April 3, 2020 — In response to meeting the needs of its members during the COVID-19 pandemic, VSP Global has expanded access to essential medical eyecare services for most VSP Vision Care insured members and their covered dependents, effective through May 31, 2020.

Members now have access to supplemental medical eye care for the detection, treatment, and management of ocular and visual conditions, and can see their VSP network doctor in-person or remotely to get treatment for a variety of conditions including conjunctivitis, eye trauma, and sudden changes to vision. Eligible members can also use their routine VSP coverage for lost or broken glasses or replacement contact lenses to meet immediate eyewear needs by contacting their VSP network doctor.

“Expanding essential medical eyecare services for VSP members is critical to ensure they can access the care they need in this COVID-19 environment,” says Michael Guyette, president and CEO of VSP Global. “In doing so, we can help keep VSP members and their VSP network doctors connected, lowering the likelihood of our members visiting primary care physicians or emergency rooms and reducing demand on our strained healthcare system during this unprecedented time.”

For VSP network doctors, a webinar resource, “Optometry & Telemedicine During COVID-19,” is now available from Premier Academy360. 

Additionally, Eyefinity is providing telemedicine functionality to all Eyefinity EHR users to enable efficient documentation and coding of remote patient consultations. This supports VSP network doctors’ ability to ramp up telemedicine capabilities for patients with essential eyecare needs. Eyefinity plans slated to make patient video chat technology available for Eyefinity EHR users in the coming weeks.