Q. What is the vision benefit? Does it include eye examinations? Does it include contact lenses?
A. The vision benefit offers 20% to 60% discounts on eyewear and eye care at more than 12,000 optical locations throughout the United States. Providers include national optical chains such as LensCrafters, Pearle Vision, EyeMasters, JCPenny, and Sears as well as regional chains and thousands of independent practitioners. Often many participating locations offer discounts of 10% on eye exams for both eye glasses and contact lenses. Additionally, the ophthalmology portion of the network offers 10% to 30% discounts on eye exams and surgical procedures, including the popular laser surgeries in select markets. On average, members receive a 20% discount on replacement contact lenses (excluding disposable lenses) and non-prescription sunglasses at retail locations. Members may elect to use the mail order service to purchase replacement contact lenses (including disposables) at a 10% to 40% discount.

Q. Is the Coast To Coast (CTC) discount plan insurance?
A. Yes. In most cases CTC can be utilized to eliminate or reduce the deductible. Once the insurance benefit has been exhausted, members may use their discount to buy additional pairs of glasses or contacts.

Q. Can members use CTC if they already have vision insurance?
A. Yes. In most cases CTC can be utilized to eliminate or reduce the deductible. Once the insurance benefit has been exhausted, members may use their discount to buy additional pairs of glasses or contacts.

Q. Is there a limit on the number of times the benefit can be used?
A. There is no limit on the number of times the member or family member can take advantage of the savings provided by CTC.

Q. Does the CTC discount plan cover family members?
A. It covers the member, their spouse and all legal dependents.

Q. What is covered with CTC membership?
A. Prescription glasses, non-prescription & prescription sunglasses, and contact lenses are discounted 20% to 60% in most cases. Eye exams and surgery are discounted 10% to 30% where available.

Q. Why does the discount vary from 10% to 60%?
A. Many variables go into the calculation of the discount such as market demographics, location, hours of operation, one-hour service capability and level of retail mark-up.
Example. - a chain provider in a major metropolitan mall, open seven days a week, 10 hours a day with an on-site lab, will more than likely have a different mark-up than an independent practitioner in a rural community. However, members will pay almost exactly the same price for the exact same materials regardless of where the purchase is made. Only the percentage of discount off retail may vary.

Q. Can members receive the discount at any optical location?
A. No. Members must go to an optical location that is contracted with Coast to Coast Vision to receive a discount. Our providers include national, regional and local chains as well as thousands of independent professionals.

Q. How can I get LASIK for 40% to 55% off the overall national average?
A. Please call 877-307-4448 and ask about this savings as a Coast to Coast member. You may also visit www.coasttocoastvision.com to locate a provider near you.

Q. What is a dispensing fee?
A. The dispensing fee is the amount of money that is added to the provider's wholesale acquisition cost of materials. It is generally the only profit made by the provider on a purchase.

Q. Is the eye exam discounted?
A. Yes, at approximately 4,000 of our 12,000 locations nationwide. Our member service representatives can provide the member with the locations that discount eye exams.
Q. How does the benefit work?
A. Members should call the toll-free number located on the membership card to locate an optical provider in their area. To receive the discount, the member must show the provider the membership card and identify his/herself as a member of the Coast to Coast Vision Plan to receive the discount.

Q. Do members receive a discount if the store is running a sale?
A. The location will not combine our contracted discount with the sale price. However, in most cases, the Coast to Coast price will be better than the sale price.

Q. Do the retail locations mark up the merchandise to give the discount?
A. No. Members receive the discount because CTC brings the buying power of over 9 million members to the optical retailers participating in the plan.

Q. How do members nominate their doctor or optician for the Coast To Coast plan?
A. To refer a doctor to the Coast to Coast Plan, the member must provide his/her name, address and phone number and we will contact him/her about becoming a provider. If the practitioner does not wish to join the plan, the member may still use him/her for their eye exam. Simply take the prescription to one of our participating providers to receive a discount on glasses or contact lenses.

Q. Can members purchase disposable contact lenses at a discount through a participating optical center?
A. No. Disposable lenses are generally priced as "loss leaders" at the retail stores. However, members can use the mail order contact lens program to receive discounts when ordering disposable lenses.

Q. What if a members contact lenses are destroyed while they are on vacation?
A. Simply call the toll-free number on the back of the membership card. The patient registration keeps the prescription on file until it expires and we can send the replacements overnight to almost anywhere in the world.

LASIK FAQ

Q. What is LASIK?
A. LASIK, also known as laser vision correction, is a surgical procedure that can reduce a persons dependency on glasses or contact lenses by permanently changing the shape of the cornea. LASIK uses an Excimer Laser (an ultraviolet laser) to precisely remove corneal tissue to correct the shape for better focusing.

Q. What are the guidelines and recommendations for having the Lasik Procedure?
A. The FDA, in cooperation with the American Academy of Ophthalmology, has developed the following guidelines and recommendations for good candidates for LASIK:

• The member should be at least 18 years old (21 for some lasers), since the vision of people younger than 18 usually continues to change. An exception is the small child with one very nearsighted and one normal eye.  The use of LASIK to correct the very nearsighted eye may prevent amblyopia (lazy eye).
• The member should not be pregnant or nursing because these conditions might change the measured refraction of the eye.
• The member should not be taking certain prescription drugs, such as Accutane or oral prednisone.
• The members eyes must be healthy and their prescription stable. If the member is nearsighted, he/she should postpone LASIK until their refraction has stabilized, because myopia may continue to increase in some patients until their mid to late 20s.
• Members should be in good general health. LASIK may not be recommended for patients with diabetes, rheumatoid arthritis, lupus, glaucoma, herpes infections of the eye, or cataracts.
• Weigh the risks and rewards. If the member is happy wearing contacts or glasses, they may want to forego the surgery.
• Understand the expectations from the surgery. Are they realistic?
• For patients with presbyopia, LASIK cannot correct their vision so that one eye can see BOTH distance and near. However, LASIK can be used to correct one eye for distance and the other for near vision. If he/she can adjust to this correction, it may eliminate or reduce the need for reading glasses. In some instances, surgery on only one eye is required.

Q. How much can members expect to save with this benefit?
A. The exact amount the member will save depends upon the provider selected. Most providers guarantee discounts from 10% to 30%. After a provider is selected, the member is recommended to call the provider's office to learn what level of discount is offered.

Q. Can members go to any LASIK provider to receive a discount?
A. To receive a discount on services, the member must go to a participating provider. To find a participating provider, the member can call the toll free number located on their membership card.