Kevin Knauss: Health, History, Travel, Insurance
Posts related to vision insurance plans for individuals, families and small groups.
Vision insurance, in general, is a little squishy in the sense that many of the benefits don’t have set copayment amounts. The plans seem designed more to drive traffic to optometrists than to limit the costs of the members. Granted, lens styles, special enhancements, and frames can vary greatly in cost. But the benefit summary of the vision plans does not give a clear indication of what a pair of glasses is going to cost or if the glasses are a good value after the insurance discounts.
A health plan without your preferred doctors is not health insurance. Similarly, dental or vision benefits without it being accepted by your preferred dentist or optometrist is just a selling gimmick. Consequently, before favoring a Medicare Advantage plan because of the dental or vision benefits embedded in the plan, it is important to learn about the network of providers and if your preferred doctor is in the network.
The final extra is the personal emergency response system (PERS). PERS is an emergency alert system that can be activated at the push of a button. It can work with an in-home landline, cellular network, and includes mobile GPS to identify the user’s location. The most advertised use for the personal emergency alert system is if the person falls and can’t get up. This can happen in the person’s home, while they out walking around the neighborhood, or hiking on a trail.
Covered California is giving individuals and families another option for vision insurance with the addition of EyeMed vision plans in 2016. The new EyeMed plans compete against the VSP Covered California vision plans added earlier in the year. Before families enroll in one of the vision plans they should remember that health insurance through Covered California also includes vision benefits for household members 18 years old and younger.
Covered California has struck a deal with VSP vision insurance plans to offer Covered California members vision insurance. The VSP vision insurance plan is only available to Covered California members. For the bare essentials of vision coverage, the VSP – Covered California plan is very competitive when compared to other insurance plans on the market. However, there are some eye wear options that don’t have specific copayment amounts and could cost the plan member more in the long run.
At the August 2015 Covered California Board meeting James DeBeneditti, Deputy Director of Plan Management, reviewed the options and challenges for offering vision insurance on the Covered California online enrollment website. The only viable option reported was to put a simple link on the Covered California website to vision insurance providers. For the inclusion of the hyperlink Covered California would charge $10,000 and take a 10% commission. The $10,000 implementation fee is essentially an advertising cost for the vision plan while Covered California acts like an unlicensed insurance agent collecting a 10% commission for selling vision insurance.
When searching for supplemental health benefits like dental and vision insurance, be cautious of paying additional fees or joining membership associations tied to the insurance. VSP vision insurance, Delta Dental and AARP all have marketing agreements that mandate the purchase of an association membership or one-time fee. These associations may offer little value to the member and only serve as another revenue stream for the issuing company.
Medicare beneficiaries who suffer from chronic and debilitating illnesses such as cancer, dementia, HIV/AIDS or have suffered a stroke may be eligible for a Medicare Advantage Special Needs Plan (SNP). These SNPs may offer transportation to and from doctor appointments, hearing aids and special language interpreters for doctor appointments.
After Lynch’s threats to decamp from Sacramento and move to a state that really loved him surfaced, local leaders and politicians put the screws to the Exchange.
