RANCHO CORDOVA, Calif.— VSP Vision Care announced yesterday that it will now offer individual vision insurance plans with a monthly pay option in 46 states. (The plan is not available in North Carolina, Arizona, Washington and Ohio.) The country’s largest provider of vision insurance, now with 59 million members, said that the reason for this move was to increase access to care and referenced the fact that nearly 50 percent of Americans are without vision coverage, citing Jobson Research’s 2012 Consumer Perceptions of Managed Vision Care Insight Survey.

The payment plan will allow consumers to pay rates ranging from $12.50 to $16.50 per month, depending on the state in which they live,with most regions in the $14 range, Ken Stellmacher, director of client and member marketing, told VMail. Coverage includes an eye exam with a $15 co-payment, allowance for glasses or contact lenses, fully covered lens options with 20 percent to 25 percent off any non-covered options, such as anti-reflective or Transitions, and access to the largest doctor network in the industry. “A wide selection of frames are covered up to $120, plus 20 percent off any amount over the allowance,” said Stellmacher. “The contact lenses allowance is $120. Prescription lenses are fully covered under VSP’s Individual Plan.”

“VSP is committed to increasing access to quality eyecare, and this new monthly payment option for direct-to-consumer benefits makes that possible for millions of Americans without coverage” Stellmacher told VMail. “With more people covered, we hope eyecare professionals will see more patients coming through the door.”

In celebration of the new monthly payment option, VSP is hosting an “Eye Got You Covered” sweepstakes on Facebook. From now until May 1, 2013, consumers can enter for a chance to win a VSP Individual Plan, providing a year’s worth of free vision coverage that winners can keep or give as a gift.