Most plans include an eye exam and a $130–$230 eyewear allowance every year — and if you don't use it, it resets to zero. Pick your insurer below to see what you likely have, and we'll remind you before you lose it.
The short version: they disappear, and nobody tells you when.
No. Vision plans almost never roll over. Your eye exam coverage and eyewear allowance reset at the start of each plan year, and anything you didn't use is simply gone — there's no refund and no credit. You paid premiums for that allowance either way.
Most plans follow the calendar year and reset on January 1, which makes December 31 the real deadline. But not all — plans tied to an employer's benefit year can reset in other months, so yours may expire in, say, June. If you're not sure, your insurer's member portal will show your plan year, and we'll ask for your reset month so reminders arrive at the right time.
Most plans include a covered or low-copay eye exam plus roughly $130–$230 toward frames or contact lenses each year. Some plans give a bit more for contacts, or a separate allowance for lens upgrades like anti-glare and transitions.
Yes. Prescription glasses, prescription sunglasses, contact lenses, solution, and eye exams are all FSA/HSA-eligible. This matters in December because FSA funds are use-it-or-lose-it and expire on the same deadline for most people. You can stack them: use your vision allowance first, then pay the remaining balance with FSA dollars.
FSA holders alone forfeit an estimated $4.5 billion a year — averaging around $441 per person — and about half of account holders lose something every year. Unused vision allowances are on top of that, and they're harder to track because nothing shows up as a "balance" anywhere.
A short email before your plan year ends, telling you what you likely still have and that it's about to reset. That's it — a few emails a year, timed to your plan. No app to download, no account to manage, and we don't sell your information.