View All

Benefit Briefing

Welcome To Lens Options 101
Add pizzazz to your eyecare plan: offer members a wide array of lens options. Colorful dyes and tints, UV protection, progressive lenses—they’re all here, and they’ll encourage your members to create their own personal eyewear look.

Thanks for a Great 2007!
In 2007, we welcomed back 71 of our former clients, many of whom returned after spending time with another vision plan. These clients learned that no other vision plan comes close to VSP in quality and value.

Wellness Watch

For Best Value, Look Beyond Premium
Take a quick look at how hidden out-of-pocket costs can dramatically inflate what at first appear to be “cheaper” premiums, resulting in a much higher bottom line for members.

Timely Eye Exam Helps Save a Retiree’s Life
Ken Calderwood was in the middle of a challenging putt when he briefly lost vision in one eye. Today, after his VSP doctor detected signs of a potentially life-threatening arterial blockage, the California retiree says he’s a “big fan” of regular eye exams as part of VSP’s Eye Health Management Program®.

Eye Exam Helps Save a Child’s Life Doctor Spotlight
Virginia VSP optometrist, Keith Smithson, says he loves to give eye exams to small children, and it’s no wonder. After he found evidence of a possible cancer on three-year-old Cindy’s retina during a check-up, medical doctors saved both her life and her eyesight.

Point & Click

A Whole New Resource Center Coming Soon!
Look for exciting changes coming soon to the VSP Client & Benefit Manager Resource Center on vsp.com.

The Eyecare Discovery Center: Eyecare Videos, Games, and Health Tips
It’s a virtual treasure trove of eye-health information, eyewear tips, and vision-related games. There’s even a great collection of high-quality online videos that explore everything from eye diseases to the latest trends in sunglasses and laser surgery. And it’s all right there for your members, free of charge—on the Eyecare Discovery Center at vsp.com.

Noteworthy

Educating Employees about Benefits is Key at Indiana’s Unity Healthcare  Client Spotlight
What’s the secret formula for successfully managing a company benefits program? Unity Healthcare’s benefits manager, Sherry Capano, says you only need two things: “a sense of humor and some powerful information tools to help educate your employees about their healthcare options!”

Thousands of Children Receive the Gift of Clear Vision
Last year more than 54,000 children were able to see the world clearly thanks to free eyecare.

Enjoy World-class Service with VSP
You and your organization deserve the best service. That’s why we’re excited to let you know for the sixth year in a row SQM has named our Member Service Call Center “World Class.”

Welcome to Lens Options 101
Want to Score an Instant Hit With Your Employees?

It’s easy. Just let them know how they can custom-design their own eyewear by choosing from a wide array of lens options that include everything from colorful tints and dyes to super-light and impact-resistant polycarbonate lenses.

For members covered under the VSP Signature Plan, our most comprehensive plan,  these lens enhancements can provide lots of stylish flexibility—often with savings of 30%. Don’t have the VSP Signature Plan? Contact your VSP representative to learn how to upgrade.

What’s not to like about a lineup of options that will encourage your members to craft their own personal eyewear ensembles—based on prescription vision requirements and style-savvy personal touches. Some examples:

• How about choosing from a rainbow of solid-color lens tints and dyes that look like they’d fit right in on Rodeo Drive, while also cutting down on the amount of sunlight that reaches their eyes?
• Your more adventurous members can select a plastic gradient dye. This stylish dye starts darker at the top and lighter toward the bottom, subtly shifting colors.

At surprisingly low prices, independent-minded members can mix and match lens options to create custom-crafted eyewear that reflects their personal vision needs and style preferences. For example, thanks to VSP’s extra savings on non-covered lens options, if members were to choose the following single-vision lens options, they would save about $50 compared to those without VSP coverage.

