largest vision care networks.

Key vision insurers accepted include:

• VSP Vision Care
• EyeMed Vision Care
• Davis Vision
• Vision Service Plan
• Spectera Vision
• UnitedHealthcare Vision
• HumanaVision
• Aetna Vision
• MetLife Vision
• Ameritas
• Superior Vision
• Many regional and employer-based vision plans

Check Sunglass Hut’s website or call your local store’s optical department to confirm they accept your specific vision insurance carrier and plan. Participation can occasionally vary by location.

Using Insurance for Prescription Sunglasses

If you have a corrective prescription for nearsightedness, farsightedness, or astigmatism, vision insurance can help cover prescription sunglasses.

Simply use your eyeglass benefit allowances towards sunglass lenses and frames instead of regular eyeglasses. This will reduce your out-of-pocket costs for functional, stylish prescription shades.

At Sunglass Hut VisionWorks, you can select designer sunglass frames like Ray-Ban, Oakley, or Prada and have the lenses cut with your updated vision prescription. Lens extras like polarized filters, tints, and coatings that help reduce glare and eye strain may have additional fees.

Using Insurance Discount for Non-Prescription Shades

Even without a prescription, Sunglass Hut allows customers to apply their vision plan frame allowance toward non-prescription sunglasses.

For example, if your plan includes a $150 frame allowance every 2 years, you could put that credit toward a pair of high-end sunglasses from brands like Gucci, Bulgari, or Armani. This benefit usage allows you to save substantially on retail prices.

Sunglass Hut opticians will help maximize your insurance discounts when making a sunglass purchase. Be sure to also utilize any special vision plan promotions or rebates that may be available.

Vision Insurance Limitations

While extremely helpful, there are some limitations to keep in mind when using vision benefits for sunglass purchases:

• Exam fees: Routine eye exam copays usually apply and count against your exam frequency limit (e.g. one exam per year) when getting a prescription.

• Supplemental out-of-pocket costs: With sunglasses, you will likely spend more than just your fixed plan allowances. Prepare to pay additional retail costs beyond insured amounts.

• Frequency limits: Using your frame and lenses allowance for sunglasses may prevent you from getting regular eyeglasses within the same coverage period.

• Contact lens allowance: If you use your contact lens benefit, you won’t have an additional frame allowance for sunglasses.

• Brand restrictions: Some vision insurers limit frame choices to reduce costs, which may restrict designer sunglass options.

Discuss these factors with Sunglass Hut opticians to make sure you take optimal advantage of your vision benefits. You can also consider enhanced vision insurance plans with richer allowances if coverage falls short.

Vision Insurance for Kids’ Sunglasses

One great benefit of vision insurance is securing UV protection for children’s eyes using pediatric prescription shades or quality youth sunglasses.

Nearly all vision plans cover dependents under 18. At Sunglass Hut, you can apply kids allowances toward hip brands like Ray-Ban Jr, Oakley Youth, and Vogue Eyewear.

Vision plans with low or no copays for children’s eye exams make annual prescription updates affordable. This allows lens prescriptions to keep pace with growing eyes.

Get Started at Sunglass Hut

Don’t squint this season – leverage your vision benefits and shop top sunglass trends at Sunglass Hut. Locate a Sunglass Hut near you and make an appointment to use your vision insurance towards stylish UV protection.