Posts Tagged ‘vision benefits’
Posted on February 1st, 2010 by Jill N
In 1972, Dr. Marvin Poston was the first African American named "Optometrist of the Year" by the American Optometric Association, the highest professional award from the AOA.
VSP is known for quality service – whether providing eyecare to underprivileged through our number of charitable programs, ensuring patients have access to high-quality vision services or providing doctors with the tools they need to maintain successful private practices. This dedication to service can be directly attributed to the core philosophies of VSP’s founders, one of whom was Dr. Marvin R. Poston.
In 1935, Dr. Poston was the first African American student admitted to the study of optometry at University of California, Berkeley. It took another 23 years for the second African American student to follow in his footsteps and graduate from the Berkeley School of Optometry. Dr. Poston later became the first African American licensed to practice optometry on the West Coast.
Nearly 55 years ago, Dr. Poston, along with several of his fellow optometrists, formed California Vision Services, now known as VSP Vision Care. The company originally was the first to offer a prepaid, vision benefit that provided high quality, cost-effective eyecare. VSP has since grown to become the largest not-for-profit visions benefits provider in the nation, covering 1 in 6 Americans.
Dr. Poston’s optometry practice flourished for four decades in Oakland and Danville, California but his reach extended far beyond those who visited his offices. Befitting one of the founders of a company that prides itself on community support, Dr. Poston began his own tradition of community outreach by establishing vision-screening programs for under-served children and adults. The Children’s Vision Center of the East Bay, the West Oakland Health Group and the East Bay Skill Center are just a few of the organizations that benefited from his efforts.
Dr. Poston received numerous honors during his career, including the Optometric Man of the Year award by the Alameda Contra Costa Optometric Society and Optometrist of the Year by the California Optometric Association and the American Optometric Association. He was also appointed to three terms on the California State Board of Optometry by governors Edmund G. “Pat” Brown and Ronald Reagan. In each of these areas, Dr. Poston was the first African American ever to be honored.
“He was a man of great integrity,” says Norm Jacoby, O.D., a former colleague from Encino, California. “He was very soft-spoken and intelligent, and you listened when he spoke. Marvin was conscious of what new graduates needed when getting started in private practice and that they needed all the help they could get.”
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File under: VSP in the Community | Tagged: African American, Alameda Contra Costa Optometric Society, American Optometric Association, Berkeley, Berkeley School of Optometry, Black History Month, CA, California, California Governors, California Optometric Association, California State Boad of Optometry, California Vision Services, Calistoga, charitable eyecare, Children's Vision Center of the East Bay, Danville, diversity, Dr. Marvin R. Poston, East Bay Skill Center, Edmund G. Brown, Encino, high-quality vision services, Marvin R. Poston, Norm Jacoby, Not-For-Profit, Oakland, OD, Optometric Man of the Year, Optometrist of the Year, optometry, optometry students, Posten Crest Vineyard, prepaid vision benefits, private practice eye doctors, Professional Health Management & Planning Services, Ronald Reagan, SeeLia, SeeZar, Sight for Students, The Changing Face of the American Wine Industry, University of California, vision, vision benefits, vision benefits provider, VSP Mobile Eyes, VSP Vision Care, West Oakland Health Group, Wine Business Monthly
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Posted on December 16th, 2009 by Liz B.
File under: eye health, healthcare | Tagged: development of eyes, Dr. Richard Besser, eye diseases, eye exams, eye health, eyecare, eyes, GMA, Good Morning America, healthcare, importance of regular eye exams, myopia, National Eye Institute, nearsighted, nearsightedness, PhD, Susan Vitale, vision, vision benefits, VSP Vision Care
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Posted on September 22nd, 2009 by Liz B.
Liz B. is a member of VSP's Corporate Public Relations team.
Poking around on Twitter the last few days I’ve come across a few conversations from folks who don’t have vision insurance, but need eyecare and eyewear.
