August is National Eye Exam Month, which makes it a spectacular time to review vision benefit offerings and communicate to employees/plan participants the importance of eye care. More than half (64%) of U.S. employers offer vision benefits (2020 Employee Benefit Survey), and regular eye exams can be an early indicator of serious and potentially costly health conditions—Problems spotted in the eye are often the first signs of disease lurking elsewhere.

A comprehensive eye examination can help diagnose these conditions:

  • Aneurysm
  • Brain tumor
  • Cancers of blood, tissue or skin
  • Diabetes
  • Giant cell arteritis
  • Heart disease
  • High blood pressure
  • High cholesterol
  • Lupus
  • Thyroid disease
  • Lyme disease
  • Medication toxicities
  • Multiple sclerosis
  • Myasthenia gravis
  • Rheumatoid arthritis
  • Sarcoidosis
  • Sickle cell disease
  • Sjögren’s syndrome
  • Stroke
  • Vascular disease.

Read the full article from the American Academy of Ophthalmology.

For plan sponsors looking to build and retain talent, a comprehensive health plan that includes vision benefits is increasingly more important. Vision insurance typically includes coverage for glasses, contact lenses and preventive screenings.

Vision Benefits: 2020 vs. 2022

In 2020, less than half (45%) of U.S. organizations offered vision insurance on a voluntary basis, while (as mentioned above) 64% offered it as an employer-paid benefit. ­­­­

Preliminary data from the 2022 Employee Benefits Survey indicates how vision benefit offerings are trending. Half (50%) offer vision insurance on a voluntary basis, and 61% offer it as employer-paid.

Anne Patterson
Associate Director of PR & Communications

The Latest from Word on Benefits:

Anne Patterson

Marketing Communications Manager

Favorite Foundation Product: Foundation Community. It’s like LinkedIn but only for Foundation members. They can post questions, share best practices, etcall with fellow members who also live and breathe employee benefits.

Benefits-related Topics That Interest Her Most: Workplace wellness (especially mental health), diversity, equity and inclusion, behavioral decision making, family-friendly benefits, payroll audits.

Personal Insight: When she’s not busy analyzing the inner workings of her toddler’s brain (does anyone actually know?!), Anne finds joy in home renovation and décor, haiku writing, watching Jeopardy, creating charcuterie boards, and bicycling.

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