Costco Optical Insurance Acceptance Policy Explained

Costco Wholesale sign on a building

Costco Optical locations accept several types of vision insurance, including major national providers like Davis Vision, MESVision, and Spectera.

However, keep in mind that optometrists at Costco are independent doctors who are not employed by Costco and may not accept insurance for eye services. Costco does not accept insurance online.

For more details, see below.

Costco Optical Insurance Acceptance Explained

Costco Wholesale accepts most vision insurance plans at its in-store optical centers. However, you must be a Costco member to visit a Costco Optical center.[1]

Costco does not accept insurance for online orders of contact lenses or sunglasses, and it does not sell prescription eyeglasses online.[2]

We researched insurance providers’ websites and contacted Costco Optical centers in Arizona, Florida, Illinois, New York, Ohio, Oregon, Pennsylvania, Texas, and Washington to confirm that Costco takes the following national vision insurance plans:

  • Davis Vision[3]
  • FEP BlueVision[4]
  • MESVision[5]
  • MetLife[6]
  • Spectera[7]
  • Superior Vision[8]
  • UnitedHealthcare[9]
  • VBA Vision[10]

About 10% of the Costco Optical centers we contacted said their eye doctors don’t accept insurance. Optometrists at Costco are independent doctors who are not employed by Costco, so they can choose whether or not to accept insurance for their optical services.

Before booking an appointment, you may want to contact your local Costco to find out if the eye doctor at your intended location accepts your insurance plan.

Costco Optical centers also suggest contacting your vision insurance provider to make sure Costco is in-network.

Vision Insurance Not Accepted at Costco

In the course of our research, we were unable to find any Costco Optical locations that accept the following insurance plans:

  • Aetna
  • EyeMed Vision Benefits
  • Humana
  • TRICARE

Note that insurance acceptance can vary by location, so your local store may take additional insurance plans; contact your nearest Costco Optical for details.

More Information

For an alternative to Costco Optical centers, we also have the details on insurance accepted at Sam’s Club Optical Centers.


18 comments


  • Shari Knavel

    Does Costco Optical accept CareCredit?

    • First Quarter Finance logo
      First Quarter Finance | Lindsey Desmet

      Hello, Shari! Costco Optical does not accept CareCredit. However, you can use CareCredit and Walmart and Sam’s Club Vision Centers. For more information, see our article on stores that accept CareCredit.

  • Ashley Richardson

    Do they accept TRICARE?

    • First Quarter Finance logo
      First Quarter Finance | Lindsey Desmet

      Hello, Ashley! The Costco Optical locations we contacted did not accept TRICARE, but as noted in our article, insurance acceptance does vary by location. You may want to use TRICARE’s “Find a Doctor” tool or contact your local Costco to confirm whether it accepts TRICARE. Best of luck!

  • Patricia Stayton

    Does Costco accept Humana insurance?

    • First Quarter Finance logo
      First Quarter Finance | Lindsey Desmet

      Hello, Patricia! Unfortunately, the Costco Optical locations we checked do not accept Humana, but you may still want to contact your local Costco Optical to check — insurance acceptance can vary by location. To help you find a covered provider in your area, Humana also offers a vision provider finder tool online. (Just select “Vision” from the “Search type” drop-down menu.) Best of luck!

  • Tim Elsen

    How long does processing online membership take? Does Costco Optical accept MetLife insurance?

    • First Quarter Finance logo
      First Quarter Finance | Lindsey Desmet

      Hello, Tim! If you purchase a Costco membership online, you will receive your member number as soon as your payment processes — usually within a day. Costco will not mail your membership card; instead, just bring the confirmation email and your ID to the membership counter at a Costco store to receive your card.

      Costco Optical does accept MetLife vision insurance at some locations. We have updated our article to include this information. However, to confirm whether your location accepts it, you will need to contact your local Costco or check the MetLife provider search.

      Best of luck!

  • John

    Does Costco Optical accept Cigna Vision insurance?

    • First Quarter Finance logo
      First Quarter Finance | Lindsey Desmet

      Hello, John! Unfortunately, we were unable to identify any Costco Optical locations that accept Cigna. However, insurance acceptance does vary by location; it’s best to check the Cigna Vision Network provider search or call your local Costco to see whether Costco Optical will accept your plan. Best of luck!

  • Jerry Hazen

    I have had cataract surgery and I have UnitedHealthcare AARP MedicareComplete Plan 3 (HMO). My plan says new lenses required after my surgery are a zero co-pay. Does Costco accept this insurance for glasses?

    • First Quarter Finance logo
      First Quarter Finance | Lindsey Desmet

      Hello, Jerry! We were able to confirm that Costco Optical does accept UnitedHealthcare plans; however, you will need to log in to UnitedHealthcare’s provider search to confirm that Costco is in-network for your specific plan. You can also call your local Costco Optical to ask if it accepts your plan. We have updated our article to include UnitedHealthcare. Best of luck!

  • arthur caplan

    Does Costco take WellCare insurance for eyeglasses and hearing aids?

    • First Quarter Finance logo
      First Quarter Finance | Lindsey Desmet

      Hello, Arthur! Unfortunately, none of the Costco stores we contacted accept WellCare. However, insurance acceptance does vary by store; you may want to contact your local Costco or use WellCare’s provider search to find a covered provider in your area. Best of luck!

    • Kate

      Does Costco optical take Aetna insurance through the Carpenters Union?

      • First Quarter Finance logo
        First Quarter Finance | Lindsey Desmet

        Hello, Kate! The Costco locations we contacted do not take Aetna; we also checked Aetna’s provider finder and were unable to find any Costco locations that take it. However, as noted in our research, accepted plans can vary by location. You may want to contact your local Costco store or, to find a nearby alternative, use Aetna’s provider finder. Best of luck!

  • James Duran

    Does Costco Vision Center accept Superior Vision Insurance coverage?

    • First Quarter Finance logo
      First Quarter Finance | Lindsey Desmet

      Hello, James! The Costco Optical centers we checked do accept Superior Vision; we’ve updated the article to include this information. However, note that Costco’s optometrists are independent, so insurance acceptance will vary by location. You may want to call your local Costco or check Superior Vision’s provider locator before visiting.

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