First I saw this …
heartniki My wombat needs glasses. No vision insurance. Bye bye money we don’t have. Uhg…
and then this …
DerekShaneLowe @baital I feel ya. My most recent pair of glasses cost me over $650…and that was with a 20% discount. I have no vision insurance either.
and finally …
surroundsoundud Chick got a man but wanna be on my health insurance, how does that work? Your teeth and vision are no longer my concern.
Make your own eyechart at http://seemuchmore.com
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File under: vision benefits | Tagged: eyecare plan, twitter, vision benefits, VSP Individual Plan, VSP Vision Care
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Posted on September 9th, 2009 by Jace D.
File under: eye health, healthcare, Study | Tagged: employee benefits, employee healthcare, eye exams, eyecare, HCMS, healthcare, private practice eye doctors, savings, vision benefits, VSP Vision Care
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Posted on September 9th, 2009 by Jessica G.
Al Schubert
Al Schubert, VSP’s Vice President of Managed Care and Health Policy, was on the air with Tom Sullivan last week, discussing vision care’s place in healthcare reform.
Listen to the interview, and let us know what you think.
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File under: healthcare reform, VSP Blog News | Tagged: eyecare, healthcare, healthcare reform, Not-For-Profit, vision benefits, vsp blog
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Posted on September 8th, 2009 by Jill N
Jill N. is a member of VSP's Corporate Public Relations team.
One of my first tasks when I came on board was to gather data to put together a 2008 recap for the VSP Mobile Eyes program. Through my research I also found numerous updates and testimonials from the disaster relief we provided. Now that we have embarked on another fire season in California I was curious to find out more about the specifics of how this sort of disaster relief is managed. Here is what I found:
VSP has a team of four employees who make up the Disaster Response Team. This team receives notifications of natural disasters across the United States through a variety of channels. This includes a range of not such hi-tech ways like self-observation, news stories on TV, online and radio or e-emails sent to the team from VSP employees, doctors, clients or members to more specific monitoring of disaster sites such as InciWeb. Once a notification is received, the team starts by researching the area and looking up VSP doctors who may be affected. Even it’s only one or two doctors, outreach support is immediately started.
The team attempts to contact our doctors in a number of ways. Depending on the amount of doctors in the affected area, initial phone calls are made and e-mails are sent out. The e-mails are sent not only to the doctors, but also to regional contacts who we ensure are aware of the disaster and are asked to forward any communication they receive from doctors who may be affected.
Once it is determined there is a doctor who has been affected, either by needing to close their office due to evacuation or if their office or equipment has been damaged, we work with them to provide whatever support they may need. For example, if a doctor has lost their office, we may able to offer our Mobile Clinic to them to use to service their patients or people in the community until their office is back up and running. If the clinic is not an option, we also have ten sets of portable ophthalmic equipment we can loan free of charge to set up in an area they can work for as long as they need it. Or if their office is not damaged but does not have electricity or access to the internet, we will work with them to ensure they are able to submit paper claims the same as they would online.
This year, we are also utilizing our new social media channels. These are used in a variety of ways, including as an extension for communication to our doctors and members, as well as to help monitor additional situations that may arise where our doctors need assistance. We had an example of this in July when a news report was reported on Twitter about an SUV driving through the wall of one our VSP doctor’s office. We were able to contact the doctor, ensure everyone was OK and offer assistance. Fortunately, the doctor was able to schedule repairs to the office fairly quickly enabling them to stay open for business as usual, but they were appreciative knowing they had options available if need be.
VSP's Mobile Response and Disater Response teams.
This year our Disaster Response Team has already responded to 15 disasters, including the larger ones such as the flooding in North Dakota, tornadoes in Mississippi and, most recently, the California wildfires. It is a good feeling knowing that the company I work for not only provides “insurance” that contributes to a positive quality of life, but it also provides “assurance” during times when it is needed the most.
File under: VSP in the Community | Tagged: California, california wildfire, charitable eyecare, disaster, disaster response team, eyecare, eyes, mississippi tornadoes, north dakota floods, ophthalmic equipment, private practice eye doctors, social media, twitter, vision benefits, vsp doctors, VSP Mobile Eyes, VSP Vision Care
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Posted on September 3rd, 2009 by Liz B.
