INSURANCE

Vision (eye) insurance is a form of insurance that provides coverage for the services rendered by eye care professionals such as ophthalmologists and optometrists. There are many vision insurance companies. The typical vision insurance plan provides yearly coverage for eye examinations and partial or full coverage eyeglasses, sunglasses, and contact lenses, with or without copays, depending on the plan chosen.

VISION INSURANCE COMPANIES

• Davis Vision
• Eyemed
• Cole Managed Vision
• VSP
• AFLAC
• Vision Benefits of America

The Health Maintenance Organization Act of 1973 (Public Law 93-222), also known as the HMO Act of 1973, 42 U.S.C. § 300e, is a law passed by the Congress of the United States that resulted from discussions Paul Ellwood had with what is today the Department of Health and Human Services. It provided grants and loans to provide, start, or expand a Health Maintenance Organization (HMO); removed certain state restrictions for federally qualified HMOs; and required employers with 25 or more employees to offer federally certified HMO options alongside traditional indemnity insurance upon request (the "dual choice provision"). HMOs were required to meet three basic requirements. These were to offer a specified list of benefits to all members, charge all members the same monthly premium, and be structured as a nonprofit organization.

The Act solidified the term HMO and gave HMOs greater access to the employer-based market, providing for the rapid expansion of HMOs in later years. No longer needed now that HMOs are widespread,[citation needed] the dual choice provision expired in 1995. This has led some large employers to cease offering HMOs, replacing them instead with Preferred provider organizations (PPOs).

A Point of service plan, or POS plan, is a type of managed care health insurance system. It combines characteristics of both the HMO and the PPO. Members of a POS plan do not make a choice about which system to use until the point at which the service is being used.

Physicians for a National Health Program (PNHP) is an advocacy organization of 14,000 American physicians, medical students, and health professionals who support a single-payer system of national health insurance.

The group is best known for its influential proposals for national health insurance, which have been published in the New England Journal of Medicine and the Journal of the American Medical Association.

The group is also known for its members' substantial contributions to scientific research on the uninsured, health system economics and international health systems. For example, members such as David Himmelstein, Stephanie Wollhandler, Marcia Angell and Arnold Relman have contributed articles to major peer-reviewed journals such as the New England Journal of Medicine (where Angell is a former editor), JAMA, and Health Affairs.

WHAT IS AN EYE INSURANCE PLAN

An eye insurance plan is not like regular health insurance. It is a wellness benefit that either provides a discounted rate for vision services such as eye exams, contacts and glasses or it helps offset the costs of these services.

You can get vision insurance in one of two different types:

• Vision Benefits Package
• Vision Discount Plan

A vision benefits package is much like insurance coverage in that is covers vision services. Sometimes you may be required to pay a co-payment at the time of the service or purchase of your contacts or glasses. Your benefits package pays the balance.

A vision discount plan is different from a vision benefits package in that you pay for the full services, but it is at a lower, discounted rate that has been agreed upon by the network provider. Through a discount plan, you are given a list of network providers who have agreed to charge the discounted prices per the plan. Often, there are also specific eye care services that are included in the plan so review prospective plans to make sure that the one you choose meets your needs.

BENEFITS OF A VISION INSURANCE PLAN

Eye insurance plans can be very beneficial, particularly if you have vision problems. You can save money on vision services and even eye glasses and contacts. An eye insurance plan can offset the sometimes substantial costs of vision care. Eye glasses alone can cost more than $200, but with a vision plan you can cut that cost by 50% or more.

You can get individual plans or plans that cover the entire family. They can be particularly helpful in saving money if you cover your children as they can sometimes go through several pair of eye glasses in a year.

CHOOSING THE RIGHT VISION PLAN

If you think that a vision insurance company could have some benefits to offer, it is important that you find the right plan for your needs. Carefully review the benefits that are offered, what is covered, how often you can get an eye exam and how many pair of eye glasses or contact lenses you can get within a year or a six month period.

You can conduct an online search for vision insurance plans or even find a site that allows you to compare different companies by their benefits. You also want to make sure that you vision plan falls within your budget. It does you no good and you won't save much if you go broke paying for the plan.