Group vision insurance can help you attract and retain qualified workers as part of a comprehensive benefits package. Employees value vision insurance benefits and are more likely to stay with a company that offers them. In addition, an employer-sponsored vision plan gives them access to eyecare that may not have been otherwise available. It helps ensure they receive the care they need to maintain their vision, health, and quality of life.
What Do Group Vision Benefits Consist Of?
Vision benefits provided as part of employee health plans can vary widely from one plan to the next. Coverage may include any combination of the following benefits:
- Eye examinations performed by an optometrist or ophthalmologist
- Prescription eyeglasses (lenses and frames)
- Prescription sunglasses (lenses and frames)
- Prescription contact lenses
- Corrective laser eye surgery
- Visual training aids, such as eye patches or other devices
Coverage is usually plan-specific. Benefits often apply to a two-year period for which coverage is capped at a certain amount.
How Can Providing Group Vision Benefit Your Company?
In addition to helping you attract and retain top talent, offering group vision gives your business other advantages. Eye exams play an important role in assessing a person’s overall health. They can help doctors identify a range of health conditions, as well as any vision problems. Optometrists and ophthalmologists can detect early signs of chronic eye disease and also warning signs of health conditions such as hypertension and diabetes that can have a significant impact on a person’s health if left untreated.
The public healthcare system does not cover eye exams, and many people without private coverage do not get their eyes examined regularly. In the workplace, an employee with poor vision is more likely to miss a step walking down the stairs, trip over an obstacle, or be otherwise involved in a work-related accident. Many workers today spend long hours looking at computer screens, which can impact vision. With vision coverage and regular eye exams, they have access to corrective lenses that can help stop the decline.
Employees with poor vision may have performance issues. They may be more prone to lower productivity, high absenteeism, and early retirement age. Regular eye exams can help detect, prevent, or correct underlying vision and health issues and reduce prescription drug claims and other costs for your employee benefits plan overall.
How Does the Digital Age Affect Vision?
Employees frequently complain of headaches and eye problems from using digital devices. A large percentage of working adults are viewing screens almost constantly. The average worker spends nearly three hours a day checking work emails, in addition to the time spent reading personal emails. Many people spend hours on their phones outside of work. Spending too much time on digital devices can lead to vision problems, health problems, fatigue, and lack of focus at work. Employee vision problems cost businesses large sums in lost productivity every year.
Our friendly agent can help you add group vision to your company’s benefits package at the best available rates.