Warby Parker Now Available to People Enrolled in UnitedHealthcare Medicare Advantage Plans

By Staff
Wednesday, November 21, 2018 12:18 AM MINNETONKA, Minn.—Warby Parker’s prescription eyewear is now available to approximately two million people enrolled in UnitedHealthcare Medicare Advantage plans, either online at WarbyParker.com or at more than 80 Warby Parker stores nationwide. This marks the first time Warby Parker is accepting Medicare insurance. People enrolled in Medicare Advantage plans that include eyewear benefits through UnitedHealthcare Vision can purchase prescription eyewear from Warby Parker for little or no out-of-pocket cost, often for less than $50.

VSP Global Opens Contest to Name its New Mobile Eyecare Clinic

By Staff
Monday, September 17, 2018 12:15 AM RANCHO CORDOVA, Calif.—VSP Global, which in July announced it was doubling its commitment to provide no-cost eyecare to children and adults in need around the globe, is adding a new clinic to its Eyes of Hope mobile fleet later this year. As it expands the fleet’s operations, VSP also has launched a contest that allows people to vote on a name for the new mobile clinic. The existing mobile fleet, which operate under the Eyes of Hope banner, includes the vehicles SeeZar, SeeLia and Eyenstein.

OSU Student Wins 2018 Student Innovator Award Sponsored by VSP Global

By Staff

Wednesday, September 12, 2018 12:15 AM RANCHO CORDOVA, Calif.—VSP Global, The Rick Bay Foundation and The Ohio State University College of Optometry (OSU) announced Marielle Blumenthaler, a fourth-year OD student, as the first-ever recipient of the OSU Student Innovator Award. The award recognizes innovative, creative, and feasible ideas of a current student at different optometry schools. This is the first year OSU has offered the award. Blumenthaler’s winning idea proposes the integration of vision therapy services into elementary schools serving low-income students. The idea is to bring in sensory motor evaluations, vision therapy sessions, and progress checks to the school to neutralize barriers to care and to optimize children’s academic success.

UnitedHealthcare Launches Children’s Eye Health Program

By Staff
Wednesday, August 15, 2018 12:21 AM MINNETONKA, Minn.—UnitedHealthcare is launching a program that will improve access to comprehensive eye exams and prescription glasses for children across the country and help address their unique eye health challenges. UnitedHealthcare said its new Children’s Eye Care Program will help expand access to eye exams and glasses. The new benefits will be available to people enrolled in employer-sponsored and individual UnitedHealthcare vision plans across the country before the end of 2018. “As much as 80 percent of what children learn is through their eyes, so the inability to see can affect their physical, emotional and social development, and academic and athletic performance,” said Tom Wiffler, CEO of UnitedHealthcare Specialty Benefits.

Versant Health Names Hermosillo to Key Sales, Marketing and Client Management Position

By Staff

Tuesday, July 31, 2018 12:27 AM LINTHICUM, Md.—Versant Health, a national managed eye health and vision-plan company, has named Jeff Hermosillo as executive VP of sales, marketing and client management.

Versant Health Joins the LPGA as an Official Marketing Partner

By Staff
Thursday, June 7, 2018 12:21 AM DAYTONA BEACH, Fla.—The Ladies Professional Golf Association (LPGA) announced this week that Versant Health (the new company formed by the combination of Davis Vision and Superior Vision) has been named an official marketing partner.

VSP Global Invests in PokitDok to Explore Blockchain Solutions for Health Care

By Staff
Wednesday, May 9, 2018 12:18 AM RANCHO CORDOVA, Calif.—VSP Global has announced an investment in PokitDok Inc., a health care company that uses a type of cloud-based computing known as platform-as-a-service to support the development and management of applications.

EyeMed’s Lukas Ruecker Seated as NAVCP Chairman at Summit Meeting

By Staff
Tuesday, April 24, 2018 12:27 AM AUSTIN, Texas—NAVCP said that Lukas Ruecker, president of EyeMed Vision Care, was seated as the new chairman of its board of directors for the 2018-2020 term.

