Affordable Designer Prescription Eyewear from Warby Parker Now Available to People Enrolled in UnitedHealthcare Medicare Advantage Plans


Published November 19, 2018

  • Expanded network relationship enables approximately 2 million UnitedHealthcare Medicare Advantage plan participants to purchase custom eyewear for little or no out-of-pocket cost

  • UnitedHealthcare Medicare Advantage plan participants are the first Medicare beneficiaries to have network access to Warby Parker

Warby Parker’s designer prescription eyewear is now available to approximately 2 million people enrolled in UnitedHealthcare Medicare Advantage plans, either online at warbyparker.com or at more than 80 Warby Parker stores nationwide.

This marks the first time Warby Parker is accepting Medicare insurance. People enrolled in Medicare Advantage plans that include eyewear benefits through UnitedHealthcare Vision can purchase prescription eyewear from Warby Parker for little or no out-of-pocket cost, often for less than $50.

The expansion builds on an existing network relationship that provides people with employer-sponsored and individual UnitedHealthcare plans access to Warby Parker’s designer eyewear for only a copayment. UnitedHealthcare became the first insurance plan accepted by Warby Parker in 2017.

Warby Parker helps make designer eyewear more affordable and the process of buying glasses easy, fun and more convenient. People can click here for a list of locations or get started by completing an online quiz to identify eyewear options that may work well for them. Warby Parker will then ship five frames so they can try them on in the comfort of their home, all for no additional cost.

During the open-enrollment season for 2019 health benefits, UnitedHealthcare is enhancing its vision benefits for people enrolled in employer-sponsored and individual plans.

Benefit buy-up options for 2019 include an “additional pair” package that enables people to use their UnitedHealthcare vision plan to purchase a second pair of prescription eyewear at any network provider for their normal or reduced copay and coinsurance (depending on plan design). Separately, employers and plan participants enrolled in both UnitedHealthcare medical and vision plans will be able to select a “workplace safety” package that provides coverage for a pair of prescription safety glasses or blue-limiting eyewear.

“Our expanded relationship with Warby Parker and additional benefit options will help support more Americans with their eye health, which is important for overall health,” said John Ryan, general manager, UnitedHealthcare Vision. “We know baby boomers are looking for a more convenient and personalized health care experience, and we believe they will find Warby Parker’s innovative model both appealing and affordable as they shop for eyewear.”

More information about UnitedHealthcare’s 2019 Medicare plans is available here and at UHCMedicareHealthPlans.com

About Warby Parker

Warby Parker was founded with a rebellious spirit and a lofty objective: to offer designer eyewear at a revolutionary price, while leading the way for socially conscious businesses. Every idea starts with a problem. Theirs was simple: glasses are too expensive. By circumventing traditional channels, designing glasses in-house, and engaging with customers directly, they’re able to provide higher-quality, better-looking prescription eyewear starting at $95 (a fraction of the going price).

Warby Parker also believes that everyone has the right to see. Almost one billion people worldwide lack access to glasses, which means that 15% of the world’s population cannot effectively learn or work. To help address this problem, Warby Parker partners with non-profits like VisionSpring to ensure that for every pair of glasses sold, a pair is distributed to someone in need.

About UnitedHealthcare

UnitedHealthcare is dedicated to helping people live healthier lives and making the health system work better for everyone by simplifying the health care experience, meeting consumer health and wellness needs, and sustaining trusted relationships with care providers. In the United States, UnitedHealthcare offers the full spectrum of health benefit programs for individuals, employers, and Medicare and Medicaid beneficiaries, and contracts directly with more than 1.2 million physicians and care professionals, and 6,500 hospitals and other care facilities nationwide. The company also provides health benefits and delivers care to people through owned and operated health care facilities in South America. UnitedHealthcare is one of the businesses of UnitedHealth Group (NYSE: UNH), a diversified health care company. For more information, visit UnitedHealthcare at www.uhc.com or follow @UHC on Twitter.

Plans are insured through UnitedHealthcare Insurance Company or one of its affiliated companies. For Medicare Advantage and Prescription Drug Plans: A Medicare Advantage organization with a Medicare contract and a Medicare-approved Part D sponsor. Enrollment in these plans depends on the plan’s contract renewal with Medicare. Other providers are available in our network.

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