• UV protection (blocks out harmful, ultraviolet light)
• Scratch-resistant coatings (no more worries about dropping glasses)
• Anti-reflective coatings (for easier nighttime driving) coverage
•  Photochromic lenses that automatically darken when they’re exposed to sunlight and lighten when they’re not

Thanks for a Great 2007!
Last year was a great year.  In 2007, we welcomed back 71 of our former clients, many of whom returned after spending time with another vision plan. These clients learned that no other vision plan comes close to VSP in quality and value. Additionally, we also had a 73% win ratio against our competitors. The result? We welcomed 3,829 new clients to our extended family.

For Best Value, Look Beyond Premium
It’s an indisputable fact: price is an important factor in selecting a vision plan that works best for your employees and your company.

But if you focus only on price, it’s easy to miss out on getting the most value for every dollar spent on premiums.

Why? Because premiums that seem lower often require members to pay higher out-of-pocket expenses, resulting in overall costs that are far more expensive than they appear.  

For a quick example of how these hidden costs can inflate a member’s eyecare budget, look at the middle chart below. Do you see that huge out-of-pocket bite for eyeglass frames ($120), single vision lenses ($91) and the $122 charge for the initial eye exam?

The example shows that a typical VSP Signature Plan would save this eyecare patient a cool $225 by eliminating most out-of-pocket charges entirely.

With VSP, your members get the highest-quality vision care available for less than 3% of the cost of your total benefit-package cost. Of course, they also get complete eyecare and wellness solutions, which means that your organization benefits from healthier employees.

The bottom line here reads “win-win”—for you and your employees!

	Cost Without VSP*	VSP Member Price
Eye Exam	$122.00	$10.00 copay
Glasses		$25.00 copay
Frame	$120.00	$0.00
Lenses (Single Vision)	$91.00
Polycarbonate Lenses	$47.00	$25.00 out-of-pocket expense
Annual Premiums*		$94.80
Total Cost for Services	$380.00	$154.80
*Based on employee only.

Total Savings with VSP: $225.20. Plus,
pre-tax savings on premiums.

Timely Eye Exam Helps Save a Retiree’s Life
Ken Calderwood says he’ll never forget the frightening moment when he suddenly lost all vision in one eye.

It happened on a Los Angeles area golf course a few years ago, just as the 62-year-old retiree was lining up a challenging putt. Alarmed by the sudden vision loss, Calderwood called his optometrist—VSP doctor Sandra Horwitz—who listened to his story and then suggested he drop by her office as soon as possible for an eye exam.

Today, he’s very glad he did. The exam showed that he had a potentially life-threatening arterial blockage on one side of his neck. Within a few hours, Calderwood had emergency surgery to eliminate the dangerous condition.

Fortunately, the retired airplane-parts supervisor sailed through the surgery and has enjoyed excellent health ever since. Today he’s grateful for the VSP Eye Health Management Program®. This program works so well because it takes a three-pronged approached to eye health, including regular eye exams, member education through awareness materials, and expert management and treatment of eye conditions by VSP’s private-practice network of skilled doctors.

Like Dr. Horwitz, many VSP doctors are veteran eyecare providers, with an average of 19 years in private practice and understand that regular eye exams are imperative to overall health.

You may also decide that it makes sense to switch your members from VSP’s Plan B or Plan A package to our increasingly in-demand Plan C. The important difference: Plan C members get an exam and eyewear every year.

Contact your VSP representative to see how you can upgrade you plan to include this yearly exam at little cost!

As Ken Calderwood discovered on that California golf course, eye exams can become lifesavers by uncovering underlying medical conditions that could lead to a medical emergency. Says Ken: “I’m a big guy, and Sandy’s barely five feet tall. I call her the little eye doctor who saved my life!”

Eye Exam Helps Save a Child’s Life
Ask Keith Smithson, OD, why he loves to give eye exams to small children, and he’ll respond by telling you the story of a little girl named Cindy.

“Cindy was a cute little kid with tons of energy,” says the VSP doctor, who takes care of families in the Virginia suburbs. “As an infant, her eyesight was normal, but then one day in 2003, I got a call from her mother. She was concerned about the sudden appearance of a white spot in the pupil of her left eye.”

The 35-year-old doctor—who has two small children of his own—listened carefully and then urged Cindy’s mom to bring the child to his office that morning.

