Even if you don’t have corrective lenses, you should get an eye exam once a year. Eye doctors are the first to find signs of serious health conditions, including high cholesterol, high blood pressure and diabetes.Photo by Steve Wood | University Relations
UAB offers vision benefits, and eligible employees of UAB, UAB Hospital and UAB Hospital Management LLC will have the option to choose or decline that coverage during the annual open enrollment for benefits that begins 7 a.m. Oct. 20 and concludes 5 p.m. Nov. 6.
UAB offers its stand-alone vision benefit through Vision Service Plan (VSP), which provides coverage for routine eye exams, lenses and frames, contacts — both in and outside its network — and discounts for LASIK eye surgery (in-network only) and other special discounts to plan members. Employees also may choose a premium plan option — similar to basic and comprehensive coverage in dental insurance — that includes new replacement frames every year. There are no plan design changes for 2024, and there will be no rate increases for the 2024 plan year.
Whether or not you could benefit from vision insurance is not always readily apparent, especially if you don’t have any problems with your eyesight. But if you do need corrective lenses or have a growing family, it could prove valuable. There’s no escaping the math.
Start by asking yourself five questions:
- How much do I spend on vision products and services each year?
Include the cost of annual eye exam(s), glasses, contacts and any anticipated costs for LASIK surgery.
- How much would my premiums cost?
More on open enrollment:
Previous: 5 things to know about open enrollment
Why a consumer-driven health plan can make good financial sense
3 traditional health plan options available for 2024
Dental coverage from BCBS is available during open enrollment
Next: Premium rates for health, dental and vision available for 2024
Final rates will be provided the week of Oct. 9. As with all UAB health care coverage, premiums are paid with pre-tax dollars through payroll deduction.
- What does the plan actually cover?
VSP covers routine, preventive eye care services at reduced rates plus coverage for or discounts on annual eye examinations, eyeglass frames and lenses, contact lenses and LASIK surgery. UAB employees will not experience any change in vision benefit coverage from previous years. More plan detail is available in the Open Enrollment Toolkit.
- Is there a provider I like who accepts this vision plan?
VSP has a nationwide network of providers. UAB Eye Care, the University Optometric Group faculty practice and UAB Ophthalmology all participate in the VSP network. Find a VSP doctor or a participating retail chain online or call 800-877-7195.
- How do I get the most out of vision insurance?
Use it. If you know you need vision correction and get regular eye exams, VSP could save you money. The plan was designed to significantly lower your out-of-pocket costs for vision-related expenses.
With VSP, you pay monthly premium x12 + $15 exam co-pay + 25 glasses co-pay. You will only pay $35 for anti-reflective coatings, and the plan pays for scratch-resistant coatings.
Without vision benefits, eye exams typically cost up to $155. Glasses can cost anywhere from $100 to $500+ (depending on your lens prescription and your frame of choice). The average annual savings with a VSP provider, including your annual premium is more than $300. VSP covers either lenses and frame or contacts.
In the basic plan you can receive frames every other calendar year. In the premier option frames can be purchased every calendar year. The frame allowance on the basic plan is $190 and $240 for the premier option. If you use the plan for contacts instead of glasses, VSP pays $160 toward your contacts on the basic plan and $190 under the premier option. With both basic and premier plans, you will pay no more than $60 for your contact lens exam (fitting and evaluation).
If you use vision services, you may have more exact numbers, which is even better for your calculations.
