Americans Place High Value on Eyesight, Yet Many Still Lack Vision ...

Tag : Health Care Products
New Report Shows Only 17% of Employers Offer Vision Benefits ALEXANDRIA, Va., Oct. 9 /PRNewswire-USNewswire/ -- While concernsabout the economy have taken center stage in the upcoming election,worries about the rising cost of health care still weigh heavily onthe minds of most Americans. For the 120 million Americans withvision problems, as well as many other Americans who place a highvalue on maintaining healthy vision, the lack of vision coverage isa primary concern. A new report by The Vision Council, Vision Care: Focusing on theWorkplace Benefit, examines consumer and business perspectives onvision care and trends in vision care coverage. According to thereport, two-thirds of Americans say they would be more willing toget an eye exam if they had some coverage, yet only 17 percent ofemployers report offering vision insurance. Vision benefits lagbehind health and dental benefits, with as many as 44 percent ofemployers offering dental coverage. "We know that in today's tough economy everyone is taking anotherlook at their finances," said Ed Greene, chief executive officerfor The Vision Council. "As the second most prevalent healthcondition in the country, vision disorders affect individuals andbusinesses, making vision coverage an important benefit for bothgroups." Vision health is highly valued by most Americans according to theNational Eye Institute. When asked what conditions would mostaffect their day-to-day living, a majority of Americans rated lossof eyesight as a 10 on a scale of 1 to 10. "Regular eye examinations are an important part of helpingAmericans maintain their health," said ophthalmologist Elaine G.Hathaway, M.D. "In addition to detecting vision problems andasymptomatic eye disorders, routine eye exams by an eye careprofessional can detect major health problems such ascardiovascular disease and diabetes," she added. While Americans place a high value on healthy vision, many havereal concerns about paying for vision care. Nearly 40 percent fearthey cannot afford adequate treatment. Sixty-three percent say theywould sign up for vision care coverage if given the opportunityeven if it meant paying a small amount each month. With 11 million Americans living with an uncorrected visionproblem, a number expected to rise as the population ages, theexpense to businesses can also be severe. According to the report,the annual financial burden of major adult vision disorders exceeds$35 billion to the U.S. economy, including an estimated $8 billionin lost productivity. "Uncorrected vision problems are very costly to employers, and itis important for them to recognize that vision health coverage notonly maintains a healthy workforce, but has a positive impact ontheir bottom line," said Greene. For example, studies show thatemployers gain as much as $7 for every $1 spent on vision coverage. As with many other benefits, employers are increasingly forced topass along some of the cost of providing health insurance toemployees. Offering vision coverage can help employers enhancetheir benefits package at a relatively low cost. Such coveragetypically costs one-tenth that of medical benefits, and is oftenutilized more by employees than medical plans. The Vision Council urges employees to take an active part inmaintaining healthy vision by scheduling regular eye exams. Manyvision-threatening conditions have no early warning signs; eyeexams can also detect other serious health problems includingdiabetes and glaucoma. "The good news is that there is greater awareness among employersand employees about the importance of healthy vision," said Greene."However we still have a long way to meet the vision health needsthat are valued greatly by Americans." Dedicated to enhancing life through better vision, The VisionCouncil represents the manufacturers and suppliers of the opticalindustry. We provide a forum to advocate for better vision and topromote quality vision care products and services in the globalcommunity. SOURCE The Vision Council Copyright © 2004 PR Newswire All rights reserved.