In-Office Membership Plans - FAQ

Q. Is a vision membership plan the same thing as a vision plan?

A. A membership plan is a customizable set of benefits offered by a practice directly to individuals who wish to supplement their existing vision plan (see below), or are seeking something other than a vision plan, either because they are retired, or they do not receive vision benefits through their job, or for some other reason they do not find their vision plan to be a good value and are looking for an alternative. The most important difference between a vision membership plan and traditional vision plans is that a membership plan is unique to your practice – there is no network of doctors associated with it.

Q. Can vision membership plan benefits be combined with or complement vision plan benefits or medical insurance benefits (including Medicare/Medicaid)?

A. Both the customer agreement (the agreement a practice signs with VisionHQ) and the member terms and conditions (what an individual patient agrees to when signing up with a membership plan) prohibit vision membership plans from being combined with vision plan or medical insurance benefits for a specific claim.

Depending on their unique circumstances and preferences, individuals may wish to join a membership plan to obtain additional benefits beyond what is offered by their vision plan (for example, services that are not covered by the vision plan).

Q. Does a VisionHQ membership plan have fixed benefits and patient fees? How will I know if it will work in my practice?

A. The plans are customizable so you can set the costs and benefits that make sense for your practice. You can offer an unlimited number of different plans. Consult with VHQ and your business advisors for assistance.

Q. Will starting my own plan violate any of my existing contracts or cause problems with my existing vendors, such as suppliers, labs, and vision benefits managers / vision plans?

A. It is your responsibility to be familiar with your rights and obligations under all your current vendor agreements, and for managing the relationship between your practice and its vendors. Consult VHQ and your business advisors for assistance if needed.