Contact Lenses: Types, Costs, Insurance, and Alternatives

Many people today wear contact lenses, including 45 million people in the U.S. alone.¹ They are popular because they can correct your vision without affecting your appearance like glasses. Contacts are also a great option for those who play sports and don't want to wear specialty sport glasses.

To wear contacts, you'll need to get a prescription and fitting from your eye doctor. You'll also need your doctor to update or renew your contact lens prescription every year before you can purchase your contacts from them (or a vision care retailer).

Below we dive into the cost of contact lenses by type, financing options and what insurance coverage may look like if you're deciding to buy contact lenses.

What Are Contact Lenses?

Contact lenses are thin disks made of clear plastic that you wear directly over the cornea of your eye to improve your vision. You must clean them thoroughly after each wear and replace them as directed by your doctor, otherwise you could develop an eye infection.²

How contact lenses work

Contact lenses help improve your vision in the same way eyeglasses do, but on a much smaller scale. Once applied directly to the surface of your eye, these tiny lenses redirect the light that hits your eye into your retina to properly focus your vision, helping you see more clearly. Their power is measured in diopters, which are positive for farsightedness and negative for nearsightedness.²

What do contact lenses treat?

Contact lenses treat a variety of vision problems including:³

• Myopia. Also known as nearsightedness, those with myopia can't see faraway objects clearly.
• Hyperopia. Also known as farsightedness, those with hyperopia can't see objects clearly up close.
• Presbyopia. Also known as age-related farsightedness, it can occur in combination with existing nearsightedness.
• Astigmatism. This refers to blurriness at all distances.

Types of Contact Lenses

A great alternative to wearing glasses, contact lenses come in a variety of options that vary by material, replacement schedule and specialization.

Types of contact lens materials

Contacts generally come in two types of materials:

• Soft contact lenses. Made from soft and flexible plastic that lets oxygen into the cornea when worn, these types of lenses are most popular and worn by 90% of users.³
• Hard, rigid gas permeable lenses. While these types of hard plastic lenses give you clearer vision and last much longer than soft ones, they are harder to clean and tend to be more uncomfortable than soft lenses.⁴

Types of contact lenses by length of wear

Whether hard or soft, contact lenses come in different types based on how long you can wear them:⁴

• Daily wear contacts. These are designed for wear while you are awake; you must clean and store them away while you sleep. These particular contact lenses aren't designed to wear while sleeping.
• Extended wear contacts. These can be worn for up to 30 days and nights, with some breaks as recommended by your vision care provider.

Types of contact lenses by replacement schedule

While some contact lenses are made to last, others are meant to be disposed of after each use, including:⁴

• Daily disposables. These are designed for disposal after each use, requiring no cleaning because they are not stored after use.
• Planned replacement. These are designed for disposal after seven to 30 days of wear. Others may last up to one year. They require cleaning after each wear.

Types of contact lenses by specialty

Depending upon your prescription, your doctor may recommend different types of contacts for you to use, including:⁴

• Bi-focal. Treats nearsightedness and farsightedness at once.
• Multi-focal. Treats near, intermediate and far distances in one lens.
• Toric. Treats astigmatism.
• Hybrid. Consists of hard contact lenses with a "skirt" of soft contact lens material to make them more comfortable.
• Orthokeratology (Ortho-k). Hard contact lenses designed to change the shape of your cornea.
• Scleral. A larger type of hard contact lenses that extend to the white of the eye, usually worn to protect damaged corneas or treat severe dry eye.
• Decorative. These lenses are designed to change the look or color of your eyes and can be prescription or non-prescription.

How Much Do Contact Lenses Cost?

The average cost of contact lenses varies based on your prescription, the type of contacts selected and where you purchase them. On average, contact lenses cost $185 to $335 per year.⁵ But depending on what kind of contacts you buy, the cost can vary from $150 to $1,500 annually.⁶

Cost of soft contact lenses

Whether they're disposed of daily, weekly or monthly, an annual supply of soft contact lenses can vary greatly. Those for astigmatism, bi-focal and multi-focal lenses will cost more than single-vision lenses.

• Daily disposable contact lenses: an annual supply of disposable soft contact lenses will cost $204⁶ to $760.⁷
• Two-week disposable contact lenses: $200 to $520, annually.⁷
• Monthly disposable contact lenses: $180 to $380, annually.⁷
• Yearly soft contact lenses: $50 to $200, annually.⁷

Cost of hard contact lenses

The cost of gas-permeable and other custom contacts varies. The average cost of gas-permeable hard contact lenses is around $200 for a set of two lenses but will vary based on your prescription.⁶ The price can vary from $150 to $650 for a pair.⁷ Each pair lasts around one year.

