Keep Vision Insurance After You Retire

Category: Vision Insurance
Richard Lee, 12/22/2025 12:00 am

In addition to your normal health insurance, continuing to have vision insurance coverage into your later years is important to long-term health, protecting both your eyesight and your overall quality of life. As you transition from an employer-sponsored health plan to a personal retirement plan, it’s smart to think about how vision insurance plans can help minimize costs for routine eye exams, glasses, and even specialty lens enhancements.

Don’t neglect your vision health by assuming other forms of health coverage are enough, whether a Medicare Advantage plan, a supplemental health plan, or dental/vision/hearing bundle. By maintaining a vision plan in retirement, you ensure predictable vision coverage cost and access to the network providers you trust. Here are three vision insurance questions to consider as you prepare for retirement.

How can I keep my vision insurance after retirement?

The most viable and cost-effective way to continue vision insurance in retirement is through your current employer. If you’ve worked with the same employer for a long time, it is possible they will provide you with options to maintain your current health insurance and vision insurance once you’re retired, sometimes as part of a broader dental/vision/hearing package. Many larger organizations, like unions or state agencies, offer a seamless path to enroll in retiree vision coverage alongside other health plans.

Oftentimes, you need to sign up ahead of time or within a certain enrollment period or qualifying life event window after retiring. So, the best practice is to talk with your employer’s HR department and plan in advance, especially if there’s a waiting period before your new vision insurance plan takes effect.

Some important questions to ask your employer might include:

1) Will I receive vision insurance benefits in retirement, and are they part of a broader retiree vision plan or vision insurance program?

2) How will the benefits differ from my current plan? What’s covered and what’s not, particularly regarding lens enhancements, or vision services?

3) When do I need to enroll in the new vision plan, and does a specific enrollment period apply for me or any dependents?

4) Is it possible to enroll family members or dependents under the new benefits, and will they have access to the same VSP network of eye doctors?

5) How will the monthly costs differ from what I currently pay per month, and what out-of-pocket costs should I anticipate for exams, frames, and contacts?

Don’t assume insurance coverage will be continued simply because it is offered. Proactively seek out the information by comparing vision insurance plans side by side; looking at allowances, copays, and out-of-pocket costs can empower you to select the vision insurance plan that better supports your retirement goals.

What cost considerations should I plan for in my post-retirement plans?

If your employer doesn’t provide continued coverage, you may be entitled to COBRA benefits. COBRA lets you temporarily maintain your current coverage at the group price while transitioning away from your past employer. If that’s not an option, it is always possible to obtain vision coverage by enrolling in a VSP® Individual Vision Plan, one of the most popular and affordable vision insurance plans that are great for retirees. Because a change in employment status counts as a qualifying life event, you can typically sign up for an individual plan outside the standard open enrollment period.

Regardless of the monthly costs, the benefits of maintaining continuous vision coverage are eye-opening. VSP members typically save up to $350¹ per year on glasses and contacts.

Does traditional Medicare provide vision coverage?

Apart from some specific conditions, traditional Medicare² doesn’t always provide coverage for routine eye exams, prescription glasses, and contact lenses. Maintaining or adding a vision plan during your retirement is one way to help ensure you’re always covered.

Use your VSP Individual Vision Plan to schedule an eye exam with your eye doctor. If you don’t have vision insurance, find out how VSP can help you save on your next eye exam or pair of glasses.

Information received through VSP Individual Vision Plans’ social media channels is for informational purposes only and does not constitute medical advice, medical recommendations, diagnosis, or treatment. Always seek the advice of your physician or other qualified health provider with any questions you may have regarding a medical condition.

1) Savings based on state and national averages for eye exams and most commonly purchased brands and lens enhancements. This number represents average savings for VSP members at in-network providers. Your actual savings will depend on the eyewear you choose, your plan, the eye doctor you visit, your copays, and your premium. Source: VSP book-of-business paid claims data for Aug-Jan of each prior year.

2) Check your Medicare Plan to see if your vision care needs are covered and/or if a VSP Individual Vision Plan is right for you. VSP Individual Vision Plans does not coordinate benefits with Medicare.

Your vision. Your way.

Not covered for vision? Get an individual plan, customized for you – including where you want to use it: at the doctor, in a retail location, or even online.

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