Contact Lens Annual Supply
Many – but I’m sure not all – contact lenses wearers are aware of the benefits of ordering a full annual supply of contacts at the time of your exam. Not only are you less likely to cause eye irritation by over wearing your lenses because you’re worried you’ll run out, but you can also save some serious dollars through instant or mail-in rebates!
Here’s the short story on contact lens rebates: they generally only apply to buying a full year’s worth of lenses, although some brands offer a lesser rebate for a smaller supply. Rebates are also generally limited to the newest lens brands from the lens manufacturers, who try to encourage patients to upgrade to the newest technology. Besides, the older lenses usually cost less in the first place.
Because rebates are generally only available for newer lens brands, this also means that sometimes your total cost for an annual supply of newer lenses isn’t much more than for older lenses, after you factor in the rebate.
Lastly, more expensive lenses often have more substantial rebates. Specialty lenses like multifocal and toric lenses sometimes have a larger rebate than standard soft lenses, and daily disposables definitely have the largest rebates of any lens. My most-prescribed daily disposable has an ongoing $100 rebate if you buy them through the Costco optical ($85 rebate) and get the coupon from our office at your exam ($15 rebate). When using this rebate and factoring in the cost of contact solutions that you DON’T have to buy with dailies (on average, $80-100 for the year), your total cost of ownership for the year is almost identical with dailies as with a standard reusable lens!
Bottom line: if you can afford to put out a little extra money initially to buy the full year’s worth of contacts at once, it will benefit you both financially and health-wise in the long run. At your next exam, be sure to ask if your brand of contacts offers a rebate for an annual supply, and make sure you walk out of our office with a coupon if applicable.
Costco Eye Doctor 