Vision insurance

Vision insurance is an employee benefit that helps cover the cost of eye care services, including routine eye exams, prescription glasses, and contact lenses.

Homebase Team

Min Read

What is vision insurance?

Vision insurance is an employee benefit that helps cover the cost of eye care services, including routine eye exams, prescription glasses, and contact lenses. Depending on the plan, it may also cover part of the cost for corrective procedures like LASIK or help reduce the price of frames and lenses.

For small business owners, offering vision insurance, even as an optional or add-on benefit, can set you apart in a competitive job market. Employees appreciate benefits that support their overall health, and vision care is one of the most requested non-medical perks. If you’re ready to make managing benefits easier, sign up for Homebase to keep everything from time tracking to team perks in one place.

What does vision insurance typically cover?

Coverage can vary by provider and plan, but most vision insurance policies include:

Annual or bi-annual eye exams
Allowances or discounts on prescription glasses and frames
Contact lens fittings and purchases
Discounts on lens enhancements (e.g., anti-glare, transitions)
Partial coverage or discounts for vision correction procedures like LASIK (though usually not full coverage)

Employees usually pay a small monthly premium, and copays or allowances may depend on the service.

How vision insurance works

Vision insurance is typically offered through a network of participating eye doctors and optical retailers. Here’s how it usually works:

Employee selects a provider and enrolls during open enrollment or onboarding
They pay a monthly premium (often deducted from their paycheck)
When they visit a provider, they pay a copay or the amount beyond their coverage allowance

This benefit is often bundled with dental or other voluntary benefits to create a more well-rounded package.

Why offer vision insurance to employees?

Even if your business is small, offering vision insurance can:

Help employees stay on top of their eye health and overall wellness
Reduce out-of-pocket expenses for common needs like glasses or contacts
Signal that you care about more than just productivity, you care about people
Support recruiting and retention by offering a more competitive benefits package

Vision issues can impact everything from job performance to safety, especially for customer-facing or screen-heavy roles.

How much does it cost to offer vision insurance?

Vision insurance is one of the most affordable health-related benefits out there. Plans typically cost:

$5 to $15 per employee per month if the employer covers the full premium
$0 cost to employers if offered as a voluntary benefit that employees pay for

You can fund the benefit fully, split the cost with your team, or simply make it available.

How to add vision coverage to your benefits offering

If you already offer health insurance, your provider may offer vision as an add-on. If not, you can:

Work with a broker who specializes in small business benefits
Partner with insurers like VSP, EyeMed, or Guardian
Offer vision insurance as part of a larger health and wellness package

Just make sure to clearly explain what’s covered, how enrollment works, and who qualifies.

How Homebase helps manage employee benefits and compliance

Offering vision insurance is just one way to support your team, but managing the paperwork, eligibility, and policy details can add up fast. Homebase helps simplify benefits and HR compliance, so you can spend less time on admin and more time with your team.

With Homebase, you can:

Track employee hours and eligibility for benefits
Store benefit documents and updates in one place
Keep teams informed about enrollment periods and policy changes
Stay compliant with labor laws and benefit-related requirements

Explore Homebase’s HR and compliance tools to manage your benefits and keep everything organized, no spreadsheets required.

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