Producers appointed to sell vision insurance from VSP Vision Care, the country’s biggest vision insurance carrier, now have a new talking point. As of Tuesday, VSP is offering subsidized frames and prescription lenses for Google Glass—the search engine giant’s internet-ready specs.
While resistance to Google Glass has circulated due to privacy fears, VSP President Jim McGrann expressed excitement about the prospect of marketing the eyewear to clients.
“We know our 64mn members are seeing and hearing about Google Glass and how it will affect their lives and vision, so we are really focusing on the eye health management perspective,” McGrann told the New York Times. “We see this whole concept of smart eyewear continuing to evolve as an opportunity to provide instant information.”
The frames, which will go on sale this year, are made of lightweight titanium and cost $225. With VSP’s prescription plan, members will receive an average reimbursement of $120, plus the cost of buying prescription lenses.
The insurer also worked with Google to create a training program for optometrists, in which vision professionals learn how to mount Glass devices on frames and fit the device onto people’s faces. A VSP lab in Sacramento will cut the special lenses required for the frames.
VSP will not subsidize the computer portion of Google Glass, the insurer said.
J.P. Gownder, an analyst studying wearable smart devices at Forrester, told the Times VSP made a savvy decision with the Google agreement.
“Selling wearable consumer electronics one-on-one to individual consumers is kind of a tough business,” Gownder said. “By embedding them into the healthcare system, you can reach a mass market.”
