National Association of Consumers Direct Plans through All Insurance Network Optimum Package and Optimum Package Plus
In the past plenty of people largely took their eyes and teeth for granted, going to the doctor only when their pain became intolerable. Fortunately, this is changing. Medical practitioners are urging people to have regular check-ups to avoid bigger problems, and more people are listening. The eye and dental examinations, however, will cost money. In order to help you defray these, the National Association of Consumers Direct (NACD) is offering through the All Insurance Network (AIN) its Optimum Packages.
There are two types of packages available – Optimum and Optimum Plus.
Optimum Package includes a Vision Program with an NACD Nurse Hotline thrown-in. It includes coverage with a VSP-affiliated doctor who will provide VSP’s registered WellVision Exam once in 12 months for a copay of US$10. The exam is more than just testing for refractive errors, but also includes a thorough analysis of eye problems and other health conditions that may be discovered through the eyes.
Prescription glasses are also available through the same doctor with a copay of US$25.
For this, you get single vision, lined bifocal, or line trifocal lenses for 12 months, and for dependent children, polycarbonate lenses are also included. An alternative is a US$130 allowance for a frame of your choice every 24 months. If the frame of your choice is beyond the allowance, you still get a 20% discount on the excess.
If you use contact lenses, you can use your US$130 allowance for the contacts including fitting and evaluation every 12 months. No copay is required and after 12 months, you will be entitled to a frame.
In addition to all these, you also get special discounts from non-covered lenses including contacts, glasses, and sunglasses ranging from 15 – 40%. You are eligible for a 20% discount for any eye exam with a VSP doctor within the 12 months following your WellVision Exam. If you opt for a laser surgery, you get a 15% off regular, or 5% of promotional, prices.
The NACD Nurse Hotline provides 24/7 access to registered nurses who can give you professional advice on proper medical self-care or directions to the medical provider or facility that can appropriately respond to your needs.
Should you deem you need a little more than the Vision Progam and Nurse Hotline, you can opt for the Optimum Package Plus. This includes Dental and Roadside Assistance Programs.
The Dental Program provides you with a $1,000 maximum benefit per year for Type 1, 2, and 3 procedures. The program includes a detailed list of dental procedures along with their Maximum Covered Expense or MCE. The MCE is the amount the program will pay your dental service provider. If it is insufficient to cover the actual amount charged, you will have to shoulder the difference.
A 24-hour a day roadside assistance is included in the Optimum Package to help you with towing, changing flat tires, lock-outs, and dead batteries. It even includes the delivery of fuel, oil, fluids, and water if you car runs out of these in the middle of the road anywhere in the U.S.A. or Canada.
The Optimum Package requires monthly dues of only $7.45 for a single member, but if you wish to include your family, the rate is $21.45. On the other hand, the Optimum Package Plus is a little pricier at $29.95 and $54.95 for single and family memberships respectively.
The real meat of the Optimum Packages are the optical and dental examinations but you never really know when you might need to talk to someone who knows about health care provision, or when you are stranded in some dark lonely highway in the middle of nowhere.