“I didn’t want to wait, and I’m glad I didn’t,” says the cheerful optometrist, a specialist in pediatric eyecare. “They came in on a Saturday morning, and Cindy’s mother held her on her lap while I used a slit-lamp biomicroscope to examine her eyes.”

Within a few minutes, the doctor found clear evidence of a detached retina and a possible tumor in the three-year-old’s left eye. Moving swiftly, he arranged for further tests, which uncovered retinoblastomas, or malignant tumors, on the retinas of both eyes.

“That cancer was scary,” says the doctor, who’s also the eyecare provider for the Washington Wizards pro basketball team, “but because of the early diagnosis, her vision was saved. She successfully completed chemotherapy and radiation treatments, and soon shook off a disease that could have taken her life, if left untreated.”

Adds the upbeat eye doctor, who’s been practicing in Virginia for eight years: “As a family optometrist, who’s also a parent, I get enormous satisfaction out of helping kids to see better, along with protecting them from potential health problems through regular eye exams. Cindy is eight now, and she’s doing fantastic. Her mom says she’s a very good soccer player, and she’s doing well in school.”

“For an optometrist who loves taking care of kids, an outcome like that kind of takes my breath away!,” says Dr. Smithson.

A Whole New Resource Center Coming Soon!
Our new look will be extending to the VSP Client & Benefit Manager Resource Center on vsp.com very soon. The redesigned site will have all the same great features and functionality you’ve come to know. But, with improved navigation features, you’ll be able to access plan information and helpful tools to help you manage your organization’s VSP benefit faster and easier than ever before. Look for the redesigned site in April 2008.

The Eyecare Discovery Center: Eyecare Videos, Games, and Health Tips
Did you know that more than 3 million Americans now have glaucoma–and that 120,000 of them are legally blind?

And did you also know that glaucoma has no symptoms? Or, that the only effective defense is a yearly eye exam to provide early detection and treatment?         

Unfortunately, millions of Americans aren’t getting this kind of important eyecare information, which could one day save their eyesight.

Thanks to the Eyecare Discovery Center — your employees will find a virtual treasure trove of eye-health information, eyewear tips, and vision-related games and puzzles. There’s even a great collection of high-quality videos that explore everything from eye diseases and conditions to the latest trends in sunglasses and laser surgery.

All your members have to do is point, click, and settle back to learn the very latest about the health of their eyes. In one video they can even watch how the “silent thief of sight” gradually damages vision and then learn why early detection and treatment are the keys to fighting glaucoma. Or maybe they’d rather check out the latest in contact lenses? Or play a challenging game that will help teach them how human vision works?

It’s all free on the Eyecare Discovery Center!

Educating Employees about Benefits is Key at Indiana’s Unity Healthcare
Ask Sherry Capano to describe the toughest challenge she faces as a benefits manager responsible for the health of 540 employees and physicians, and she won’t miss a beat.

“It’s educating our employees about their healthcare options!” says the upbeat veteran administrator, who has spent the past two years managing the benefits program at Unity Healthcare in Lafayette, Indiana. “As a benefits manager, I learned long ago that keeping employees up to speed on their healthcare options is absolutely essential to helping them get the best medical, dental, and vision care available today.

“At Unity Healthcare, we think it’s so important that we hold regular monthly benefits meetings with all of our newly eligible employees. We sit down with them, and any who employee has questions about their benefits, and review their healthcare needs and options in detail.”

During these sessions, Capano often asks employees to describe their family health needs, then points them toward tools and resources that can help them figure out the types of coverage—including dental and vision coverage—that will serve them best.

“We talk for an hour and a half about their personal histories and their families,” says Capano, who helped design the benefits program for her company, a multi-specialty medical care facility with more than 70 physicians. “We like to think we do a good job of educating our employees and give them the tools they need to learn more about protecting their health.”

A VSP client since 1999, Unity Healthcare strongly emphasizes the importance of vision care, says Capano. “If our employees have problems with their eyesight, we’re going to bear the brunt of it as their employer, in terms of costs that might be linked to future premium increases, as the result of higher claims. So it’s in everyone’s interest to understand that eyecare is a major component of good healthcare.”

