From Our Partners
Wendy Sheehan | Manager, Client Experience, ASEBP
Your Benefits, Clearly in Focus
Like looking through binoculars, having a clear focus on your surroundings makes the view so
much more enjoyable. This rings true for your eye health too. With your Retiree Benefits Plan, it’s
never been easier to ensure you have a clear and easy-to-use plan, including vision coverage, to
continue your journey in sharp focus.
Look Ahead
Attending regular eye exams helps detect any potential
eye diseases early.
• Look at the lens. No matter which Extended
Health Coverage plan you have, there is a rolling
24-month period for spending your allotted Vision
coverage (either a rolling maximum of $425 through
the Health Wise Core Coverage, or $550 through
the Health Wise Plus Enhanced Coverage) for new
glasses or contact lenses or to update your frames.
• Test on the regular.
Eye exams detect diseases
like glaucoma, dry eye
syndrome, and macular
degeneration; the earlier
they’re spotted, the easier
they are to treat. View your plan details on arta.net
or reach out to an ARTA Benefit Plan Coordinator
(1-855-444-2782) to get the finer points on vision
coverage for you and your dependents.
• Stay sun safe. Too much ultraviolet (UV) exposure
boosts your chances of cataracts. Wear polarized
sunglasses to protect your eyes — ideally with wraparound
style frames. Ask your eye care specialist
for polarized lenses when ordering your next
prescription sunglasses or transition lenses.
• You, clearly in focus. To get a clear picture
of what your benefits cover, take a peek at the
information on arta.net; for finer details, search the
plan texts for each benefit coverage option.
Round Out Your Wellness
Looking at all aspects of wellness, including eye health,
is helpful for a long and healthy life. We have a few
more tips to help you stay well:
• Up the dietary nutrients. According to the
Canadian Association of Optometrists, adding
foods rich in vitamins for ocular health is easy (if
they’re not already part of your regular, healthy
diet) and will help to manage diseases such as
diabetes, which can sometimes lead to blindness.
Long-chain omega-3 fatty acids and vitamins A and
C are essential to eye health, to maintain your eyes’
light-sensing cells (A), and to lower the possibility of
developing age-related macular degeneration (C).
• Avoid tobacco. Alberta Quits highlights that
smoking tobacco increases your chances of
preventable eye-related illnesses like dry eye
syndrome and blindness (among many other health
conditions). Speak with your health care professional
for a smoking cessation program that’s right for you.
• Take the 20–20–20 approach. Take a
20-second break from your computer or TV screen
every 20 minutes and focus your eyes on something
at least 20 feet away. Sit at a distance of at least
five times the width of your TV to ensure you’re not
straining your eyes or over-exposing them to blue
light.
Focus on the Contact
Make sure your contact info, including your mailing
address, is up to date, giving ARTA the clearest means
of contacting you when the time arises. If you have a
Members Health Care Account, you can update your
address with the ARTA Retiree Benefits Plan via the
Profile page once logged in.
You may also contact a Retiree
Benefits Plan Coordinator by
calling 1-855‐444-2782.
news&views AUTUMN 2020 | 53