What Are the Largest Vision Insurance Companies?

VSP Vision Care is the largest vision insurance company in the country by far. More than 28 million people in the U.S. have a personal VSP plan.

And that's just a fraction of VSP's total members because most of the company's business comes from plans that companies offer their workers, called group insurance plans. In total, VSP says it has over 85 million members.

VSP is also easy to use. The company says it has almost 50,000 in-network offices, including eye doctor offices and locations in Walmart, Costco and Sam's Club. Plans start at $13 per month. And according to VSP, most people save about $350 per year on eye exams, glasses and contacts with a VSP plan.

Blue Cross Blue Shield (BCBS) is the second-largest vision insurance company, with 7.6 million members. Elevance (Anthem) sells the most vision insurance plans of any BCBS company, with 3.6 million members. That's almost half of BCBS's total enrollment.

Each BCBS company has its own plans, so your options will change depending on where you live. But most companies offer at least a few plans you can choose from.

Plus, BCBS has a good reputation as one of the best health insurance companies overall. Most BCBS companies have good service, and you can use BCBS coverage with a lot of eye doctors.

More than 1.8 million people have Humana vision insurance, making it the third-largest vision insurance company in the country.

Humana lets you get a stand-alone vision plan or bundle it with dental and hearing coverage. And Humana's vision coverage can start right away once you buy a plan, so if you need an eye exam quickly, it's a good option.

More than 170,000 offices take Humana vision insurance. But if there's not an in-network office near you, or if you want to use an out-of-network office, you still have some coverage. You'll pay more for your visit and glasses or contacts, but your insurance will still pay some of the cost.

It may seem odd to get vision insurance from a dental insurance company, but more than 1.8 million people do. The plans are called "DeltaVision" and are sold through partnerships with companies like VSP and EyeMed.

Just like Blue Cross Blue Shield, Delta Dental has individual companies in different areas. So the specific plan options you have with DeltaVision change depending on where you live.

UnitedHealthcare (UHC) has more than 780,000 members, making it the fifth-largest vision insurance company in the U.S.

The vision plans from UHC are called VisionWise. And like Humana's plans, UnitedHealthcare's vision plan coverage starts right away.

The coverage is fairly basic. If you stay inside UHC's network, routine eye exams are free. If you need vision correction, you'll pay just $10 for your glasses lenses, and you'll get $150 to put toward new frames. You'll also get $150 to put toward contacts, if you prefer those over glasses. If you go to an eye doctor that isn't in UHC's network, you'll pay more for your care.

You can also combine your vision insurance with a dental plan from UnitedHealthcare. Getting your plans from the same company can make managing your insurance easier and more convenient.

When you buy a UnitedHealthcare vision insurance plan, your coverage actually comes from Golden Rule Insurance Company.