Q. What is the vision benefit? Does it include eye exams? Does it include contact lenses?

A. The vision benefit offers 10% 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, Visionworks, JCPenney, 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) 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 Coast to Coast Vision (CTC) discount insurance?

A. No. While an insured plan is available, CTC is a discount eyewear and eye care program. There is no paperwork. The participating retail optical locations will give the discount at the time of the purchase.

Q. Can members use CTC if they already have vision insurance?

A. Yes. In most cases CTC can be utilized to reduce out of pocket expenses. For example, 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 include family members?

A. It includes the member, their spouse and all legal dependents.

Q. What is included with CTC membership?

A. Prescription glasses 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. 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 your purchase.

Q. Is the eye exam discounted?

A. Yes, at approximately 4,000 of our 12,000 locations nationwide. Our member service representatives can tell you which locations discount eye exams in your area.

Q. What do I do when I get to the location to get my discount?

A. All you need to do to receive your discount is show the provider your membership card and tell them you are with Coast to Coast Vision. It is very important that you mention Coast to Coast Vision Network to ensure a discount at the time of purchase.

Q. Do I get the 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 me the discount?

A. No, you receive the discount because CTC brings the buying power of over 10 million members to the optical retailers participating with us.

Q. How do I get my eye doctor or optician on the Coast To Coast Vision network?

A. If you wish to refer your doctor to the CTC network, just give us their name, address and phone number and we will contact them about becoming a provider. If your practitioner does not wish to join the plan, you can still use him/her for your eye exam. Simply take your prescription to one of our participating providers to receive your discount on glasses or contact lenses.

Q. How can I be guaranteed the greatest savings on contact lenses for me and for my husband?

A. Although members receive a 10% to 20% discount when purchasing replacement contact lenses at participating optical centers, the greatest savings and selection for contact lenses is often offered through the mail order program. Replacement contact lenses are discounted at 10% to 40% below retail.

Q. Can I 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 my contact lenses are destroyed while I'm on vacation?

A. Simply call the toll-free number on the back of your membership card. The patient registration keeps your prescription on file until it expires and we can send your replacements overnight to you almost anywhere in the world.

Q. What is LASIK?

A. LASIK (Laser-Assisted In Situ Keratomileusis) is an outpatient treatment that uses an Excimer Laser (cool beam of light) to gently reshape the front surface of the eye (the cornea). Reshaping the cornea redirects the light angle as it enters the eye to refocus correctly on the retina. This allows images to be more sharply focused. Vision recovery is rapid, and there is little or no post-operative pain. With refractive procedures, your dependence upon glasses and contact lenses should diminish significantly.

Q. Can LASIK be done if I have astigmatism?

A. Yes, the LASIK procedure has been approved to effectively treat astigmatism as well as myopia (nearsightedness) and hyperopia (farsightedness).