Governor Signs Bill Providing Vision Care Program for State Universit...(ate employees have access to the Vision ...),Health

For example, the HMO and PPO plans (for Basic) members offer only routine eye examinations and basic care. They do not include eyeglass coverage unless it results from cataract surgery. Additionally, some Medicare plans offer some limited benefits, while others offer only minimal vision benefits.

Under the VSP plan, retirees who choose to participate will be offered basic eye examination coverage and primary eye care coverage. The VSP plan also offers eyeglass and contact lens coverage with a co-payment.

"After a lifetime of service to the state, it is our responsibility to ensure that our annuitants have access to quality health care," said Sen. McLeod, the author of SB 235. "This is a modest measure that brings our CSU retirees' vision benefit into parity with other retired state employees.

"There is more work to be done on this subject, and I will continue to work with CSEA as we look toward 2008 and beyond."

Another bill sponsored by CSEA Retirees, Inc. -- SB 689 (Correa) -- would require the state to fund half of the program costs for the new state retiree vision programs.

That bill will be heard in the Legislature next year. CSEA Retirees, Inc. is the largest and most experienced exclusive state

retiree organization, representing more than 28,000 retirees.