VSP legislation would allow supplemental adult vision through Covered California

VSP is sponsoring legislation, AB 1887, introduced by Assembly Member Ken Cooley, D-Rancho Cordova, to provide a mechanism for stand-alone vision plans to offer supplemental adult vision care benefits in conjunction with the Covered California purchasing experience, by:

1.     Establishing a separate state council overseen by a governing board with the job of creating a state marketplace to give California consumers the opportunity to choose vision care coverage in addition to their other health care choices by linking with the state exchange.

2.     The new Vision Care Access Council would be funded entirely voluntarily by participating California vision health care plans. Operations would only get underway when a minimum funding threshold has been provided by those plans that intend to participate.

3.     Participating carriers would be required to meet a minimum net asset threshold, have and continuously maintain an established website, be able to demonstrate adequate vision care coverage networks sufficient to ensure convenient geographic access to vision care in California and meet the needs of California's diverse populations.

COA has historically supported the inclusion of stand-alone vision plans in Covered California and is in the process of analyzing this bill language and its impact on optometry in California. If you have any comments, please contact Kristine Shultz, COA director of governmental and external affairs, at kshultz@coavision.org.

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