Capano adds, “What I really like about our relationship with VSP—along with their quick, reliable service—is that they make it so easy for our employees to get the eyecare they need. I like that you don’t need an ID card and that you can find your personal eyecare information online, including upcoming appointment information!”

So what’s the secret to running an effective benefits program that fully addresses employee needs?

“The first thing you need is a sense of humor!” says Capano. “But you also need to have good tools at hand. One of the reasons I like working with VSP is that I can send my employees to their outstanding Web site to quickly obtain educational eye health material.                          

“With information tools like that readily available, I know I can get help with my biggest challenge: keeping my employees in the know about their health!”

Thousands of Children Receive the Gift of Clear Vision
Through our Sight for Students program™, we were able to provide $12 million worth of free eyecare services to more than 54,000 children in 2007. “I am pleased to report that 9,299 of those patients came through Prevent Blindness screenings. As always, VSP remains an invaluable partner” said Jeff Todd, Senior Vice President, of Prevent Blindness America. Sight for Students is a VSP charity that provides free vision exams and glasses to low-income, uninsured children.

Enjoy World-class Service with VSP
For the sixth consecutive year, our Member Service Call Center has received the "World Class Customer Service Call Center" award from Service Quality Management Group (SQM), Inc.

Plus, for the last four years, we’ve also been recognized for Highest Customer and Employee Satisfaction for the insurance industry.

Providing our clients and members personalized service is important to us.

Quick Poll

How often will you communicate eye health information to your members this year?

• Weekly 1%
• Monthly 6%
• Quarterly 26%
• Annually 61%
• We currently don’t communicate eye health information 6%

View All

Benefit Briefing

Get Laser Vision Surgery and New Sunglasses, Too
Beginning January 1, 2008, members who have had laser vision surgery can use their frame allowance to buy non-prescription sunglasses from their VSP doctor. This is an added feature exclusively for the Signature Plan^SM.

Stay Healthy, See Well, Save Money
Nearly everyone knows too much sun can lead to skin cancer, but not everyone knows that it can also lead to cataracts and other eye diseases. Now VSP members can protect their eyes and save 20% on prescription and non-prescription sunglasses.

Wellness Watch

Make Your Eyes Happy
Can good nutrition be good for your eyes? One recent study showed that omega-3 fatty acids protected mice’s eyes against the development and progression of retinopathy. And a new study has been launched to see if fish oil and antioxidants can slow vision loss from macular degeneration.

Check Those Baby Blues and Browns
Kids' eye exams may help spot future cardiovascular problems. An Australian study in the International Journal of Obesity reports subtle blood vessel changes have been seen in eyes of overweight and obese kids.

Celebrate the Right to Sight
World Sight Day is Oct. 11. Help spread the message that prevention or treatment can curb 75% of all blindness. This is important, since vision problems are expected to rise by 2020.

School-Age Kids Need More than Vision Screenings
That time of year has come around once again: back to school. And that means vision screenings are right around the corner. But did you know they may not be checking everything you think they are? They may catch problems with distance vision but they won’t even check for near vision.

Point & Click

Discover a Whole New World!
Next time you log on to vsp.com, you’ll notice some changes. Our new look has extended to the Web. Members can now find a VSP doctor and their benefit information much more quickly and easily. We’ve also created an Eyecare Discovery Center where you’ll find information on everything eyecare and eyewear.

It's Baaack ... Open Enrollment!
Check out the Clients & Benefit Managers Resource Center on vsp.com for all the materials you need for open enrollment.

Noteworthy

Turning Children on to Eyecare
Everyone knows eye doctors help keep your eyes healthy. But many people don’t know that eye doctors also can catch early warning signs of health problems. That’s why our national vision campaign looks for creative ways to build awareness of the need for annual exams, like using our mobile eyecare clinic.

