It's one of the first questions parents ask once it's clear their child needs glasses: will I get any of this back? The honest answer is that it depends on your insurer and on where you live, and the rules change regularly. This article won't give you amounts, but it will give you the quickest route to an answer that applies to you.
How to find out, in three steps
- Check your policy. Look for "glasses", "spectacles" or "vision" in the terms of your health insurance, including any supplementary cover. That's where it says whether children's lenses and frames are covered, in full or in part, and on what conditions.
- Ask your optician. Opticians deal with insurers every day and usually know the rules for each one. Take your policy details with you.
- Keep the receipt. Even if you're not sure you can claim anything, most insurers let you claim afterwards.
If you're paying some of it yourself: buy something that lasts
Children's glasses go everywhere, every day: school, the playground, the sports club, the swimming pool changing room. A frame that can take all of that works out cheaper than a new pair twice a year. What to look for:
- Strong materials. Our frames are made of acetate or stainless steel: light, sturdy and made for the way children actually live.
- Repairable, not disposable. With the OBE Flex System, the optician replaces a broken flex hinge at the counter, without sending the glasses away.
- A good fit. Glasses that fit last longer: less slipping, fewer adjustments, fewer accidents. See also which frame size fits my child?
Your optician is on your side
BBIG doesn't sell directly to parents, and that's deliberate: children's glasses should be fitted by someone who knows what they're doing. Your optician measures, adjusts and repairs, and knows how insurance works where you live. Find an optician near you and take your questions with you.