Vision disorders cost U.S. businesses an estimated $8 billion annually in lost productivity. How much do they cost your company? With costs starting at as little as $5 per month per employee, vision benefits pay big dividends in improved morale, health and productivity.
An estimated 11 million Americans have uncorrected vision problems, ranging from refractive errors (near- or far-sightedness) to sight-threatening diseases such as glaucoma or age-related macular degeneration. Vision insurance encourages people to take care of their vision and health. Regular eye examinations can also identify other health conditions, such as diabetes, that can affect the eyes even before the individual experiences noticeable symptoms.
Vision insurance generally covers the following basic services:
• Annual eye examinations, including dilation
• Eyeglass frames
• Eyeglass lenses
• Contact lenses
• LASIK and PRK vision correction at discounted rates.
For those who don’t have employer-provided medical benefits, many individual medical plans offer vision coverage as an add-on. You can also buy a separate individual vision insurance policy.
Group Vision Insurance
Group vision insurance works like other employer-provided qualified benefits. Most plans cover exams, glasses, contact lenses and more. You can also opt to include dependent coverage as well as coverage for popular vision-correction services, such as LASIK.
Voluntary Group Vision Insurance
No-cost benefits with voluntary plans! You can structure your vision benefits to be either employer-paid or voluntary, in which participating employees pay the entire cost. A voluntary plan gives your employees the advantage of group pricing and convenient payroll deduction payments, at absolutely no cost to your firm.
Group vision insurance costs vary for employers, depending on the size of the company and how the program is designed. Typically, vision plan premiums range between $5 and $15 per employee per month, depending on benefits selected.
A voluntary vision insurance plan gives your employees the advantage of group pricing and convenient payroll deduction payments, at absolutely no cost to your firm. Vision benefits are by far one of the most popular voluntary benefits among both employers and employees!
As with employer-paid group vision insurance, a voluntary plan covers annual eye examinations, eyeglass frames and lenses and contact lenses. Plans can also offer discounts on LASIK and PRK vision correction.
A Discount Vision Plan
A discount vision plan is not insurance, but gives members discounts on eye care services from participating providers. Members (or their employers) pay an annual membership fee and receive a card that entitles them to discounts.
A discount vision plan gives members access to discounts on eyecare services at fixed discounted rates after an annual premium or membership fee. The participant pays the total bill, less the applicable discount, at the time of service. Members must use eyecare providers who agree to discount fees. Unlike insurance plans, discount plans do not contract with providers, who may decline to accept the card at any time. For those who do not have vision insurance, however, a discount vision plan can offer valuable savings.
