Eyeglasses and Other Vision Aids

People with statutory health insurance almost always bear the cost of eyeglasses themselves. Only for children under the age of 18 and for those with severe visual impairments do statutory health insurance companies cover the cost of eyeglasses and other vision aids. Some private health insurance providers offer supplementary insurance for vision-related benefits to cover these risks.

For adults, statutory health insurance pays for vision aids for short- or long-sightedness of 6 diopters or higher, astigmatism of 4 diopters or higher, or level 1 blindness in both eyes. Insured persons must always pay for the spectacle frame themselves. The lenses are subsidized. Fixed amounts apply. The insured person must always pay for extras such as anti-reflective coating or tinting. Children and adolescents are entitled to eyeglasses. Normal vision is essential for overall development in childhood and adolescence.

For adults, the entitlement to benefits is limited to exceptional circumstances when they are medically necessary. Such exceptions exist when insured persons have a severe visual impairment of at least Level 1 in both eyes according to the classification of visual impairment recommended by the World Health Organization (WHO).

Generally, these insured persons require magnifying vision aids such as reading magnifiers, telescopic eyeglasses, or electronic magnifiers (screen readers) to read conventional texts. Insured persons with significant visual field defects are also included among the severely visually impaired and are thus entitled to be provided with vision aids.

Statutory health insurance companies pay for eyeglasses for short- and long-sightedness of 6 diopters or higher and astigmatism of 4 diopters or higher. In addition, there is an entitlement to therapeutic vision aids. These are special lenses and eyeglass lenses for treating eye injuries or eye diseases.

Beyond the groups mentioned above, those with statutory health insurance bear the entire cost for eyeglasses. A statutory health insurance subsidy for purchasing eyeglasses is available for welfare recipients and elderly people on low pensions. Affected persons should contact their statutory health insurance provider.