The Health Care Commission (HCC) recently voted to move the State Employee Health Plan (SEHP) voluntary Vision benefits to a new carrier, Avēsis. Avēsis will begin providing benefits to members Jan. 1, 2022.
Avēsis is diligently working to recruit and contract with optometric providers (e.g. eye doctors, glasses and contact lenses companies) across Kansas in order to best serve members. Their campaign to recruit and contract with providers began several weeks ago. It is likely that many providers used by SEHP members have already been contacted.
To assist in their efforts and allow members an opportunity to provide feedback on their preferred providers, Avēsis has developed a nomination form for members to complete and submit electronically. This form asks for their preferred provider information and will go directly to the recruitment team at Avēsis, who will then reach out to those providers.
For most SEHP members, the vision exam benefit is covered under the medical portion of their benefits at 100%, and that process will not change. The providers who have been participating in the Aetna and Blue Cross and Blue Shield of Kansas networks will continue to be in those networks, meaning your annual eye exam will still be covered in full through your medical plan.
For members without medical coverage, and for lenses, frames, and materials, the Avēsis plan will be providing vision benefits for 2022.