Vision care provider VSP launches fun, interactive new website and video as a resource to learn about the importance of eyecare
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File under: Uncategorized | Tagged: Child development, Doctor, Educational, Exam, Eye, eye health, Eyesight, health, healthcare, Injury, Insurance, Parenting, See, Strain, Tips, Video, vision, vision benefits, VSP, VSP Vision Care
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Posted on September 2nd, 2009 by Liz B.
Liz is a member of VSP's Corporate Public Relations team.
Since June, the Los Angeles Times has published a continuing editorial series on Healthcare Reform. In today’s opinion piece, “Patient Approach,” the article discusses how unintended consequences could be the result of incremental reform. VSP is mentioned to make that point:
Excerpt:
In short, shifting to a more limited bill won’t grease the skids for healthcare reformers. Instead, advocates should redouble their efforts to build public support for a comprehensive measure. The loss of momentum could actually help their cause because the breakneck pace leading up to the August recess invited opponents to make an issue out of the process, rather than focusing on the problems in the current system and how to solve them. And it raised the likelihood that provisions of the bill would have unintended consequences because they simply hadn’t been given enough thought.
Here’s an example. To address the problems faced by uninsured or underinsured Americans, the House version of the bill would require medical insurance companies to offer an “essential benefits package,” including dental and vision care for children. Making sure that kids receive such care is a smart, cost-effective move. Most medical insurers, however, stopped providing dental and vision coverage years ago as their customers sought to cut premiums, and specialized insurance companies emerged to fill those niches. Today, more than 130 million people obtain coverage through family policies from specialized insurers, mainly Delta Dental Plans Assn. of Oak Brook, Ill., and VSP of Rancho Cordova, Calif. The House bill would pressure the insurance business to restructure in order to simplify the task of subsidizing children’s dental and vision benefits and, possibly, increase competition in that coverage. But there’s no evidence that such a change would yield better deals for consumers or improve efficiency in the system.
Read the entire editorial here.
File under: healthcare reform | Tagged: eyecare, health benefits, health coverage for kids, healthcare, healthcare reform, LA Times, Los Angeles Times, vision benefits, VSP Vision Care
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Posted on September 1st, 2009 by Jill N
Jill N. is a member of VSP's Corporate Public Relations team.
With the current California Wildfires in full force, VSP wants to remind our doctors, members and non-members of disaster relief services available from VSP, if you are affected by the fires or any type of natural disaster.
VSP Network Doctors in affected areas:
Please email vspoutreach@vsp.com or call 800.852.7600 ext. 5697 to let us know how you are doing and if your office is damaged or closed. We are available to offer any assistance you may need so you can continue to provide care to your patients.
VSP Members in affected areas:
If you have lost or broken your glasses due to a disaster and need replacements, you (or your VSP doctor’s office) can call VSP’s Customer Care at 800.877.7195 for an authorization for new services.
Station Fire in Southern California, Sept 1, 2009.
Non-VSP members in affected areas:
If you are a non-VSP member and have lost or broken your glasses due to a disaster and need replacements, you may request a free VSP eyecare voucher from the local American Red Cross.
To find VSP doctor locations, use the “Find a Doctor” feature on vsp.com or contact Customer Care at 800.877.7195.
Smoke and bad air quality can affect your eyes. See tips to protect your eyes from the effects.
Photo: Getty Images
File under: Disaster Relief | Tagged: 49er fire, Auburn, California, California wildfire relief effort, disaster, eyecare, eyes, Red Cross, Smoke, vision, vision benefits, VSP Mobile Eyes, VSP Network Doctor, VSP Vision Care, Wildfires
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Are you flying American Airlines this month or US Airways in November or December? If so, tune into Sky Radio’s in-flight programming to hear an interview with VSP Global CEO Rob Lynch about a recent study undertaken by Human Capital Management Services, Inc. on behalf of VSP.
