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Vision Care

Vision care coverage helps pay for prescription glasses, contact lenses, and sometimes laser eye surgery. It promotes preventive eye health and ensures access to corrective eyewear when needed.

Most health insurance plans provide a specific maximum for vision care every one or two years. Coverage may include lenses, frames, and fittings. Laser eye surgery may be included as an alternative to eyewear within the same maximum.

Example:

If your plan covers up to $250 every two years for vision care and you purchase glasses for $300, you receive $250 and pay $50.

What to Watch For:

Check whether your plan separates eyewear and exam benefits or combines them under a single limit. Also confirm the renewal cycle, which may differ from a calendar year.

Related Terms

Benefit Period (Vision)

The benefit period for vision refers to how often your vision care coverage renews and allows you to make new claims for eligible expenses such as glasses, contact lenses, or eye exams. Unlike other benefits that reset each year, vision care often renews every two benefit periods, which can mean every 24 consecutive months rather than every calendar year.

Laser Eye Surgery Allowance

A laser eye surgery allowance is a vision care benefit included in some health insurance plans that provides reimbursement toward the cost of corrective laser procedures such as LASIK or PRK. These procedures permanently reshape the cornea to improve vision and reduce or eliminate the need for glasses or contact lenses. Because laser eye surgery is considered elective and not medically necessary, it is not covered by provincial health insurance plans, making this allowance a valuable feature in private coverage.

Extended Health Care Insurance

Extended health care insurance (EHC) is supplemental coverage that helps pay for medical expenses not covered by your provincial or territorial health plan. It protects you from out-of-pocket costs associated with services such as prescription drugs, vision care, medical equipment, hospital upgrades, emergency travel medical care, and paramedical services like physiotherapy or chiropractic treatments.

Health Insurance

Health insurance is a type of coverage that helps pay for medical and healthcare expenses not fully covered by Canada’s public health system. It protects individuals and families from the high cost of prescription drugs, medical services, and treatments that fall outside provincial or territorial government health plans. Health insurance can be obtained through an employer’s group benefits plan or purchased individually from a private insurer.

Contract Expiry Date

The contract expiry date is the final date on which an insurance policy or agreement remains in effect unless it is renewed or extended. It marks the end of the policy’s coverage period and defines when the insurer’s obligation to pay benefits or accept claims under the existing terms stops. After this date, the policyholder must renew the contract, convert it to a new plan, or allow it to lapse if coverage is no longer needed.

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