PVS, Preferred Vision and Hearing Services, is offered as an enhancement to your group health coverage at work or with certain homeowners' policies (with participating insurers only).
With PVS you'll see benefits right away. Guaranteed. Through its network of eyewear practitioners across Canada, PVS offers you access to quality prescription eyewear products for less money than you spend now.

So long as you are covered under the group insurance plans of Great-West Life, Manulife, Sun Life or The Chamber of Commerce Plan you are eligible for the PVS discounts offered by our preferred provider network.

All that is required is that you show your certificate of the group insurance plan of one of the above carriers for proof of eligibility.

If you have lost or do not have a certificate, please contact the plan administrator of your employer.

If you still have questions of coverage you may phone the general call centre numbers of the Insurance companies at:

Sun Life
Ontario 1-800-361-6212
Edmonton 1-800-661-7334
Montreal & Atlantic Provinces 1-800-361-2128

Great-West Life
National bi-lingual 1-800-957-9777

Manulife
General 1-800-268-6195

PVS discounts for eyewear are up to 20% , when you make your purchase. However the discount may not apply on top of special promotion store sales that may be taking place at the time. The PVS discount for hearing aids and hearing devices is 10%, resulting in considerable savings for you and your family who make use of PVS hearing correctional service.

Yes! Consider that on a $200 pair of eyeglasses an average savings of 15% will save you $30. Now consider that your glasses could easily cost much more than $200. With PVS, your savings will increase. They increase even more if other members of your family also purchase prescription eyewear.

Your group insurance certificate or a PVS card is proof that you are eligible to receive the PVS discount. Simply call the PVS toll free customer service line at 1-800-668-6444 to find the location of a PVS provider near you. Then show your eligibility card at the moment of purchase and pay a reduced price.

Contact your benefits coordinator at work or your insurance broker to ensure that you have access the PVS network. If you do, simply ask for an eligibility card. You don't have to join a club or pay a fee. Access to PVS savings is FREE!

This will vary by store. If you click on the link "Click here for Home Delivery", discounts of 30 -50% are available.

Some PVS providers will give you the discount on non-prescription eyewear, such as sunglasses, even though it is not in their agreement. It is up to the individual outlet.

Practitioners are not obligated to give you a PVS discount if you identify yourself as a PVS cardholder after the moment of purchase. Moment of purchase means when you find out the price of the product and agree to make the purchase.

... even without the discount. How can that be?

Many eyewear dispensers across Canada offer variations of a product's style, quality, service level and price. The PVS network contains reliable practitioners at all ends of the spectrum. When you use PVS, we guarantee you will pay less at any participating outlet than you would without PVS. The final decision of where to buy remains yours.

Yes there is. Opticians are licensed to dispense prescription eyewear, but cannot write prescriptions. Optometrists are licensed to examine eyes, write prescriptions for corrective eyewear and dispense eyewear products.

For your convenience, PVS has both opticians and optometrists in its network. Of course the method of pricing eyewear products by opticians and optometrists differs from province to province. Before purchasing eyewear, call PVS to find out if the discount is honoured.

A PVS Platinum Practitioner is part of a large network of optical retailers with over 250 locations across Canada - featuring LensCrafters, Pearle Vision and Sears Optical.

Laser eye surgery is the most commonly practiced procedure to correct vision problems caused by refractive errors, including myopia (near-sightedness), hyperopia (far-sightedness) and astigmatism (distorted vision when looking at objects at any distance).

All of these conditions are caused by problems with the way the eye focuses an image on the retina, which is the light sensitive layer at the back of the eye. A large part of the eye’s ability to focus depends on the shape of the cornea, the clear front surface of the eye.

During laser eye surgery, the surgeon uses a laser device to make permanent changes to the shape of the cornea.

An Audiologist is a hearing healthcare expert who specializes in the prevention, identification, assessment, treatment and rehabilitation of hearing difficulties in both adults and children. They provide hearing assessments, and hearing aid prescriptions, fittings and adjustments as needed.

At your first appointment, you will be asked some questions about your hearing difficulties and health history in general. The Audiologist will look in your ears with an otoscope and complete a variety of hearing tests using a sound-proof booth. These procedures are not invasive or painful. When your assessment is complete, the Audiologist will share the results with you and make appropriate recommendations for treatment, if necessary. This will be followed by a discussion about hearing aids and the benefits they may offer you. A follow-up appointment will be arranged in about a week to fit your customized hearing aids. You will be provided with instructions on the care and use of hearing aids, as well as the necessary counseling and education to ensure that you get the most out of your investment.

