Even if you don’t have corrective lenses, you should get an eye exam once a year. Eye doctors often are the first to find signs of serious health conditions, including high cholesterol, high blood pressure and diabetes.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. 26 and concludes 5 p.m. Nov. 12.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.
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?
Final rates will be provided the week of Oct. 15. 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.
| Information about benefit options are being provided during the next several weeks to better enable you to make the best choices for your household. Previous: 6 things to know about open enrollment Consumer-driven health plan gaining traction Traditional health plan options available Dental coverage from BCBS is available Next: Plan rates for 2019 |
In the premier option, frames can be purchased every calendar year. If you use the plan for contacts instead of glasses, VSP pays $120 toward your contacts on the basic plan and $150 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.
