A Peak at VSP's Augmented Reality Eyewear (Project Genesis)

"The beginnings of The Shop and by extension, Project Genesis, came about because of what the company saw as a rise in personalized health care and data-driven fitness tech," goes the Engadget post. "'For the last two years and change, we took the time to do a deep dive into all the areas that could disrupt us,' explained Leslie Muller, who heads up the East Coast arm of The Shop over in New York. The fact that augmented and virtual reality -- both wearable technologies that sit in front of your eyes instead of on your wrist -- were up and coming was a big hint to Sales that the team was on the right track. 'Google Glass really knocked a pretty big hole in the wall for us,' he said. 'It became really obvious that we needed to make our own mark on this. Build our own platform, but put it in something that's not only socially acceptable, but beautiful.' He was wearing a Project Genesis prototype when I met him, but I couldn't tell at first that he had on anything out of the ordinary. They look like an utterly normal pair of black rim glasses. Unlike Google's Project Glass, it doesn't seem even remotely Borg-like, and I could easily see myself walking down the street wearing this without feeling like I would get stared at by strangers." Read more.

VSP's Project Genesis Gets Thumbs Up

"By adding sensors to fashionable frames, VSP’s Project Genesis could create wearables people actually want to wear," writes the famous business magazine Fortune. "Wearable devices like Fitbit FIT -5.03% and Fuelband bring us new insight into our health and fitness. There’s only one catch: We have to wear them. While wearable adoption rates are strong (IDC data estimates that sales will grow by 173% in 2015), many Americans lack follow-through. For example, one study conducted last year by research firm Endeavor Partners found that only half of all activity-tracker owners use their device, and one-third of those stopped using them within six months. Eye care product and service provider VSP Global believes there’s a better way. Rather than asking consumers to wear a new device, such as a wristband or smartwatch, they’re embedding a tracking system into what they call 'the original wearable:' eyeglasses." Read more.

Why the Affordable Care Act Does Not Cover Vision

“Healthcare.gov will reopen for business on Nov. 15, welcoming millions of Americans to an insurance marketplace that offers medical plans and dental coverage. No one will be shopping for separate eye-care plans, an exclusion that roils companies that sell vision insurance. Even though they aren’t getting new customers, vision insurers still have to pay the Affordable Care Act’s tax on health insurance providers. Why did vision get left out of Obamacare?” asks Business Week. “The answer reveals a lot about the rabbit hole of bureaucracy and political gridlock that’s responsible for so much of American public policy in 2014. Vision plans were originally intended to be part of the exchanges when the ACA was being drafted, says Rob Lynch, chief executive of VSP Global, a vision plan that covers eye care for 67 million Americans. Lawmakers became concerned about how subsidies to help people afford coverage would be split among medical, dental, and visual providers, so glasses got left out. But eye-care plans remained subject to the tax on health insurers. When VSP paid the fee last week, the levy amounted to $25 million. In a letter to the Internal Revenue Service along with the payment, VSP’s general counsel said the company intends to seek a refund.” Read more.

Stand Alone Vision Plans Not to Be Sold Through California's Exchange

"Gov. Jerry Brown has vetoed a bill [Assembly Bill 1877] that Rancho Cordova’s vision insurer, VSP Global, says was necessary to let it sell coverage through the state-run health care marketplace, Covered California," according to a report in the Modesto Bee. "Brown’s veto appears to tear open an old wound...In 2012, the governing board of Covered California, the electronic marketplace created in response to the federal Affordable Care Act, was finalizing its rules. It had decided not to let 'stand-alone' companies like VSP, which provide only vision care insurance, sell coverage to individuals. Lynch protested and said he was putting on hold a significant expansion of the company’s operations in the Sacramento area. A slew of elected officials and business leaders urged the state agency to reconsider. Eventually, the Covered California board reversed course and voted to let VSP and other stand-alone insurers into the market for individuals....But because of a wrinkle in federal law, the agency later realized that stand-alone vision plans couldn’t be sold through an exchange, according to a legislative analysis of AB 1877." Read more.

Smartphone Eye Exams from Home? Possibly Says VSP. New Awards Program for Labs Providing Unity Lenses

"Imagine using a smartphone application to do an eye exam from the comfort of your couch and then sending the results to the doctor," starts the post on the Sacramento Bee. "Being innovative and ahead of the latest eyewear technology is the goal of VSP Vision Care’s new midtown think tank – called The Shop. VSP was Google’s original vision care provider and teamed up with the tech giant in early 2013 on Google Glass. VSP does all of the lenses for Google Glass and has trained 6,000 doctors in its use. The goal of the new facility is to test ideas, the kind of 'changes that will disrupt the industry, but that we want to be in front of,' said VSP President Jim McGrann. He offered the smartphone eye exam as a hypothetical example of the type of change VSP is looking to exploit, though he said the company is not working on such an app." Read more.