Time to Turn Up the Heat at Carolina Speedway
Check out the Clients & Benefit Managers Resource Center on vsp.com for all the materials you need for open enrollment.

Get Laser Vision Surgery and New Sunglasses, Too
Care from a VSP doctor is important before and after you receive laser surgery. That’s why, beginning January 1, 2008, members who have had laser vision surgery can use their frame allowance to buy non-prescription sunglasses from their VSP doctor. This is an added feature exclusively for the Signature Plan^SM.

Stay Healthy, See Well, Save Money
Nearly everyone knows too much sun can lead to skin cancer, but not everyone knows that it can also lead to cataracts and other eye diseases.

That’s why wearing sunglasses every time you step outside is so important. And now VSP members get a 20% discount on fashionable prescription and non-prescription sunglasses. Any VSP doctor can provide the discount up to 12 months after a member’s last eye exam.

And, VSP continues to offer these great deals:

• 20% off prescription glasses
• Average 30% savings on lens options with most plans
• 15% off contact lens exam
• Average 15% off laser vision surgery

Make Your Eyes Happy
Good nutrition can be good for your eyes:

• A study by Harvard Medical School’s Children's Hospital Boston found omega-3 fatty acids protected mice’s eyes against the development and progression of retinopathy.
• The National Eye Institute has launched a nationwide study to see if fish oil and antioxidants can slow progression of vision loss from macular degeneration, the #1 cause of vision loss for Americans over 60. A previous study by the eye institute found high levels of zinc and antioxidants can lower the risk of developing advanced macular degeneration by about 25%

On the flip side:

• The American Journal of Clinical Nutrition says eating too many simple carbohydrates (carbs with a high glycemic index) can lead to macular degeneration. Culprits are mainly processed foods or liquids containing a lot of corn syrup or sugar, such as soda, beer, cookies, cake and doughnuts.

Check Those Baby Blues and Browns
Kids’ eye exams may help spot future cardiovascular problems.

An Australian study in the International Journal of Obesity reports subtle blood vessel changes have been seen in eyes of overweight and obese kids.

Vein widening and artery narrowing has been detected in retinas of kids as young as 6 -- the first time these distressing signs have been seen at such an early age. These changes can point to risks for problems like hypertension and stroke in adulthood.

Celebrate the Right to Sight
The International Agency for the Prevention of Blindness is coordinating World Sight Day on Oct. 11 as part of its “VISION 2020: The Right to Sight Initiative.” The event aims to spread the message that prevention or treatment can curb 75% of all blindness.

The initiative couldn’t come sooner. Vision problems are expected to rise by 2020 simply due to people living longer. In 2001, life expectancy in the U.S. hit a new average high of 77.2 years. The National Eye Institute predicts people with low vision or blindness will grow from 3.3 million now to 5.5 million in 13 years.

Sources: National Eye Institute, U.S. Department of Health and Human Services Center For Disease Control’s National Center for Health Statistics

School-Age Kids Need More than Vision Screenings
That time of year has come around once again: back to school. And that means vision screenings are right around the corner. But did you know they may not be checking everything you think they are?

As Michael McQuillan, O.D., F.C.O.V.D. shares, screenings are good but not enough. We talked with the VSP doctor and 27-year optometric veteran to get his take on screenings versus complete eye exams.

VSP: So, what is a school vision screening?
Dr. McQuillan: Usually a school nurse is responsible. The main point of the screening is to check distance vision – how well the child can read a chart from 20 feet. But near vision isn’t tested in the screening. There might also be a color-vision test for kindergarten boys. They’re more likely to have color blindness. It’s pretty basic stuff.

VSP: What kind of things can a screening overlook?
Dr. McQuillan: Unfortunately, they can overlook plenty of problems. I’d say that maybe 15-20 percent of school children have vision problems a screening is likely to miss. Remember, the exam is checking only for distance visual sharpness – the classic blackboard-friendly “20-20 vision” – and not for other conditions. A child could easily pass the vision screening, but not be able to see well enough to read a book.

