Sacramento digest: Federal vision care OK'd

Surviving a second review, Vision Service Plan announced Tuesday a final agreement to offer eye-care benefits to federal workers for the first time.

Starting in November, about 8 million federal employees and retirees will be eligible to sign up for VSP coverage. The benefit, which would be paid by the workers, would provide an annual eye exam and coverage for eyeglasses or contact lens.

Last May, the U.S. Office of Personnel Management selected the Rancho Cordova-based company as one of three choices in eye-care providers under a new supplemental health care program for federal workers. After two dental providers protested the selection process, officials re-opened the bidding in the summer.

With $2.2 billion in annual revenue, VSP is the nation's largest eye-care benefits provider with 45 million members nationwide and a network of 32,000 doctors.