If you are enrolled in State of Texas Vision, take full advantage of any remaining Plan Year 2020 benefits by August 31, 2020.

Here are suggestions from Superior Vision, the third-party administrator for State of Texas Vision:

• Get an eye exam with an in-network provider. If you haven’t had your eyes tested this year, consider scheduling an appointment this month. An annual eye exam is among the least expensive routine checkups to maintain your overall health. For example, did you know that an eye exam can reveal if you have high blood pressure? Retinal blood vessels look different in the eyes of those who have high blood pressure—changes that can be seen during an eye examination. Doctors understand that if these changes are seen in the retina, they also would exist throughout the body, with special concern in the heart, brain and kidneys.
• Get a backup pair of glasses or contacts from an in-network provider. Maybe you’ve had your eyes examined. Even if there are no changes to your vision from one year to the next, you still get a retail frame allowance of up to $150. If the retail price of the frame is more than $150, you pay the difference between the final retail price and $150. The allowance is for the frames only. If you pay less than $150 for your frames, you can’t apply the remaining amount to lenses, for example. If you wear contact lenses for vision correction, the $150 allowance may be used to buy any type of prescription contact lenses.
• Get prescription sunglasses from an in-network provider. On hot, sunny days, you probably remember to put on the sun screen. Do you also remember to wear sunglasses? You need sunglasses to protect your eyes from the sun’s ultraviolet (UV) rays. According to the National Institutes of Health (NIH), eyes that aren’t protected from the sun’s rays can develop cataracts, which cloud the lens of the eye and blur vision. UV rays can also lead to macular degeneration/damage to the retina that destroys central vision. If you wear glasses or contacts to correct your vision and must also wear them to drive, why not use your remaining vision benefits to get a pair of prescription sunglasses?

Find an in-network provider: To locate an in-network State of Texas Vision provider, visit the State of Texas Vision webpage and click on “Locate a Provider.”

If you signed up for State of Texas Vision for Plan Year 2021 during Summer Enrollment, your vision benefits begin/renew September 1, 2020. Please visit the State of Texas Vision webpage for more information.

Source: ERS News About Your Benefits (August 2020)