Survey: Scleral lens costs

Dates: June 11-16, 2026

Participants: 362

 

Cost of scleral lenses (including fitting)

308 people fitted for both eyes

54 people fitted for one eye only

Of this cost, what percent did insurance cover?

308 people fitted for both eyes

54 people fitted for one eye only

How much did a replacement lens cost?

113 people

Did insurance cover any of the replacement lens cost?

Cost of supplies

Annual cost of items including insertion and removal tools, cases, salines, cleaning solutions, equipment such as mirrors or special lights, etc.

308 people who wear 2 lenses

54 people who wear 1 lens

Comments from participants (125)

Survey comments are grouped roughly by topic.

Insurance covering partially or sometimes

• It took me 9 months to get my daughters lenses covered at 60%, so many calls, letters and stress.  

• There's inconsistency with insurance. When I worked in corporate, my health and vision insurance covered KC. Now, as self-employeed with individual insurance, it's difficult to find insurance that covers KC. I haven't had an eye exam in over 2 years and the contacts are probably 3+ years old. It will cost me over $2k without insurance. 

• "My first 2 pairs were not covered. But that was because I had different insurance and I didn’t need my glasses after my eye surgery. Had I known I may have worked around paying for glasses not lens."

• My insurance covers glasses OR the lenses.  Not both. One or the other is always out of pocket.

• You have to fight tooth and nail to get insurance to pay for anything!

• It used to be covered by insurance.  Coverage was removed sometime after Jan 2024.

• According to my insurance, the contacts should be covered 100%, but they are not being billed correctly when they submit it to the insurance company.

•  Insurance covers the contact itself as medically necessary, but wouldn't cover the fitting of said contact. Smdh.
  

Insurance covering sclerals in full (or close)

• I ended up getting LASIK after superficial keretectamies in both eye to clear up abmd which caused dry eyes. But I had sclerals from 2021-2025, ended in Jan 2026. Insurance paid in full every year after the first year bc of the last bullet point on the list that basically equates to “cannot get better than 20/30 with glasses.” The first year I paid $400 or $500, $0 all the other years. I was lucky but I was convinced my eyes would get better and insurance would stop covering them, so I just got LASIK from Mass Eye and Ear 1 month ago. 

• Mine are only covered every 24 months, even if my condition progresses.  So while I get 100% coverage due to medical necessity it is more like 50% if I were to get contacts annually like I need :(

• My insurance covers the full cost every other year.  It is outrageous that these lenses which are medically necessary are not covered every year!!  

• My insurance covers only one set per year. Usually I need a new prescription before the year is up, which means that much of the time my eyesight is poor. Also, lenses will become scratched from normal cleaning , further reducing my vision.

• My health insurance covers the lenses 100% due to keratoconus. The fitting is not covered 100% because I have an excellent provider that is not in network and I REFUSE to go to someone in network who is not well versed with scleral lenses. 

• My insurance covers all but the tax of my lenses.

• Insurance coverage is becoming more restrictive with less and less acceptable medical diagnosis to qualify for coverage.  I have a very good VSP and Blue Shield California PPO and between the two, my doctor has been able to navigate maximum coverage and benefits.  I get a replacement pair of lenses once a year.

• I've been wearing scleras for over 10 years. My insurance (Kaiser) paid for the original lens. 

• My insurance covers the cost completely!  I have noticed over the years that the cost of scleral lenses has come down!

• For me the lens and fitting are covered by insurance

Insurance not covering sclerals (or minimally)

• I am due to get new ones as soon as the eyes heal from cataract surgery. My understanding is that the cost of the lenses will not be insured. My last pair of lenses were about $3000, so we will see what the new ones cost.

• It is absurd that my lenses are not covered. I have Keratoconus. I’ve tried several times to get them covered. A letter from my doctor means nothing to insurance companies!

• I think it’s awful insurance. It’s not helping with the cost at most places. This is a medical disease so it should be covered at least partially.

• It’s awful insurance doesn’t pay for any of my contacts or things! It’s a medical condition not a frivolous thing

• The fact that insurance won’t cover them is incredibly annoying. My private insurance wouldn’t, even though I had a letter declaring them medically necessary. Medicare won’t cover them. My separate vision insurance won’t cover them because they consider them to be medical equipment and should be covered by Medicare. It is recommended to get a new pair every year, so that’s $1100 a year plus the cost of supplies which runs around $600. Then the cost of the glasses I still need to wear over them. 

