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About three-fourths of the US adult population need some form of vision correction, so vision care benefits would be welcome perks for many employees. However, employers often don’t know about the benefits of vision care plans or the different options that exist (and their associated pros and cons). Vision Care Direct is here to help you pave a way forward.
It’s just not a common employer-sponsored benefit
Although many people would greatly appreciate and use vision care benefits, it is infrequently offered. In fact, surveys have shown that only about 35% of companies offer some sort of standalone vision care benefit to their employees.
Why do employers not cover standalone vision plans? The reasons can vary. Some employers do not see vision care as important or don’t realize that it can be great for recruiting. Others might not know about the link between poor vision and productivity issues. Still, others might not know that many health issues can be diagnosed during a regular eye exam!
What sorts of vision care benefits are available?
There are several different types of vision care benefits available to you as an employer. Let’s dive into a few options.
Health insurance
Regular health insurance typically covers vision care, but only to a certain degree. The Affordable Care Act requires vision care plans for children as part of health insurance. Many health insurance plans also offer some options for adults, like for certain contact lenses or an eye exam every two years.
However, choices for lenses and frames can be slim, especially if you need special lenses, such as those for astigmatism or presbyopia. Your employees might have to pay a lot out of pocket for these lenses if the only help they have is through their health insurer.
Standalone vision insurance
This type of insurance offers more than a typical health insurance plan and may have richer benefits for lenses and frames. However, it can be expensive on a monthly basis. In addition, because many vision insurers also have an “interest” in chain eyeglass stores or eyeglass labs, options may be slim or non-existent if a member wants to go to a store not owned by the insurance company or wants to pick a frame that is not a “preferred” brand.
Vision care pre-paid plans, the best option
These plans, such as those offered by Vision Care Direct, can be a powerful alternative. Vision Care Direct is owned by doctors, not vision insurers. As such, our main focus is on the health of our customers’ eyes. We offer regular comprehensive eye exams as part of our standard plan so that we can keep an eye on your employees’ eye (and overall) health.
We do not require our customers to go to certain stores or buy certain brands either. Instead, we offer savings on all sorts of lenses and frames. We also offer certain features, such as UV protective coatings and no-line progressive lenses as a standard, not as an expensive add-on (as many health and vision insurers are wont to do).
And best of all, we offer plans at different price points, so you can choose the plan that best suits you and your employees without breaking the bank. Offering great vision care benefits can also help you attract prospective employees too!
While most employers know about health insurance, or maybe even vision insurance, vision care pre-paid plans aren’t as well known. However, it is something worth looking into for the health (and financial wellbeing) of both you and your employees. Learn more about how Vision Care Direct can help you offer great vision care plans to your employees.
