Nerdy Frames is a self service boutique optical. We have no direct partnerships with vision insurance providers. If your plan includes out-of-network benefits, and most do, you can be reimbursed for part or all of your purchase. Review your vision benefits for more information. The claim process is short:
Reimbursement amounts are set by your plan, so check your out-of-network schedule for exact coverage.
It’s the lenses. When an optical joins a vision plan’s network, most covered lens work is made at the insurance company’s contracted labs, using their terms, not ours. Those labs are run to minimize the insurance company’s cost, so we have no control over how long your order takes nor how it looks.
Our lenses are surfaced in our own lab where we have complete control over the quality.
The lenses we offer are listed as top tier lenses on your insurance plans. On EyeMed’s own 2024 classification, Varilux Comfort DRx sits in premium Tier 2 and Varilux Comfort Max in premium Tier 3. Here they are simply the progressive we fit you with, chosen by our opticians for how well they work.
EyeMed, the most widely held vision plan in the country, is owned by EssilorLuxottica, the largest company in eyewear. The same corporation owns LensCrafters, Pearle Vision, Target Optical, and Sunglass Hut, the frame brands Ray-Ban and Oakley, and the Essilor lens factories.
So in many places the insurance plan, the optical that accepts it, the frames on the wall, and the lab that makes the lenses are one company, and often the largest or only game in town. That is how the industry is organized, and it is why we chose to keep as much as we could in-house.
VSP, Spectera and Davis Vision have their own structures and their own pitfalls. We kept ourselves out of the mix.
The retail figures below come from the working price list of an independent New York City storefront optical, with the frame set at $300, the low end of boutique frame pricing. Our figures are complete-pair prices. Polycarbonate single vision lenses and an anti-glare or blue light coating are included in every Nerdy Frames frame price.
Retail pricing varies by city and by shop; these figures are one real list from many we have researched, shown so the comparison is concrete rather than vague. This is the pricing a self service boutique optical makes possible: the storefront, the chair time, and the sales floor aren’t in the price, and the lens work still happens in our own lab.
Unfortunately, we don't have any direct partnerships with vision insurance providers, but we can assist you in getting a reimbursement for your purchase after you have paid in full at the time of purchase. In order to be reimbursed, you will first need to fill out a form from your insurance provider. After you fill out their reimbursement form, you will need to provide an itemized receipt, which we can provide you with once you have completed your purchase. We've provided some links below of popular vision insurance providers to help you get started.
Please contact your vision insurance for more information on how to file for a reimbursement.
If you have any question or you need an itemized receipt, please email us at [email protected]
We accept both FSA and HSA payments, as long as they are in the form of a credit or debit card. After you have had completed a purchase with your FSA/HSA, you can then file for a reimbursement with your vision insurance provider.
