3 Important Reasons for Vision Benefits

February 23, 2023 |read icon 4 min read

Female friends browsing internt on mobile phone.Employees value their vision insurance benefits. Research shows that 87% of workers surveyed are likelier to stay with a company that offers high-quality vision coverage. Although employees want and need vision benefits, they sometimes don’t get around to using them each year. Review three important reasons to offer vision benefits, including ways to help employees maximize their vision coverage.

1. Offer quality vision benefits 

Studies show that access to high-quality vision benefits can influence employees’ decisions to stay with your company or accept another job.

In addition to a comprehensive vision checkup, employees today are looking for vision benefits with many coverage options. This includes an annual allowance for eyeglasses and contacts and assistance with LASIK procedures

Support recruitment and retention of top workers by offering high-quality vision coverage. Work with your broker and reputable insurance carrier to design a vision plan that provides the coverage employees want. Vision insurance premiums are low in cost, so employers can cover all or a significant portion of the premium. Another option is to offer vision as a voluntary benefit through a reliable insurance provider.

2. Explain the importance 

Like a regular fitness program, vision insurance promotes good health. But employees need to understand how vision benefits work and why they are so important.

Many employees complain about headaches and eye problems from using digital devices. Researchers found that 31% of adults report viewing screens almost constantly. On average, workers spend 172 minutes daily checking work emails and 149 minutes reading personal emails. (Many people also spend five to six hours on their phones outside of work.) Spending this much time on digital devices can lead to vision and health problems, such as fatigue and lack of focus at work. It’s estimated that employee vision problems cost businesses $272 billion yearly in lost productivity.

Scheduling regular eye exams each year can help employees keep their eyes healthy. These exams are considered preventive care and plans typically cover most, if not all, of the cost.

During the exam, the eye doctor can identify vision correction needs, changes inside the eye and early stages of eye diseases, such as glaucoma, cataracts, macular degeneration and diabetic retinopathy. The doctor also may detect eye changes that reveal medical problems, such as high blood pressure, some cancers and high cholesterol. About 10% of Americans, or 34 million people, have diabetes. For nearly 20% of people, signs of diabetes were first detected during an eye exam.

3. Promote the savings 

Employees are worried about finances. Many workers are still struggling with financial problems experienced during the pandemic. They may be tempted to put off scheduling an eye exam to save money. But doing so could lead to eye and health problems.

Studies show that only 25% of employees with vision insurance take advantage of preventive eye exams, which most plans cover. About 14% of employees use their vision benefits yearly to purchase prescription eyewear and 10% use their coverage to purchase contacts. Annual eye exams can catch vision and potential medical issues at an early stage, helping to reduce illness and treatment costs.

Did you know? About one-third of employees rarely take time to rest their eyes when using digital devices. When using screens, people often forget to blink their eyes. Blinking is essential to refreshing natural moisture in the eyes.

Remind employees to protect their eyes by taking vision breaks during the day. Encourage them to walk away from their digital devices and look out the window at things far away. Eye experts say that every 20 minutes, employees should look up from their screens at objects 20 feet away for about 20 seconds. These activities can help workers reduce the risk of developing nearsighted vision. Review more tips on preventing vision problems when using digital devices.

For children, eye exams are especially important because kids don’t know what good vision is supposed to look like. That’s why parents and caregivers should schedule regular eye exams for their kids to identify vision problems that could interfere with their students’ academic performance. Also, review 10 eye problems that kids may experience that parents and caregivers shouldn’t ignore.

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