Eye Health

The Best Eye Care Coverage for You and Your Family

Eye Care Coverage and You: How to Make the Most of Your Options


We know you’re running a household with many moving parts, so we’re here to make insurance easy for you. The reality is that you’ll need to keep up with everyone’s health needs and the onus is on you to ensure everyone gets the best coverage they can. We’re here to guide you through the nuances of eye care coverage — whether it’s for eye exams or frames and top-tier lenses — and how you can make the most of what’s available to you and your family.  

First Things First: The Importance of Regular Eye Exams

Vision health is important, no matter a person’s age. Indeed, it varies from young kids to aging parents, but the one thing that everyone has in common is that vision needs to be maintained with regular eye exams. Your eye health doesn’t just play a key role in how you see, but relates to your overall well-being. That’s why we stress the importance of checking your eyes and getting a clear idea of where they’re at. Regular assessments are helpful because it doesn’t just give a snapshot of how your eyes are doing now, but can also help detect eye conditions. The sooner you detect something, the easier it is to manage. You can even reduce the risk of a condition worsening! According to the Canadian National Institute for the Blind (CNIB), 75% of all vision loss can be treated or prevented if caught on time. If you can avoid the onset of a vision issue for someone you love, wouldn’t you?

Types of Coverage

In a world where vision health is a top priority, so is the right coverage. There are all types of ways to cover the cost your eye care, from partial coverage plans through an institution and provincial programs to full-on group insurance plans you get from your workplace. We’re here to help you identify what you have, what you need and how to make it work for everyone.

Provincial Programs

From the get-go, you should know that Canadian provinces are there to help relieve the stress you may feel re: your family’s eye exams and prescription eyewear. From coast to coast, they all have some sort of eye care assistance program, but here’s the gist of it: in most provinces, children under 18 years of age are covered for basic eye exams every year and adults over the age of 65 are covered for eye exams every 1-2 years. Emergency situations or the condition of a person’s overall health may be an exception, but beyond that, you’ll need to find other means to cover eye care expenses such as comprehensive eye exams, prescription eyeglasses, special treatments and more. Get more information here.

Insurance Plans

Insurance plans vary by institution and are a great way to provide patients with more value, especially when it comes to making informed decisions about their health. Benefits typically include coverage on prescription glasses or prescription sunglasses, contact lenses and comprehensive eye exams. Plans renew every 1-2 years, so you’ll want to make use of yours before it completely runs out. Typically, those who do not have a comprehensive or accessible plan see eye care as an out-of-pocket expense and become hesitant towards seeking out services. Unfortunately, removing eye care from your priority list causes more harm than good. It’s not a bad idea to have an insurance plan as a back-up to your provincial program.

If you currently have an insurance plan, we suggest contacting your provider directly or perusing through your plan documents to get all the details.

Direct Billing at FYidoctors

It’s a great thing to have an insurance plan, but sometimes it can be a hassle to make a claim. At FYidoctors, we take care of it for you! With Direct Billing, we can bill many of the insurance companies directly, so all you need to do is come in for the eye care you need and we’ll take care of the rest. No forms, no claims, no calls, no problem! Caring for your eyes should be easy. We’re here to lend a hand anywhere we can.

We direct bill to most insurance companies across Canada. Want to know if you’re eligible? Contact your clinic or insurance provider today.

Make the Most of Your Coverage


We went over your options for eye care coverage, now let’s talk about how to maximize them! Provincial resources are a great base to have, but unfortunately, it doesn’t cover everything for everyone. So if a family member falls within a bracket that is not covered by provincial aid, you’ll know that an insurance plan is what’s best for them. In an ideal world, all your options would work together to get the most coverage and reduce out-of-pocket expenses as much as possible. Once you have that in mind, the journey to finding the right balance becomes a piece of cake.

But what happens when you’ve used up your vision plan and provincial eye care coverage? If you have a Flexible Spending Account (FSA) or Health Spending Account (HSA) through your insurance plan, either can come in handy. This is where you can cover additional out-of-pocket healthcare expenses (like frames and lenses) that may not be covered by your healthcare or vision care plan. It’s another great way to ensure every member of your family is covered. FYi: you’ll need to use these funds before they expire.

Don’t forget to check your FSA (Flexible Spending Account) or HSA (Health Spending Account) policy to see what you are eligible to claim.

In the end, your eye care coverage — insurance plans, provincial program, or both — is what you make of it. Sure, you need to keep up with a few dates and details, but that’s nothing you can’t handle. When it comes to your family’s vision health, it’s all worth the time and effort. We only have one set of eyes. Let’s make it count!

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