• I have eye med, they used to cover medically necessary but they no longer cover them

• It's frustrating that my insurance will not cover medically necessary lenses. 

• I pay $1,500.00 each time.  Insurance covers less than $200.00 each time.
  

Medicare

• Medicare covered all but $600 of my last lenses. That was the first time I had coverage by Medicare.

• I wish Medicare would cover their costs

• I wish Medicare would recognize that medically necessary lenses, fittings and supplies are not “routine” and at least pay something.

• How to get Medicare to pay for them.

• Also have meibomian gland dysfunction, and Scleral lenses help with that.  My previous work insurance did cover the cost for my Scleral menses, but I have Medicare A&B with Cigna MediGap, as well as Cigna Optical/Dental/Hearing and Prescription plans, and none of those cover the cost of the menses.

• Medicare didn’t cover my lenses or my replacements. Replacement lenses cost me 13 hundred. I have to wear every day due to Steven’s Johnson syndrome I had 10 years ago due to Bactrim antibiotic. Have been wearing Prose lenses ever since. I was fitted for them at Wilmer eye center at Johns Hopkins hospital. 

• Continue to pay a horrendous monthly amount for insurance coverage because Medicare does not cover scleral lenses!

• I did not know that medicare would absorb some of the cost for my Scleral :lenses I have had Keratoconus for over 60 yrs. the RGP's were creating scaring and dis comfort:  

• "I was on disability for 5 years after being diagnosed legally blind. Eye Print Pro was the only way I could tolerate Scleral lenses as I had worn ""regular"" Scleral lenses for many years prior. Until after around 50 fittings it was determined I could not tolerate them. I had/have Medicare due to the disability and they refused to help pay anything towards my Eye Print Pro that allowed me to see at 20/25. It was very disheartening to learn I had to spend $7000 out of pocket so I could achieve that level of vision and get myself off disability and no longer receive a monthly disability payment. I had also contacted every department involved in my disabilty to ask for help, only to be told they can't help with any cost. About 6 years now in Eye Prints I still am responsible for all cost associated that allow me to see and do not draw disability. I replaced both lenses this last year again at a cost of $5500, all out of pocket. Just seems wrong that someone whom wants to work and vision can be corrected enough to do so and not draw disability had to pay that type of money out of pocket. I continue to be 100% fiscally responsible if I want to see. Currently with correction I still see at 20/25 with no progression of Keratoconus noted. I also have astigmatism, light sensitive, and chronic dry eye all in both eyes. Medicare would've probably helped with cornea transplants I was told and qualified for the list. However after consults with specialist from all over the country it was agreed to probably not be a good option in my case. Could try if I wanted but rejection was a high possibility and not recommended. Best case scenario I would need transplants every 2-4 years if the procedure was successful. Lastly of course none of my expenses for eye products are covered. Everything I do to see and care for my eyes is an out of pocket expense.

• In my many years of wearing sclerals, I have worked with an eye doctor who was able to decipher the maze of medicare and get payment for my lenses. But, they only pay every five years. I find in my case, I need new ones at least once a year. So, I pony up $1500 for ZEN lenses every year or so. Sometimes I get two pair because the first pair need tweeking. I use alot of products because of mucus build-up. 

• I’ve traveled to Miami and spent well over 5000 for a lens and air and hotel. The lens alone was 5k for one and it didn’t work. The warranty is 3 months and who has 5k to spend to get it right and needing replacements. The doctors out a lot of time into having em the lens made just right to fit your eye and have chosen not to wait on a reimbursement from insurance as it doesn’t cover the time and effort put into making a lens . So i switched to a PROSE scleral lens and the results have been so much better! Boston sight is a foundation and they have been the best that I’ve ever seen! I’ve been around the block tryna get the right fit. What’s Amazing is they make a lens in 2-3 hours and if the fit isn’t right they can make another one in the same amount of time. I needed a referral and i found a doctor who gave me a referral and I’ve been with them ever since. Fees I believe are sliding scale and they do charge your insurance and medicare has covered . Boston sight has accepted what medicare pays. So it’s been a win win for me. I Am legally blind and can only see out of one eye. I Am pleased with their service. My vision has been 20/30 20/40 with the prose ! 

