Yes, however it is to your advantage to use a participating provider. First, you can take advantage of additional discounts our panelists provide. Second, if you have a problem, the UFT Welfare Fund will help resolve any issues.

If you use a non-participating provider, you are required to first pay the full cost of the service and request reimbursement of $250, or the actual charge, whichever is less. You can submit a paid, itemized receipt and a copy of your prescription electronically via the GVS website or the GVS app. Alternatively, paper claims can be mailed to GVS.

See more information about the Direct Reimbursement Program » 

First, you need to confirm your eligibility for benefits, then (if eligible) obtain services from a provider. You and your covered family members are entitled to an eye exam, and eyeglasses or contact lenses once every year.

You can check your eligibility in one of three easy ways:
(1) Visit www.gvsuft.com;
(2) Check via the GVS app; or
(3) Call the UFT-dedicated concierge line at GVS at (212) 729-5395.

You no longer need to request an optical certificate to obtain benefits. 

If you are eligible for the optical benefit, you can make an appointment or walk in to a participating vision store (for in-network coverage) or use a nonparticipating vision provider of your choice (for out-of-network coverage). Participating providers can be found on the GVS website. 

The benefit includes a complete pair of eyeglasses or contact lenses and, if necessary, a basic eye exam.

We suggest that you use the certificate only for a full service, including the hearing aid. If you use the certificate and only get the evaluation, we will pay the evaluation fee, but you will be deemed to have used the entire $4,000 benefit and you will not be eligible for another certificate for three years. Instead, if you pay for the evaluation (and possibly submit the claim to your health plan), you will save the $4,000 benefit and can use it when you are ready to purchase your hearing aid.

Yes, but there are benefits to using a panel provider. Besides the discounts offered, the Fund requires our panelists to have a licensed audiologist at their facility to ensure quality service.

Yes, you can ask for a validated certificate under your own name and another one as a dependent of your spouse.

COBRA is an acronym for federal legislation that enables eligible employees and their dependents who lost their health insurance plans due to a qualifying event to continue their coverage at their own expense for a period of time.

Certain COBRA events allow for up to 18 months of coverage while other events allow for up to 36 months of coverage. COBRA coverage combined with the UFT Welfare Fund Extension of Continuation of Coverage benefit provides all COBRA events with up to 36 months of coverage.

The following are qualifying events for COBRA coverage:
A member (and dependents) who has lost coverage due to:

• termination of employment
• leave of absence 
• end of a covered leave
• retirement and deferred retirement.

A spouse/dependent who has lost coverage due to:

• the death of the member
• divorce or legal separation or termination of domestic partnership
• a dependent child who lost coverage upon turning age 26.

When a dependent child's COBRA coverage expires, he or she may be eligible to purchase Age 29 Young Adult Coverage. As long as both the member and dependent maintain their eligibility. This benefit will continue until the end of the month of the dependent’s 30th birthday. The Age 29 coverage form (which states the requirements) is available online.