FREQUENTLY ASKED QUESTIONS about VSP
(Change of In-Network Status)
I have VSP, what am I supposed to do now?
Please support us, if you are able, by allowing us to continue to care for you and your family. We have taken many steps to make this as reasonable as possible for all of our patients – including those who do not have VSP. We ask that patients allow us to calculate the numbers before they choose to go elsewhere. We also recommend that patients contribute to their HSA or FSA fund if they have one.
Do I have to go somewhere else?
No, absolutely not! Our sincerest hope is that you will continue to support our business as we navigate these changes with you. Our office is grateful to be able to care for you regardless of your insurance. We have been working diligently to determine how we can continue to provide the best care and products to our patients at reasonable prices. We have negotiated with our vendors and we are passing those savings on to you.
Can you still bill my VSP?
Absolutely! We are happy to bill VSP as OON on your behalf and you should receive a check from them within a few weeks. Again, we are being aggressive in adjusting our price structure to provide you with the best quality care and products at reasonable prices.
How do I know if my VSP plan has “out of network benefits” for reimbursement?
We would be happy to check your benefits on your behalf!
Can my exam be billed to my medical insurance?
Maybe. If you have a medical concern, such as dry eyes, eye pain, diabetes, cataracts, glaucoma, keratoconus, amblyopia (lazy eye), etc., your medical insurance may be billed for the eye health portion of the examination and sometimes the procedure of evaluating your vision to determine an eyeglass prescription. Medical insurance generally will not cover services related to contact lenses or the purchase of glasses except for in a few rare medical cases, such as keratoconus.
Why have you chosen to become an out of network VSP provider?
Becoming Out of Network providers makes it possible for us to spend the time we need with each patient and to offer the best products. We believe this will result in our patients attaining their best possible vision, preserving their optimal eye health, and receiving the highest quality care they deserve! We have been loyal VSP providers for over 20 years and the direction they have chosen to go is, in our opinion, no longer currently supportive of the way we practice. In October 2019, VSP purchased a retail eyecare chain which is in direct competition with our private practice. While we welcome competition, when that competition is owned by a company that has the ability to directly influence how we care for our patients, then it is no longer a healthy business relationship.
I just had open enrollment and chose VSP, why did you wait so long to let me know?
Nearly 8 out of 10 of our patients have VSP, so we did not make this decision lightly. There have been extensive behind the scenes negotiations going on and we were holding out hope that things would work out; unfortunately they did not. The final decision was literally made on December 31st, 2020.
Is there another vision plan you would recommend other than VSP?
No, there really is not. In today’s insurance market, the vision care portion of most insurance plans is often farmed out to vision care vendors. All of these vendors offer discount plans, where the discount is required by the vendor, but given by the provider. By not participating with these discount plans, we have the freedom to offer the very best care and quality products at reasonable prices for all patients.
I don’t have VSP, how will these changes impact me?
Since we are now OON with VSP, we have drastically simplified our pricing structure for eyewear. This, in turn, makes it easier for you to obtain the high quality products you deserve.
Will you ever accept VSP in the future?
At this time we cannot say. Unless VSP has a change in their policies and procedures that will better support our patients and our small business, we will not plan to re-enroll.