VSP

• My lenses are currently covered under VSP insurance in California.  I had lost my group insurance coverage when I retired and turned 65. My doctor told me that individual policies were not worth the premiums for the costs they cover for specialty lenses.  Without insurance my lenses cost over $2,000 after previous costing only $150 out of pocket.  Fortunately I was able tp get VSP insurance again through my University alumni plan and the cost is back to $150 again.

• VSP/Guardian doesn't cover scleral lenses if the vision can technically be corrected to 20/20 with glasses. 

• Since I do get 20/20 correction with glasses (but not with soft contacts), sclerals are basically a luxury/vanity item for me. I have no medical coverage for my lenses, and VSP vision insurance from my employer covers only a tiny fraction of the cost.

• "Thanks to. VSP for 100% coverage of scleral lenses!  I hope you can promote VSP as a result.  

• I wish that they were not so expensive and that my VSP would cover medically necessary contacts for self insured people. They said that they would only cover them if I had corporate insurance/VSP coverage 

• [NOTE FROM REBECCA: Some insurers’ coverage depends on patients achieving 2 or more likes of improvement to visual acuity. This would exclude people who are getting sclerals for non-visual indications.]

Insurance - group vs individual

• The extremely low reimbursement percentage my current insurance provides is made by the same company that used to cover near 100% but because I am an individual I pay drastically more than when I was affiliated with a company.
  

Uninsured

• I am lucky to be near a clinic operated by the University of Houston (although I live in Dallas) so specialized eye care is provided for uninsured patients such as myself at deep discounts. I paid around $200 for my lenses (including fittings!) a little over a year ago when I first got diagnosed with keratoconus. I will be going in soon for an annual exam to assess my first year+ and see if I need any further adjustments. 
  

Providers and insurance

• I was very uncomfortable with my RGP lenses (long time user) and love my sclerals. My provider made no effort to use insurance, considering it ‘not medical’. 

• My current doctor whom I've been seeing for about six months has my lenses covered by insurance. During the previous nine years when I unsuccessfully worked with two doctors who couldn't get the  lenses right, I had to pay the entire cost of the lenses and appointments.

• I now have insurance my provider does not take and no idea where to go with this other insurance! Do not want to change providers abd need new lenses! Help! 

• I fought to get my insurance company to cover some cost, but because of some non compliant issue with the eye center I go to, they refused coverage. Very lame!

• The only provider of scleral lenses in my whole area doesn't even attempt to bill insurance for either the fitting or lenses, because he said so few of them cover anything. It's not worth the cost of his time and paperwork to do so. How sad!

More opinions about insurance

• If Insurance will cover a 20,000.00 cornea transplant it should cover lens so people can see with kerataconus 

• It’s a shame that insurance companies do not understand the relief a patient can receive from wearing Scleral lenses. Recently I had to manage without one or both lens. It was unpleasant and I will do what it takes to always have access to doctors who specialize in Scleral lenses. 

• Insurance should cover these.  Needing scleral lenses is the best effective treatment for medical conditions with a big deleterious effect on vision

• "I was never told the overall cost of my lenses! I had to put $1000. Up front to get the lenses ordered.  Yesterday I received  additional bill for$1423, I was shocked. Ì need to submit this to insurance,but I doubt they will cover this. I have wait 45 days for a response.  Not happy!"

• I’m hoping that insurance companies will start contributing to or more to the costs and supplies of the lenses

• Insurance should cover the lenses.  They are necessary to prevent further eye damage

• Insurance should cover the lenses especially when it's medically necessary to see because glasses don't work.

• I have never understood why this is not covered under medical insurance. Or really why any eye or tooth issue isn’t!

More on the impact of costs & inadequate insurance coverage

• It’s definitely put a dent in my pockets having to have the supplies for my lense

• "The cost minus insurance for my specialty scleral lenses, has overall been exorbitant. Past 6 to 8 years less cost out of pocket. However. Getting appointments is extremely difficult. Being  in care of a practitioner who can fit the lenses without multiple visits. Multiple changes. Thats my issue. And I can never be informed how much I have to pay before they release my lens. As if they are hostage. Ive seen it all. Right now trying to get this years visit. At least one lens worn out every year. Needs replaced. I am paying towards deductible plus cost of lens. THE LENSES ARE MY LIFE LINE."