VSP: What are the most common problems that go unnoticed?
Dr. McQuillan: The most common is a problem with eye coordination. Just like some kids are “clumsy” – well, eyes can be clumsy too. The problem is called “binocular vision dysfunction,” and it frequently won’t show up in a screening. It can cause problems reading. Farsightedness, where you can’t see up close, is also missed a lot in screenings.

Another condition I’ve occasionally treated – after it was previously overlooked during a screening – is amblyopia, or “lazy eye.” This is where one eye wanders and doesn’t join the other eye in focusing. In return, the brain learns to ignore the visual input from the lazy eye. Lifelong vision loss can result if the problem isn’t addressed.

VSP: What can be the results of missed conditions in screening?
Dr. McQuillan: It’s really pretty simple: kids who don’t see well don’t learn well. If a child is having problems in the classroom, rule one is get them to an eye doctor for a complete eye exam. I can’t tell you how many times I’ve diagnosed a condition that was missed in a screening, with negative results in the classroom.

VSP: Any final advice for parents out there?
Dr. McQuillan: A yearly eye exam in children is a must. Their eyes can change so quickly, and before you know it, their performance in school can suffer. The good news is that most conditions can be easily corrected – once they’re detected.

Discover a Whole New World!
After September 19, you'll notice some changes on vsp.com.

Our new look has extended to the Web where our home page has been redesigned to get you where you're going quickly. What will you find?

Enhanced Member Site
Now, it's even easier to use:

• Members can see their benefits in summary or detail format, reducing questions for you.
• Savings statements and info about previous visits are still just a click away.
• It's easy to find a doctor through location, name or specialty search.

We've also improved the member registration process so that members receive more accurate and personalized benefit information.

New Eyecare Discovery Center
We've got the eye health information you're looking for and a little bit of fun, too:

• Find answers to your eye health questions.
• Watch videos of how the most common eye conditions affect your vision—and what happens inside your eye.
• Get advice on choosing the best eyewear for you.
• Play a few games and tricks on your eyes!

You'll also notice a new "Prospective Members" site that provides information to enrolling members. This can save you time and questions during open enrollment season.

Be sure to check in often—more changes are on the way!

It's Baaack ... Open Enrollment!
Check out the Clients & Benefit Managers Resource Center on vsp.com for all the materials you need for open enrollment.

Turning Children on to Eyecare
Everyone knows eye doctors help keep your eyes healthy. But many people don't know that eye doctors also can catch early warning signs of health problems. That's why our national vision campaign looks for creative ways to build awareness of the need for annual exams.

We partner with teachers, doctors, pro sports teams, community clubs and museums to teach kids about vision and their eyes. Here's a look at where we've been and where we're going this year:

July 26 -- Columbus, Ohio
Our mobile clinic program, VSP Mobile EyesSM, made its debut at a Columbus Clippers minor league baseball game. Kids from the Columbus Boys & Girls clubs got to watch the game after participating in sports vision drills. A dozen kids also got eye exams from VSP doctors on the new mobile coach.

September 15 -- St. Louis, Missouri
We sponsored a balloon at the Great Forest Park Balloon Race and brought our mobile clinic to help spread the word about the importance of annual eye exams.

October 25-28 - Washington, D.C.
We're proud to again be a sponsor of the Marine Corps Marathon and the 1-mile Kids Fun Run! Be sure to check out our mobile clinic at the Health & Fitness Expo.

Looking for an event in your area? Just visit vspevents.com

Time to Turn Up the Heat at Carolina Speedway
We’re kicking the excitement up a notch in North Carolina.

For the first time ever, we’ll participate in Bank of America 500 Week at Lowe's Motor Speedway Charlotte -- one of the toughest tracks in NASCAR racing.

Here’s what we’ll be doing Oct. 11-13:

• Revving it up with fans in the fan interaction zone, parking lot and campground
• Sponsoring driver introductions for two races: Friday’s Dollar General 300 NASCAR Busch Series race and Saturday’s Bank of America 500 NASCAR NEXTEL Cup Series race
• Broadcasting throughout the track’s loudspeaker system and Jumbo-Trons