Does VSP or EyeMed work with online retailers?

Two ways a plan can pay

Vision plans such as VSP, EyeMed, Davis Vision and the vision riders on medical plans work in two ways.

In network, the retailer has a contract with the plan. You show your member details, the benefit is applied at the register, and you pay the difference. This is how most optician and chain-store purchases work.

Out of network, you pay the full price yourself, then send the plan a claim with an itemized receipt. The plan reimburses you a fixed amount for frames and a fixed amount for lenses, which is usually less than the in-network benefit.

Online glasses retailers are mostly in the second group. A few have arrangements with specific plans and can apply the benefit at checkout; each retailer lists this on its own insurance page, and it changes, so check there before you order rather than relying on a guide.

Filing an out-of-network claim

1. Find the form. Log in to your plan’s member site and look for an out-of-network or direct reimbursement claim form. It is a short PDF or web form.
2. Buy the glasses. Pay however you like. Keep the order confirmation.
3. Get an itemized receipt. It must show the frame and lenses as separate lines, the prescription details, the date, and the retailer’s name and address. Every retailer in our table provides one on request or in your order history.
4. Submit within the window. Plans give you a set number of months after purchase to claim. The form says how long.
5. Wait for the check. Reimbursement usually arrives by mail or direct deposit a few weeks later.

Is it worth it?

Add up what you would pay online after the out-of-network reimbursement, and compare it with what you would pay in network after the copay. For a plain single-vision pair, the online price is often low enough that the out-of-network allowance covers most or all of it. For designer frames or complex lenses, the in-network benefit can be larger. The comparison table at the end of this guide gives you the online number to start from.

The simpler route: FSA and HSA

If you have a flexible spending account or a health savings account, prescription glasses and reading glasses are eligible expenses. You pay with the account’s card at checkout, and no claim is needed, though you should keep the itemized receipt in case the administrator asks. This works whether or not you also have a vision plan, and it is the easiest way to use pre-tax money on glasses bought online.