MetLife Vision Plan

Effective January 1, 2026, MetLife Vision Insurance will be offered to full-time and part-time faculty and staff working at least 50% of a full-time schedule and have an assignment duration of 9 or more months.

The Vision Plan benefits include:

  • Coverage for routine eye exams, glasses and contact lenses
  • Choice of in-network retail chains, including Warby Parker, LensCrafters, Target Optical, Visionworks, Pearle Vision and Costco Optical, and online optical retailers
  • Freedom to visit any provider in or out of network for exams and eyewear
Find an in-network provider near you at metlife.com. Instructions on how to search for a provider can be found here.

Participation in the MetLife Vision Plan

Participation in the MetLife Vision Plan is voluntary. You may elect this coverage within 30 days of your new employee benefits orientation meeting, during the annual open enrollment period, or if you have a life or career event.

If you choose a membership which includes your spouse or dependent children, coverage is available only for the family members who are listed on your enrollment. If you wish to enroll newly eligible family members (for example, a newborn, an adopted child, or a new spouse) because you have a life or career event, you may request the change through Employee Self Service at BUworks Central by selecting the option “Manage my Benefits – Life or Career Events” within 30 days of the life or career event.

When you join the MetLife Vision plan, your subscriber ID number is your BUID number, excluding the letter ‘U’.

MetLife Davis Vision Coverage

Benefit Overview Vision insurance can reduce your out-of-pocket expenses for eye care and eyewear.
Covered Services
  • Eye exams
  • Eyewear
  • Lens enhancement options, including, but not limited to, polycarbonate, UV coating, scratch-resistant coating and blue light filtering1
Additional Benefits
  • Selection of fully covered frames at no additional cost to you
  • Access to the Exclusive Collection, with coverage on designer frames for $40 or less and with a one-year breakage warranty
  • Choice of retail chains in-network, including Warby Parker, LensCrafters, Target Optical, America’s Best, Costco Optical, Visionworks, Walmart Vision Center and more
  • Online in-network eyewear stores, including Glasses.com, Warby Parker, 1-800 Contacts, Target Optical, LensCrafters and ContactsDirect
MetLife Davis Vision
In-Network Out-of-Network
Exams2 $10 Up to $45
Materials $25 Reimbursement2
Exam Frequency Once Every Calendar Year Once Every Calendar Year
Lenses or Contact Lenses* Once Every Calendar Year Once Every Calendar Year
Frames Once Every Calendar Year Once Every Calendar Year
Frames
Frame Allowance (Retail) $150 allowance, 20% off amount over allowance $150
Lenses
Single Vision 100% after $25 copay Up to $30
Bifocal 100% after $25 copay Up to $50
Trifocal 100% after $25 copay Up to $65
Contact Lenses Yes Yes
Elective4 $150 allowance, 15% off amount over allowance $0
Necessary5 Paid in full $210 allowance
Other Benefits In-Network Only In-Network Only
LASIK Coverage No No
 Out-of-Pocket Cost for Progressive Lenses
Type of Progressive Lenses  Copayment Amount
Progressive Standard Up to $50
Progressive Premium Up to $90
Progressive Ultra Up to $140
Progressive Ultimate Up to $175
1Not all in-network providers offer member discounts on out-of-pocket costs for lens enhancements. Members should verify with their provider prior to scheduling an appointment. Please note that Costco and Warby Parker do not participate in these discount programs.Providers That Accept Davis Vision Lens Enhancement Discounts are Walmart Optical, LensCrafters, Target Optical, Pearle Vision, Visionworks, America’s Best, Eyeglass World, JC Penney Optical, Vista Optical in Fred Meyer, Total Vision, MyEyeDr, EyeMart Express, Shopko Optical, Bard Optical, and Vision Source.
2Annual preventative eye exams are covered at no cost under your Boston University Health Plan.
3Members who obtain materials from an out-of-network provider are responsible for paying the provider directly. To receive reimbursement for part of the expense, members must submit a reimbursement form to MetLife.
4Contact lenses are covered under the vision plan when a member elects to apply their vision benefit allowance toward contact lenses in place of eyeglasses. A member is not eligible to use the contact lenses and frame benefit during the same calendar year. Elective lenses refer to lenses that are not deemed medically necessary and are used when vision can be adequately corrected with glasses.
5Medically necessary contact lenses are prescribed for certain medical conditions in which glasses are insufficient to properly correct vision. Contact lenses qualify for coverage under the vision plan only when the in-network providers include the relevant diagnosis code with the claim. If you have any questions regarding eligible diagnoses, please reach out to MetLife at 1-833-EYE-LIFE (1-833-393-5433). 

In-Network Eye Care Providers Near You

The Davis Vision network comprises ophthalmologists, optometrists and many of the nation’s largest retail centers. A large percentage of private practice eye care professionals also work in a retail/storefront environment.

In-network Eye Care Providers 

Online Vision Benefits

MetLife Vision Insurance featuring the Davis Vision network provides in-network access to the following online retailers.

  • LensCrafters at lenscrafters.com
  • Target Optical at targetoptical.com
  • Glasses.com at glasses.com
  • 1-800 Contacts at 1800contacts.com
  • ContactsDirect at contactsdirect.com

Costco Online is not a MetLife in-network provider. To utilize your vision benefits at Costco, please visit a physical retail storefront location.

Need help finding a provider? Call 1-833-EYE-LIFE (1-833-393-5433).

Metropolitan Life Insurance Company
200 Park Avenue
New York, NY 10166

For additional questions, please contact the Human Resources Service Center at hr@bu.edu or 617-353-2380.