CINCINNATI— Total Vision Services, in a joint venture with the Dental Care Plus Group, has established Dental & Vision Extras, a dental and vision discount savings program.

With a vision panel combining those of Total Vision Services and Coast to Coast Vision, the program offers 12,000 participating eyecare providers in all 50 states. However, due to regulations in some states, residents in 43 states can register, while those in the following states are excluded: Alaska, Florida, Illinois, Tennessee, Utah, Vermont and Washington.

The vision panel is a combination of independent practices and regional and national chains. National chains include JCPenney Optical, select Walmart Vision Centers, Sam’s Club Optical, Target Optical, Sears Optical and Pearle Vision. Regional chains include Thoma & Sutton, Wing Eyecare, Visionworks and Texas State Optical.

One of the unique aspects the plan is promoting is its definition of family, which incorporates anyone living in the registrant’s household regardless of legal relationship, minor dependents, wherever they are residing, and parents aged 65 or older regardless of where they reside. Registrants can also cover adult children on their family membership who are up to age 26 if they are enrolled in a college or trade school, or any age if the adult child is medically disabled. Registrants whose parents are younger than age 65 and medically disabled can also be included in a family membership. While discounts are typically 20 percent to 40 percent off “full billed charges,” they can be as much as 50 percent.