Open enrollment happens once a year, during the busiest time of the year. It's easy to let it pass and then spend 12 months paying full price for eye exams and glasses. Set a reminder before the window opens so you actually have time to enroll.
Done in seconds. No sign-up required.
The enrollment deadline passes quietly. The bills don't.
cost of a comprehensive eye exam without insurance
American Academy of Ophthalmology
average cost of prescription glasses without coverage
Consumer Reports, 2024
typical employer-sponsored vision insurance premium for individual coverage
Bureau of Labor Statistics
Open enrollment for most employer plans runs in October or November. That's the same stretch when you're dealing with end-of-year deadlines, holidays, and everything else that piles up in Q4. Vision insurance feels optional compared to medical and dental, so it gets skipped or pushed to "I'll do it later." Then the window closes.
Unlike medical insurance, vision coverage is almost always a separate election. If you don't actively check the box, you don't get it. There's no default enrollment, no auto-renewal from last year's selections at most employers. You have to opt in every single year.
The fix is straightforward: set a reminder for early October, before enrollment opens. When the email arrives, you log into your benefits portal and make the election. Five minutes of action, triggered by a reminder instead of left to memory.
Enter the date you want to be reminded (early October is ideal for most employer plans) and your email address. You'll get a notification before that date, on the date, and follow-ups afterward until you mark it done. No app, no account needed.
Set it for early October if your employer's enrollment starts in late October or November. Check your benefits portal for the exact window.
You'll receive an email reminder with enough lead time to review plan options, check your eye doctor's network, and make a decision.
If you don't mark it done, follow-up emails keep it on your radar. The reminder doesn't quietly disappear after one notification.
Missing the deadline has consequences that last the full year.
Without coverage, a routine eye exam and new glasses can easily run $400 to $1,000 out of pocket. That's the cost of missing a 5-minute enrollment task.
See the full cost breakdown →Unlike health insurance, there are very few qualifying life events that let you add vision mid-year. Miss it and you wait until next fall.
What happens if you miss it →Routine eye exams detect diabetes, glaucoma, and high blood pressure. Without coverage, people skip exams and catch conditions later, when treatment costs more.
Hidden costs of skipping →Everything you need to know about enrolling, missing enrollment, and what it costs.
For employer-sponsored plans, open enrollment typically runs in October or November for coverage starting January 1. The ACA marketplace enrollment window is November 1 through January 15. Your HR department or benefits portal will have your exact dates.
For employer plans, yes, unless you have a qualifying life event like marriage, a new baby, or job loss. For individual plans through VSP Direct or EyeMed, you can enroll any time, but there is usually a waiting period before benefits kick in.
Usually, yes. Most employer health plans do not include vision coverage. Vision is offered as a separate election during open enrollment. If you skip it, your health plan will not cover routine eye exams, glasses, or contacts.
Employer-sponsored vision plans typically cost $5 to $15 per month for individual coverage or $12 to $30 for a family plan. That works out to $60 to $180 per year, which is less than a single eye exam and pair of glasses without coverage.
You wait until the next open enrollment period, typically a full year away. During that time, you pay out of pocket for all eye care. A comprehensive eye exam runs $200 to $400 without insurance, and prescription glasses average $200 to $600.
Yes. When you create your reminder, the yearly repeat option means it fires every year on the same date. Set it for early October to give yourself a few weeks before most enrollment windows open.
Free. No account needed. Enter your enrollment date and get notified before the window closes, with follow-ups until you've enrolled.
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