VSP Vision Care

I pay about $10 a month for my VSP insurance through my job. I also get a free eye exam from my medical insurance. Typically with my medical insurance I will get a free "contact lens fitting". However, with VSP, which seems like a scam, they say that you are eligible for either contact lens or prescription lenses. I use contacts so I have to pay for this extra "contact lens fitting" instead of a free eye exam. Where as if I wore glasses I would have "free" eye exam and that would not cut into my allotment for frames and lenses.

Basically on their website it makes it seem like a contact lens exam is "free" but it really is part of the $150 you get. I ended up paying an extra $47 out of pocket for this "contact lens exam". Overall I paid $120 a year for the coverage plus $47 for the exam putting me up at $167 a year just to get $150 of free contacts that are over-priced anyways. This insurance is a scam and is not insurance at all. If I didn't have this insurance, my medical insurance would have covered my "eye exam/contact lens fitting". And to purchase a year's worth of contacts it would be closer to $100-$120 instead of the $150-$200 they are going to charge me. All in all VSP is a scam!

VSP Insurance requires individuals to use network providers (doctor offices) to buy eye glasses. I selected a $300 set of frames for progressive bifocals. My cost, after VSP Coverage was applied, would be $308. I found almost the exact frames at Walmart for $68. The total Walmart price was $312. Then VSP would reimburse me for out of plan providers less than $100. VSP Insurance is a ripoff. Don't spend your own money to buy it. If you are an employer, find a better insurance company.

I went to a VSP service provider doctor and picked up an eye frame. I am told it would cost me $160 after applying my VSP insurance benefit of $150 and 20% discount. I went ahead and checked the same model GA686 in the internet and I found out that same frame is for $149 on amazon.com. I called up VSP and ask them if I could submit my receipts from amazon.com to get reimbursed. Surprisingly the answer was yes, but VSP will not reimburse my full benefit amount and they will only reimburse $47.

My question is why? If my benefit amount is $150, why can't I use the amount from any retailer I want? This is what is happening. For a frame which cost $150, VSP provider is hiking it to $450 then telling the customer they will honor 20% discount and apply $150 benefit amount. But I, the consumer, still have to come up with additional amount, roughly $150. If VSP allows me to use my full benefit amount $150 with any retailer, I could get the frame for free but VSP would not allow it! I am paying $60 per month, total of $720 a year to VSP as my premium! Now, I wonder whether it is worth it or not! VSP seems like running a big scam along with provider network!

My wife recently went to her optometrist for annual check up and contacts. When she was paying out, she was confronted with a statement that her insurance was no longer in effect. She then called me to inquire why. I called VSP to learn that we were in fact no longer covered and that they made one attempt via USPS mail to notify us that a premium was due for the current year.

The information they require as stated on their website is they want an email address as well as current phone numbers to be able to contact insureds for various reasons. I asked the customer service rep if they had all of that on file. She responded yes and then confirmed it. Then she proceeded to inform me that their policy was to make one attempt to contact customers to advise them of a pending/upcoming premium. While I don't agree with a "one-time effort" policy, it is understandable to a degree.

The part of the complaint is where they tell you that to continue coverage, you have to pay for the entire year again in advance, then your coverage does not start for 30 days after you make payment. In this discovery, they freely admit to sitting on your funds prior to making service coverage available. You would think that having all of the contact information as well as having given them permission to contact you in any manner necessary for any reason would have gone a long way to preventing a lapse, which in this case occurred, because our USPS had one of their slips and the mailed item was not delivered.

Therefore no notification was received, responded to, nor acted upon. Since eye insurance coverage is available, it may be helpful in the future that more than one attempt be made to continue coverage or at least the option to elect continued coverage be made available. Use of the provided email address prior to expiration would have been helpful, and the waiting "penalty" period should/could have been waived, given that we had a previous history/account in good standing for the entire previous year.

In my opinion, this company VSP is not a customer responsible service provider, and given the fact that they, as a company, use our money to pad their bank accounts for 30 days while coverage is not available, they should be held accountable. If this is their SOP, and one they intend to continue to employ going into the future, then I would suggest that anyone considering using this company steer clear to find an alternate provider for their personal eye care needs. This is poor business practice at its best followed closely with a near fraudulent use of funds.

As a result of their neglect and apparent possible fraud, we were not only out the $400 + for the premium, but we also had to pay the $500 due at the optometrist's office the day my wife went in for her scheduled visit. This further compounds the sting of having to wait 30+ days for coverage.

VSP vision care for individuals is a ripoff for consumers. They give you a price for the vision insurance (mine was 169.00 per year. Then they tell you there is an additional charge of 18.00 for a discount package bringing the total cost up to 187.00. the discount package has nothing to do with eye care. Its for luggage, trips and other discounts most consumers would never use.

I purchased my policy on 10/22/09 and received the information in a timely manner. I made an appointment and found out my policy does not take effect until 12/01/09! VSP has a 30 day money back offer. MINUS a 25.00 service fee if you cancel.

I called to ask why my plan does not start on 11/01/09 and got told "it clearly states on the website that any policy taken out after the 20th of a month, the plan starts the following month. No where does it say that on their site. The are taking advantage of consumers and over charging them 18.00 for a useless discount package