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Health board approves optional VSP buy‑up; core vision rates unchanged
Summary
The board approved offering a voluntary buy‑up vision plan administered by VSP (or HSS) for employees and retirees, with no change to the core plan premiums; staff recommended VSP handle enrollment for scale.
The San Francisco Health Service Board voted unanimously to offer an optional buy‑up vision benefit in addition to the existing VSP core plan. Aon Hewitt and VSP representatives reviewed the renewal and a design tweak: aligning exam and lenses/frame frequency to a calendar‑year schedule rather than a rolling 12‑month window.
VSP's market director, Jennifer Carlson, explained the difference in pricing at select retailers; the buy‑up option would provide richer allowances and lens enhancements (including progressives and anti‑reflective coatings at a capped co‑pay) and would be employee/retiree‑paid if they elected it. Staff recommended offering the buy‑up with VSP handling enrollment services to avoid heavy member‑services administrative burdens in HSS (projected enrollments of 5,000+). The board approved the recommendation and directed staff to finalize enrollment arrangements.
"The premiums would not change" for the core plan, a VSP representative said, while the buy‑up would be optional and paid by members who elect it. The board recorded the motion and the vote as unanimous.