Meanwhile VSP's Optics Group launched a new award program for independently owned optical laboratories offering Unity Performance Optics lenses. Each year, VSP Optics Group will choose one independent lab that ranks highest in three main criteria for its work in the previous calendar. Read more.

Concerns about Blue Light from Digital Devices Increase

VSP Supports CA Attempt to Stand Alone Vision Marketplace

"VSP, frustrated with its inability to offer adult vision care as a stand-alone benefit through Covered California, is backing an effort to establish a separate vision care marketplace linked to the exchange website," says the Sacramento Business Journal. "The vehicle to do this is Assembly Bill 1877 by Assemblyman Ken Cooley, a Democrat from Rancho Cordova. The bill creates a vision care access council in state government modeled after the state health benefit exchange. The council would contract with vision plans, manage the program and work with the exchange to establish a link between the two programs." Read more.

Optometry Students Adopt Patients and Fit Them with Contacts

:Program logo from AOSA website.

CooperVision, Inc., along with the American Optometric Student Association (AOSA), are promoting the company’s Adopt-a-Patient SM program. The initiative gives optometry students an opportunity to provide eye care in communities near participating universities.

AOSA will create an Adopt-a-Patient page on its website as well as presence on its Facebook page, will publish an article about the program in AOSA's Foresight, and will provide administrative support.

The seven-year-old program allows third- and fourth-year optometry students to examine and fit eligible patients in CooperVision's contact lenses. The students also provide follow-up care. Patients receive a complimentary year’s supply of their prescribed lenses from CooperVision. Vision Service Plan (VSP) subsidizes the cost of the exam.

Optometry school students and faculty who want to take part can email Mark Andre (mandre@coopervision.com) for more information.

VSP Talks about Its Google Glass Deal

"Recently, Google Glass has been a controversial topic in the news, from driving bans to a bizarre attack on a woman who wore the device into a bar. Nevertheless, the product's impending launch is generating plenty of buzz about innovation and potential breakthrough technology. CBS MoneyWatch recently spoke to someone who'll be part of it," according to a CBS MoneyWatch post. "Jim McGrann is president of VSP Vision Care, a vision insurance provider with 60 million-plus members (and a network of 30,000 eye doctors) that has partnered with Google Glass. Among other things, the relationship will focus on providing prescriptions to the 40 percent of Google Glass users who will need corrective lenses." Click to find out what he said.

VSP Expects Growth in Near Term

“Rob Lynch, president and CEO of VSP Global in Rancho Cordova, says ‘this isn’t just a vision service company anymore,’” says a post from the Sacramento Bee. “That’s easy to see, just from the numbers alone. What most knew simply as a provider of vision benefits and services a generation ago has grown into a nearly 5,600-employee international enterprise overseeing companies touching all aspects of the vision industry – member benefits, vision practice assistance/development, eyewear, customized lenses, software and ophthalmic technology.

“About 2,000 VSP Global employees work in five buildings in and around the square-mile campus in Rancho Cordova, and VSP Global companies operate in 100 countries on six continents. The long-standing core vision benefits/services entity, VSP Vision Care, now has 64 million members and a network of 30,000 eye doctors nationwide. Lynch sees more growth ahead. ‘The way we’re organized, there’s nothing exactly like us. ... We’re very excited about what the future holds,’ he said.” Read more.

Added as UBA Strategic Partner, VSP Reach Expands

United Benefit Advisors (UBA) has added VSP Vision Care (VSP) as a Strategic Partner. Strategic Partners, the highest level of collaboration, offer what UBA calls “exceptional products and make a special commitment to the success of UBA and its partnership.” The benefits are twofold: The Strategic Partner garners exposure and an expanded book of business through UBA Partners, while the UBA Partnership and its clientele gain access to high-quality products. VSP is the largest not-for-profit vision benefits and services company in the United States with 60 million members and a network of 30,000 eye doctors. Read more.

Brokers Selling VSP Plans Directly to Consumers

VSP has authorized independent insurance brokers to sell its individual insurance plans. The brokers will use a VSP website that allows clients to self-enroll. The broker plan provides individuals and families with the same eye care found in the VSP’s employer based plans. Read more.

Essilor, VSP, Younger, and Indizen End Free-Form Progessives Lawsuit

Two weeks before Thanksgiving, Essilor, VSP, Younger Optics, and Indizen Optical Technologies have settled their free-form progressive lawsuit. “A patent infringement case was filed by Essilor against VSP Optical Group on Feb 22, 2013 in the Texas Eastern District Court for infringing eyeglass lenses used to correct presbyopia and other disorders of accommodation. The other named defendants in this case were: Indizen Optical Technologies…and Younger Optics,” reports IPInsiders. “The patent involved in the suit is US6149271…The patent is currently assigned to Essilor International …The '271 patent claims progressive addition lenses and processes for making progressive addition lenses. The complaint alleged that Indizen Optical Technologies develops a lens design software [and that] IOT Futura and Younger Optics provides semi-finished lenses, both of which help in producing finished lenses manufactured by VSP, UNITY PLxpression lenses that infringe the '271 Patent. The complaint states that Indizen Optical Technologies and Younger Optics encouraged VSP to make such infringing lenses. …On Nov 13, Essilor filed stipulation of dismissal pursuant to which the Court ordered all the claims and counterclaims in this action to be dismissed with prejudice with each party bearing its own attorneys’ fees and costs.” Read more.

