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Human Resources - Employee Benefits
Vision Care Plan
Purpose of the Vision Care Plan
The Vision Care Plan provides reimbursement for specified services for eligible employees and their eligible family members.
For information relating to Claiming Benefits, Co-ordination of Benefits, Exclusions, Family Member Eligibility, e-service, etc. please go to the Health Benefits Home Page.
Benefits
The Vision Care plan provides reimbursement for 100% of eligible eye care expenses up to the applicable per person maximum once in a benefit period. The benefit period is 24 consecutive months following actual purchase date of the first Vision Care item claimed.
Eligible eye care expenses include the cost of:
- Purchase or replacement of eyeglasses (frames and/or lenses)
- Repairs to existing glasses which have been damaged.
- Contact lenses
- Laser eye surgery when performed by an Ophthalmologist or Physician.
Where eye exam is listed as a separate allowance, the applicable per person eye allowance maximum may be used during any consecutive 24 month period.
Eligible Vision Care expenses must be prescribed by a licensed Medical Doctor, Ophthalmologist or Optometrist.
Maximum Reimbursement
AESES employees
- Full-time/part-time: $200 plus $50 eye exam allowance in a benefit period (effective from January 1, 2009 benefits are not prorated for part-time employees)
IUOE employees
- Full-time/part-time: $250 in a benefit period (effective from January 1, 2009 benefits are not prorated for part-time employees)
Excluded Support employees
- Full-time/part-time: $200 plus $50 eye exam allowance in a benefit period (effective from January 1, 2009 benefits are not prorated for part-time employees)
UWFA employees
- Full-time/part-time: $200 plus $50 eye exam allowance in a benefit period (effective from January 1, 2009 benefit increase from $190 and benefits are not prorated for part-time employees)
UWFA-Collegiate employees
- Full-time/part-time: $200 plus $50 eye exam allowance in a benefit period (effective from July 22, 2010 benefit increase from $190 and benefits are not prorated for part-time employees)
Excluded Academic employees
- Full-time: $200 plus $50 eye exam allowance in a benefit period (effective from January 1, 2009 benefit increase from $190 and benefits are not prorated for part-time employees)
Over 65
If you or your spouse are over 65 years of age, you are also eligible for a limited vision care benefit from the Manitoba Health program. You must apply for the government benefit before you will be reimbursed by Manitoba Blue Cross.
Vision Care Exclusions
The following exclusions are specific to the Vision care plan. For General Exclusions that are applicable to all health benefits please refer to the Health Benefits Home Page.
Blue Cross will not pay for any of the following:
- Charges for fitting of eyeglasses.
- Non-corrective sunglasses, photo sensitive, anti-reflective lenses or clip-ons.
- Lenses which do not require a prescription from a Physician, Ophthalmologist or Optometrist.
- Procedures determined by Blue Cross to be special or unusual such as, but not limited to, Orthoptics, Vision Training, Subnormal Vision Aids, and Aniseikonic Lenses.
- Charges for the completion of claim forms.
- Charges incurred outside the frequency limitations of the vision care plan.
Eyeglasses must be purchased and repairs must be made for the sole use of the subscriber or his/her dependents.