Cost of specialty contact lenses

In some cases, your vision care provider may recommend specialty lenses to treat different types of eye problems. Or, you may want special decorative lenses to change the look of your eyes. The prices you can expect will depend on your prescription.

• 30-day extended wear contacts: cost around $90 to $520 per year.⁵
• Hybrid contact lenses: cost around $500 to $1,000, annually.⁷
• Scleral contact lenses: can cost three to four times the cost of traditional lenses. In complex cases, the price can run as high as $4,000 per eye or more.⁸
• Orthokeratology (Ortho-k) contact lenses: can cost between $1,000 and $4,000 for lenses and fittings.⁹
• Decorative contact lenses: can cost from $100 to $400 per pair.⁵

Does Insurance Cover Contact Lenses?

Most vision insurance plans provide at least some coverage for contact lenses. The amount of coverage depends on your plan and provider. Unlike major medical insurance, vision insurance plans usually provide discounts or wellness benefits that may be used to reduce the cost of preventive eye care and prescription products like eyeglasses and contacts.

For example, your vision plan may cover the cost of a routine eye exam (after your copay) but you may be required to pay all or part of the cost of an eye exam for contact lenses because it includes additional tests beyond the routine assessment.¹⁰

Cost of contact lenses without insurance

The cost of contact lenses will range from $150 all the way up to $1,500 per year without insurance. You'll also need a contact lens fitting and exam each year, which can cost $25 to $250.⁶

Cost of contact lenses with insurance

Your vision plan may pay for some or all of your contact lens fitting and some of the annual cost of your contact lenses. For example, some plans may allow between $160 and $225 per year for the expense of your contacts and provide coverage for your contact lens fitting.¹⁰ So, you can expect to pay up to $1,275 for contacts annually with vision insurance.⁶

How to Pay for Contact Lenses

When paying for contact lenses, there are several options to consider:

• Cash or savings: If you have the funds available, you can use them to pay.
• Health savings or flexible spending account: For those that have them, you may also be able to use a tax-free Health Savings Account (HSA) or Flexible Spending Account (FSA) to cover the cost of contact lenses.
• General purpose credit cards or the CareCredit credit card: Almost all vision care providers and retailers accept general purpose credit cards, and many accept the CareCredit credit card, which might be a convenient way to pay for a pair of contacts.

Alternatives to Contact Lenses

There are several alternatives to wearing contacts for you to consider. These include wearing eyeglasses and corrective eye surgery. Each comes with some pros and cons.

Eyeglasses

Eyeglasses work in much the same way that contact lenses do but on a larger scale. You wear them on your face and, unlike contacts, they are clearly visible to those around you. They may be impractical for some activities like sports unless specially created for them.¹¹ On average, expect to pay between $184 to over $1,000 for prescription glasses.¹²

Refractive eye surgery

Surgical procedures like LASIK and ReLex SMILE can correct your vision, eliminating the need for contacts. These are minimally invasive procedures that permanently change your cornea using a laser.¹³ For this type of surgery, expect to pay between $1,750 to $2,200 per eye.¹⁴

Prescription eye drops

Prescription eye drops to treat presbyopia can temporarily improve your vision without the use of glasses. They are effective for up to 10 hours per day.¹⁵ Expect to pay around $86 per 2.5ml bottle of eye drops, which is about a one-month supply.¹⁶

Implantable contact lenses

Implantable contact lenses are surgically implanted inside the eye and you cannot remove them yourself.¹³ For implantable lenses, costs vary from $1,200 to $5,000 per eye for surgery.¹⁷

Contact lenses vs. alternatives

Unlike contact lenses, eyeglasses do not deprive the eye of oxygen, meaning that you can wear them day and night.¹³

Surgical procedures like eye surgery may carry risks of damage to the cornea or infections that contact lenses don't.¹³ Additionally, procedures like implantable contact lens surgery¹⁷ and refractive eye surgery are also generally not covered by vision care insurance.¹⁸

Prescription eye drops only treat presbyopia and can cause side effects like redness and headaches. Contact lenses can treat several conditions that these drops can't.¹⁵

Can I Use My CareCredit Credit Card to Pay for Contact Lenses?

Yes. If approved, you can use your CareCredit credit card at locations within the CareCredit network to finance contact lenses or other vision correction procedures and eyecare treatments. The benefit of using a CareCredit credit card is the opportunity to use promotional financing.* If approved, you can pay for the care you need immediately. You can also use your CareCredit card again and again to pay for other health, wellness and vision care needs. Use the Acceptance Locator or download the CareCredit Mobile App to find an eyecare professional near you who accepts the CareCredit credit card.

Author Bio

Susan Paretts is a freelance writer with 18 years of experience covering health and wellness, pet care, and more. Her work has been published by the American Kennel Club, Bayer Animal Health, Elanco, LIVESTRONG.com, The San Francisco Chronicle, Chewy, and more.