Pro Volleyball Olympic Star Misty May-Treanor Discusses Eyecare

It's a good, short video about the impact of good vision care on performance. May-Treanor might be just the spokesperson young, female patients need to hear from. The video at the end of this link summarizes her performance at the London Olympics.

VSP Launches Online Game

VSP Vision Care (VSP) launched an online game called “Time Crunch Sweepstakes” on the website SeeMuchMore.com. Gamers can win a chance for the grand prize: an island vacation trip for two.  The easy-to-play interactive game teaches participants about the importance of eye health and vision health plans. Participants also can play the instant-win round for a chance to win a pair of designer sunglasses, a Visa gift card, or other prizes. Consumers can earn up to 10 additional daily entries to the grand prize drawing just by sharing the game through social media channels.
Play the game by following these simple steps:

• Visit SeeMuchMore.com, select “Have Fun and Learn” from the top navigation, then “Time Crunch Sweepstakes.”
• Enter your email address to be eligible to win the grand prize.
• Complete three fun rounds to the game: Eye Trivia, Eye Blink and Eye Chart:
• Eye Trivia – Series of five questions on eye health that you must answer as quickly as possible
• Eye Blink – Look for eyes to appear on the screen; click on them with your mouse, or your finger if you’re playing on a mobile device, before they disappear
• Eye Chart – Find the hidden phrase in an eye chart and type it out.

VSP Vision Launches Sweepstakes

VSP Vision Care, Spry magazine, and SpryLiving.com have launched the "See Well & Be Well" sweepstakes. People wishing to participate must visit www.spryliving.com/VSPDirect. Individuals who enter by September 30 have a chance to win one of 10 free individual vision insurance plans for a year of coverage from VSP Direct. Each one-year plan being given away is valued up to $218.95, says a VSP spokesperson. Read more.

VSP Launches AMD Awareness Campaign

VSP Vision Care is launching the VSP Eye on age-related macular degeneration campaign designed to increase consumer awareness about preventative care behaviors, support eye doctors with continuing education in providing essential care and providing free eyecare services to those in need. As part of the VSP Eye on Wellness program, which launched an Eye on Diabetes campaign four years ago, this campaign will highlight the importance of annual eye exams in the treatment of AMD. The program will also emphasize such preventive measures as eating nutrient-rich foods, incorporating a regular exercise routine, protecting your eyes from harmful ultraviolet (UV) light, and minimizing your exposure to digital devices that emit blue light. Read more.

Stand-Alone Vision Plans May Not Join California’s Exchange

“Vision Service Plan's launch on California's new health care exchange is downright blurry, and the firm is seeing red,” says the Sacramento Bee. “The Rancho Cordova company and others in the vision industry lobbied successfully last year for the right to sell adult vision insurance to individuals via the state's new health care exchange.But a new controversy has emerged, raising the prospect that vision plans will not be part of the state's exchange, Covered California, when it begins offering health insurance Oct. 1.” Read more.

VSP Tells California to Use Colorado Model for Stand Alones

“VSP Vision Care has advice for board members from Covered California when they meet Thursday to decide how and when to offer stand-alone vision and other supplemental benefits in the new health insurance marketplace: look at Colorado.” That’s the report from the Sacramento Business Journal. “Last week, Connect for Health Colorado voted to provide direct access to stand-alone vision plans for consumers via a link during the health insurance enrollment process that starts Oct. 1. Like other states — including California — Colorado hit a stumbling block in March when new federal rules narrowed the way supplemental plans can be offered in exchanges. These products can be offered by separate state programs that share resources and infrastructure with a state-based exchange, but federal subsidies can’t be used for non-essential benefits — nor can exchange administrative fees support them.” For more details, read more.

Boise Ranked Top Eye Health City

Boise is the top city where more residents took care of their eyes in 2012, according to VSP Vision Care's 2013 Eye Health Index.The index reviewed tens of millions of VSP claims from more than 100 geographic areas. VSP began analyzing claim data in 2012 to recognize the top cities whose citizens are getting eye exams as part of their healthcare routine.

The Top 10 2013 Eye Healthy Regions in the United States

1. Boise
2. Sacramento (10th in 2012)
3. Oklahoma City-Tulsa (9th in 2012)
4. Wichita (2nd in 2012)
5. Columbus, OH (6th in 2012)
6. Des Moines
7. Birmingham, AL (4th in 2012)
8. Denver (5th in 2012)
9. Raleigh, NC (3rd in 2012)
10. Bay Area, CA (San Jose 7th in 2012)