This happened to my early 2011 15" MacBook Pro sometime mid-2013. Apple repaired it for a $300 flat-fee via their "Repair Depot" option and luckily I haven't had the issue happen again yet (but it did come back with some extra scratches and a 3 month warranty, I think? - can't remember now.)
I had the same issue happen to me about a month ago, and also paid the flat $300 fee. I called Apple Support yesterday, and explained to them my situation and their current program. The employee that was helping me put me on hold a few times and eventually had me talk to his 'Senior Supervisor'. I then had to re-explain what was going on, and to my surprise, this was the first time the 'Senior Supervisor' heard of the Video Card warranty/program. He asked for my serial number and called my back to 'look into it'. About 25 minutes later, he explained the refund process to me. It will take about 4 weeks total, and you will have the option to get refunded via check or bank deposit (you'll need to give them routing number etc. if you choose this route).
Hopefully the refund process isn't too difficult.