• I'm on limited ss income and my visual correction is a burden. I also have 4 pair of glasses; each for a different purpose. However I'm grateful that I see.

• It's frustrating that none of the costs of the lenses, solutions, etc. are covered by insurance. Without these contacts, I can't see well enough to drive. Therefore, I should be considered disabled.

• I wish my insurance would help out. Very frustrating

• I have needed to forego vision exams and follow up due to the limits of my coverage. 

Supplies - availability & related issues

• We're intermittently to often inconvenienced by companies going out of business, recalls, and extended delays resupplying post-recall, etc.

• The cost and availability of scleral supplies is frustrating.  I wish local retailers would carry these items. Manufacturing and recalls are constant.  Seems like the FDA could do a better job of making these supplies more affordable and available. 

•  I will say that getting proper supplies for daily use seems more difficult all the time.

• Sometimes hard to find my lens solution lately B&L Boston Simplus

• I was only subjected to one product for my vision and its only available online  and only cheaper on one website witch can sometimes hold me back when I want purchase my item asap. With that it cost me more for shipping and waiting for items. 

• The Dry Eye shop subscription helps me receive my supplies without any issues 

• Because of the specialty of the lenses I have to order my supplies online. 

• After the pandemic some products was out of the market and the new ones don't work the same

Supplies - costs

• My costs even with Dry Eyes have risen as I must use Oasis Plus drops every 3 hours through the later afternoon and night because of Sjogrens disease dryness. Can only tolerate sclerals about 7 to 8 hours a day.

• The cost really adds up. 

• I would like to see insurance cover some of these costs. or if somehow the doctor could write prescriptions for them to get them covered.  Same with serum drops, they are medically necessary, yet there is no coverage.

• Finding the right case to soak the lenses in and the cost of the extra plungers and saline adds up. 

• First year costs were higher while I figured out which products were right for me and purchased other non-consumable Items like bags, mirrors, carrying cases, and other related dry eye products.

•  I always read the weekly emails from Dry Eye Shop and stock up when my favorite supplies are on sale! I also contribute the maximum to a health FSA and submit all lens & supplies costs so I can at least pay with pre-tax dollars. 

• When you first get them determining what solutions work best is a financial nightmare, thank goodness DryEye[Shop] provides some sample packages. 

• I use a lot of NaCl solution.  Costs for that vary widely from $15 to $73.  I finally found the best price at Amazon Pharmacy

• With the cost of saline solution, changing suction cups and solution for overnight soaking. It's well over 1000 every year. 

• Costco’s sales on Clear Care help!"

• Supplies should also be covered since it’s a medical necessary for having Sjogren  syndrome

• up keep is expensive for scleral lenses

• I wish insurance companies would consider covering some of the costs of the supplies as the lenses are medically necessary but the supplies are not? I get that they don't want to pay for anything but I didn't choose to have keratoconus and my vision can't be corrected enough with glasses or any other type of lens.

• I’m a heavy rinser, going through a box of 12, 4oz Purilens bottles every 24 days. It’s incredibly expensive, more than $60 a month just for saline.

• I was encouraged to use Refresh Celluvisc drops.  When I received the backordered drops, I discovered that they are extremely difficult to get any drops from. As noted above, supplies are expensive, I'd rather not lose money on the items.

• I included rewetting drops in the cost. I used them for lubrication, but also just to get a clearer view cause my tear quality is so poor and gunks up the lenses.

• …The saline and cleaning solutions are not [covered by insurance]. I can use my FSA for them, but that is the biggest cost 

• [Included] 1 time purchase of see green light and stand 

Lens/fitting costs

• 30 yrs ago i was fitted at BFS in Boston with Dr Rosenthal. 10K back then as this was brand new technology. 

• I’ve been wearing them over ten years. Prices vary from doc to doc.  Be smart and shop around. 

• My new scleral lens provider, Valley Optical in Eugene Oregon is $200 cheaper than my previous providers, Europa and SynergEyes.  They are proving to be a better lens for me.  Much better customer service as well.

• It is more expensive than any of us could ever have imagined, but since they are absolutely the only things providing me with vision on a daily basis, I pretty much spare no expense or effort on their behalf!!

