Vision Plan

 

Administered by CompBenefits

        Group #: VS992

        (800) 865-3676

 

Effective on January 1, 2010 the Vision Plan will be administered by VSP

    Group # 3001602-0001-0001

    (800) 877-7195

 

The Vision Plan is available to part-time and full-time faculty and staff.  You have the opportunity to enroll yourself, your spouse or your qualified domestic partner, and eligible children during the first 31 days of employment, during annual Open Enrollment or within 31 days of certain qualified Life Events (e.g., marriage, change in spouse's employment).  It is extremely important that you understand the eligibility criteria and enroll only those individuals that meet the following criteria.

  • Your spouse or qualified domestic partner; unmarried, dependent children under age 25 (regardless of student status).  "Children" are defined as your natural children, stepchildren, legally adopted children, and children under your legal guardianship.

You will find the monthly and bi-weekly premiums rates and information about plan benefits, and you can locate Ophthalmologists and Optometrists in your area on the VSP website.

 

Important: Prior to your visit to an ophthalmologist or optometrist for an eye exam, you must request a Vision Pass from CompBenefits by calling the phone number above, or on-line at www.compbenefits.com.  You must present your Vision Pass, which provides detailed coverage information, when you sign-in for your appointment.

 

Why Is a Regular Eye Exam So Important?

Regardless of your age or physical health, it is important for everyone to have regular eye exams.  During a complete eye exam, your eye doctor will not only determine your prescription for eyeglasses or contact lenses, but will also check your eyes for common eye diseases, assess how your eyes work together as a team and evaluate your eyes as an indicator of your overall health.

Who Should Get Their Eyes Examined?

Adults should have their eyes tested to keep their prescriptions current and to check for early signs of eye disease. For children, eye exams can play an important role in normal development.  Children who have trouble seeing or interpreting what they see will often have trouble with their schoolwork. Many times, children will not complain of vision problems simply because they don't know what "normal" vision looks like. If your child performs poorly at school or exhibits a reading or learning disability, be sure to have his eyes examined to rule out an underlying visual cause.

What Is the Eye Doctor Checking for?

In addition to evaluating your eyes for glasses or contacts, your eye doctor will check your eyes for eye diseases and other problems that could lead to vision loss.

  • Refractive Error: This refers to your prescription, including nearsightedness, farsightedness and astigmatism. Refractive error is corrected with eyeglasses, contacts or refractive surgery.
     
  • Amblyopia: This occurs when the eyes are turned or when one eye has a much different prescription than the other. The brain will "shut off" the image from the turned or blurry eye. When left untreated, amblyopia can stunt the visual development of the affected eye, resulting in permanent vision impairment. Amblyopia is often treated by patching the stronger eye for periods of time.
     
  • Strabismus: Strabismus is defined as crossed or turned eyes. The doctor will check your eyes' alignment to be sure that they are working together. Strabismus causes problems with depth perception and can lead to amblyopia.
     
  • Eye Diseases: Many eye diseases, such as glaucoma and diabetic eye disease, have no symptoms in their early stages. Your eye doctor will check the health of your eyes inside and out for signs of early problems. In most cases, early detection and treatment of eye diseases can help reduce your risk for permanent vision loss. 
  • Other Diseases: Eye doctors can detect early signs of some conditions and diseases by looking at your eye's blood vessels, retina and so forth. Your eye doctor may be able to tell you if you are developing high blood pressure, high cholesterol or a few other problems.
     
    For example, diabetes can cause small blood vessel leaks or bleeding in the eye, as well as swelling of the     macula, which can lead to vision loss. Your eye doctor will likely detect this during a complete eye exam. It is estimated that one-third of Americans who have diabetes don't know it; your eye doctor may detect the disease before your primary care physician does, especially if you're overdue for a physical.

 

Vision Plan Benefits Summary (PDF Document)

Rate Schedule

Lasik and PRK Information (PDF Document)