Noise can be defined as any unwanted sound. When it is loud enough, noise can severely damage your hearing. Generally speaking, the louder the sound, the less time you should be exposed to it. Aside from damaging your hearing, noise can cause tinnitus and be a source of annoyance and stress.

Sounds are measured in decibels (dB). For example, the wind in the trees is 20 dB; a person talking is approximately 55 dB; a chainsaw could be measured up to 95 dB, and a single handgun blast could be as much as 160 dB! Short-term exposure to a noise of 120 dB or above without hearing protection is highly dangerous and can result in permanent damage.

The most practical and effective form of protection is simply to avoid any exposure to loud sounds. If this is not possible, then ear plugs must be worn. If you have the option to control the volume (i.e. car stereo or iPod), always turn it down rather than up.

Tinnitus is a sound or noise (e.g. ringing or buzzing) that an individual hears in their ears or head. This sound does not come from an outside source but rather internally. It can range from barely noticeable to extremely loud, and it may cause the individual a great deal of stress and anxiety.

It is still unknown as to what specifically causes tinnitus. It can be as simple as a build-up of wax or an ear infection. Some people experience tinnitus as a side effect to certain medications. Other causes include inner-ear diseases and trauma to the head and neck. Frequent exposure to loud noises can also cause tinnitus.

If you suspect that you have tinnitus, you should schedule an appointment with a PVS Preferred Provider Hearing Healthcare Centre.

Generally, yes! Most people with a correctible hearing loss will benefit greatly from wearing two hearing aids. This allows for the most effective balanced hearing and comfortable communication in a variety of everyday situations. For example, you may achieve better hearing in noisy situations, improved localization (to determine the direction from which a sound is coming from), avoid possible deterioration of the unaided ear, and enjoy a fuller, more comfortable sound.

There are five different styles of hearing aids, all of which are available at a PVS Preferred Provider Hearing Healthcare Centre. These are:

- Open-Behind-The-Ear (OBTE): These hearing aids consist of a miniature behind-the-ear (BTE) hearing aid and a thin tube with a soft rubber tip that fits in the ear. With its miniature case and thin tubing, these hearing aids are cosmetically appealing and one of the most popular styles. - Completely-in-the-Canal (CIC): These hearing aids are custom-made to fit completely in the ear canal and are almost invisible.
- In-the-Canal (ITC): These hearing aids fit into the ear canal and are slightly larger than the CIC style.
- In-the-Ear (ITE): These hearing aids are custom-made to fill the outer ear area and are larger than the ITC style.
- Behind-the-Ear (BTE): These hearing aids fit comfortably behind the ear and are attached to a soft, custom ear mold.

There are a variety of factors that influence a person’s choice of hearing aid. These are:
- Physical factors (the shape of the ear)
- Hearing related factors (the type of hearing loss; degree of hearing loss)
- Cost


If you suspect that you are having difficulty hearing and may need a hearing aid, you should visit one of the PVS Preferred Provider Hearing Healthcare Centres or call for an appointment to schedule a hearing evaluation. Experts will work with you to determine the best solution for your individual hearing needs.

Digital technology is the most advanced technology available in the hearing aid market today. It offers more flexibility, more options on the hearing aid, and better sound quality compared with other types of hearing aids. Almost all hearing aids sold today are digital.

The total cost of purchasing hearing aids differs from province to province and depends on third party funding programs. There are several programs that can provide you with financial assistance towards the purchase of hearing instruments. Contact one of our PVS Preferred Provider Hearing Healthcare Centres to determine if you qualify.

Hearing aid batteries can last anywhere from three days to three weeks, depending on the size of the battery, the type of technology being used (Analog vs. Digital), the features on the hearing aid that are in use, and the level that the volume is set at.

Assistive Listening Devices are products that can help individuals who have a hearing loss maintain their communication independence. Typically, a hearing aid makes all sounds louder, whereas an Assistive Listening Devices can increase the loudness of a desired sound.

For example, these devices can work together with hearing aids to amplify a radio, television set or alarm system; or they can turn an auditory alarm, such as a smoke signal, into a visual alarm, such as a strobe light.