• I had at least 5 fitting appointments before getting a pair ok enough to wear home. I didn't know it at the time due to insurance lag, but every appointment there was an eye scan to assess the fit and that scan along cost me $544 out of pocket each time. I have Reis Buchlers dystrophy and also went through the process of trying RGPs, which became incredibly uncomfortable for me to wear after 4-6 months.

• Scleral lenses are wonderful. It's too bad the price isn't lower. I won't be replacing mine until I absolutely have to!

• The cost of my original scleral lenses included a long try out/adjustment period in which I swapped out multiple lens variations and the fitting fee included the numerous appointments required for this process, so I thought the charges were reasonable. 

• I feel the costs are worthwhile--my vision is so much better and my eye health is improved!

• They are so expensive, and I'm glad I'm in a position that I can afford them (for now). I live in Canada and really resent that eye health is not considered part of the free healthcare system.

• The last time (2+ years ago) I was fitted and purchased new lenses, my out of pocket was approximately $1500. This year the fitting and lenses cost me over $1800.

• Previous doctor charged $1400 per lens. Current doctor charged $400 per lens. 

Overall costs & additional costs

• I have Keracotinus and moderate to severe dry eyes.  The dry eye costs are much greater than scleral lens supplies 

• The travel costs to fly multiple times to an expert scleral lens dr was thousands of dollars for flights, hotels, rental car, food, and time off from work for both myself and my husband. 

• A big cost is time - I had to take off from work ten times for appointments to get my scerlas fitted. In the first few months, I also had to take off time from work because it took so long to get my sclerals in

• Also have to purchase multiple glasses to see with and without my lense. Its more expensive because I need higher index lenses and coating plus transition for me to see well. Thank goodness for Zenni to buy more affordable glasses online.

• I don't know if all people with keratoconus are light sensitive, I am. I have the cost of sunglasses for different types of lighting (indoor/outdoor) and screens (computer/phone/television.) The use of these fluctuate depending on the dryness of my eyes. The drier, the more light needs to be filtered.

Replacements

• My lenses usually need replacing every other year, and sometimes I need one lens replaced more often than that. Because they are medically necessary they used to be covered by my insurance but now they're covering less and less.

• For several years, my insurance [Kaiser] paid part of any replacements. No longer. I need a left lens recently and insurance paid zip. I paid $1,195 out of pocket.

• I had to replace one PROSE lens due to the age of the lens $1,000. The other lens had to be replaced because the scarring encroached on the landing zone so it was a fit issue. That lens cost $750.

• Replacement (duplicate) lenses were includ in scleral lens + fitting cost.  

• Presently,  new lenses needed due to prescription changes were covered by current insurance

• If your eye prescription doesn't change you can wear the lenses for almost 2 years.

• I have put off purchasing a second / replacement pair for my current lenses due to potential out-of-pocket costs. The lenses have had surface damage (likely caused by my skincare products) since Nov or Dec 2025. When I mentioned it to my provider, they checked and confirmed I was out of the 30-day return window. So I’ve been waiting for August to come around so my insurance can cover them again. All this to say, I which the return / repair window was much longer.

• I lost a lens recently and the replacement cost is $700, all out of pocket. That's more than new glasses. 

• Last yr single lens was $400.  This year it was $500. [It wasn’t entirely clear whether this comment was about a replacement, but I assume so.]

• I have no means to cover the cost of replacement lenses so once these are either damaged, lost or my prescription changes, I will have no vision correction.

• Insurance has become very difficult for me when I needed a replacement lens, they refused to cover it.

Other comments

• Eye Print Pro  lens with the molding process is expensive, but worth the money if you have it

• They are challenging to travel with, as you need access to clean water and a clean bathroom or counter environment.

• "Need more cleaning options and would like the contacts to be marked for left and right eye

• Standardize equipment sent with scleral lenses

• Several years ago, I volunteered to be part of a scleral lenses manufacturer symposium at the optometry school where I get my care. My doctor Jason Jedlicka recommended me to participate in the Boston Sight group. I was to receive a free pair of lenses. However only one worked out. The criteria to be part of the event was the ability to put in and remove lenses easily and to be present all day for multiple fittings and demonstrations/teaching explanations by professors and students at the school.

• These were a little challenging getting these on the first week or so but now this is working very well.  

• They are difficult to put in

• It's a bit overwhelming…

• I have purchased 3 pairs in trying to find the right fit.