Aetna Shareholders Approve Proposed Acquisition by CVS Health

By Staff
Wednesday, March 14, 2018 12:21 AM HARTFORD, Conn.—At a special meeting of Aetna (NYSE: AET) shareholders on Tuesday, approximately 97 percent of the votes cast, and more than 77 percent of the 327 million shares outstanding, voted to approve the planned acquisition of the insurer by CVS Health (NYSE: CVS), according to an Aetna announcement Tuesday morning. Executives of the companies noted in December at the time the deal was officially announced that the proposed of Aetna and CVS will allow the new, combined company to create “an entirely new health care concept,” as VMAIL reported

VSP Global and U.S. Conference of Mayors Partner on Free Vision Care Events for Third Year

By Staff
Tuesday, March 13, 2018 12:18 AM RANCHO CORDOVA, Calif.—VSP Global has partnered for the third consecutive year with the U.S. Conference of Mayors (USCM) to provide access to comprehensive eye exams and new glasses at no cost to individuals in need. Working together with VSP network doctors, the two organizations are teaming up for the third straight year to bring access to eyecare and eyewear to people like Green who need it the most. This year, the U.S. Conference of Mayors and VSP identified communities in three cities for the VSP Global Eyes of Hope mobile eyecare clinics to visit. San Jose, Calif., will be the first stop in mid-March, followed by Columbus, Ohio, in May, and finishing off with Chicago in June. 

VSP Global Launches Level Smart Glasses

By Staff
Thursday, February 22, 2018 12:18 AM RANCHO CORDOVA, Calif.—VSP Global is entering the wearable technology category with the launch of Level, a smart glass that features activity-tracking technology embedded inside the temple of an optical frame. The technology tracks activity via an accompanying smartphone app.

Transitions Optical Survey Finds Younger Employees Lag Behind in Enrollment, Utilization of Vision Benefits

By Staff
Friday, February 16, 2018 12:21 AM PINELLAS PARK, Fla.—Enrollment in vision benefit plans remains high among all employees, however, new research finds that younger generations are not only significantly less likely to enroll, but also are less likely to understand the importance of regular, comprehensive eye exams.

National Association of Vision Care Plans to Host Vision Health Summit April 22 to 24

By Staff
Thursday, February 15, 2018 12:21 AM WASHINGTON, D.C.—The National Association of Vision Care Plans (NAVCP) announced it will host its annual Vision Health Summit April 22 to 24, 2018 at the Driskill Hotel in Austin, Texas. The 2018 summit will bring together managed vision care professionals to engage in two-way discussion with industry thought leaders and federal and state health care public policymakers. Those discussions will center on future business and treatment trends, innovative approaches for promoting access and vision health for all Americans, and simplifying health care administration.

Eyefinity Establishes EHR Certification Program for Students at Optometry Schools

By Staff
Thursday, February 1, 2018 12:21 AM RANCHO CORDOVA, Calif.—Eyefinity, the electronic health records and practice management software unit of VSP Global, has launched the Eyefinity Student Certification Program, a new training course that optometry students can access to become certified in using the Eyefinity EHR. The first of three planned certification sessions began Jan. 12 with 151 registrants, according to a VSP Global spokeswoman. The training program continues with sessions two and three beginning May 11 and Aug. 31, respectively. The last day to register for sessions two and three are April 30 and Aug. 24, respectively. Students need to complete only one session to become certified, and they will continue to have access to the Eyefinity EHR training environment until they graduate, according to the spokeswoman.

AOA’s Dec. 19th Webinar Will Address Merit-based Incentive Payment System (MIPS)

By Staff
Monday, December 18, 2017 12:15 AM ST. LOUIS—In an effort to help eyecare professionals meet 2017 requirements of the MIPS program, or the Merit-based Incentive Payment System (MIPS), the American Optometric Association (AOA) is hosting a webinar at 9 p.m. (ET) Tuesday, Dec. 19, to review and update members on the MIPS program. The webinar will offer guidance on the steps necessary to address MIPS requirements before the end of the year, how to protect future Medicare reimbursement and provide an update on how AOA can help support ECPs with their MIPS participation, according to an AOA statement. To register for the webinar, click here.