Employees Eye Voluntary Vision Programs

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Tuesday, March 13, 2012

Amy Gallagher, GoLocal Business/Health Expert

Rising healthcare costs, employer cost-shifting to employees, and reduced benefits sometimes leave employees lacking eye care coverage. To help employees protect themselves against these extra expenses, voluntary benefits for vision are fast becoming a growing part of many employee benefit programs.

With voluntary benefits, employers select which vision insurance options to offer employees; however, the employees pay 100% of the premium. Fortunately, the voluntary programs are typically low premium plans and enable employees to pay less as part of a group plan than they would if they purchased coverage directly.

Voluntary Value

Several large companies like VSP, Eye Med and Spectera offer top-brand vision programs with national provider networks – as well as reduced benefits for out-of-network services. They offer a wide selection of plan designs to choose from, with coverage options that can include:

Lower copays for vision exams than those available under health insurance plans
Vision hardware like eyeglass frames and lenses
Contact lenses
Discounts on procedures like corrective laser vision surgery
Fixed premiums for multiple years

The employer decides which plan will serve its population best – and drive utilization. That’s because affordable vision programs help employees access routine screenings that can result in early detection of a number of medical concerns, including pre-diabetes.

Factors to Keep in View

Vision programs can vary substantially so employers need to consider several factors before selecting a plan to offer.

Thoroughly assess provider network access to see if the plan allows a good mix of independent practitioners and retail chains so employees can continue to see their current providers.
Determine whether employees purchase both glasses and contacts in the same year, or only alternately.
Assess whether the carrier requires a minimum number of participants before they’ll offer the coverage and whether you can get enough employee interest to make it a viable option.

No matter which plan you choose, like any other benefit, communication about the value of these plans is critical to help employees make informed purchases.

The forecast with voluntary vision programs is clear: these plans are gaining in popularity in 2012.

Amy Gallagher has over 19 years of healthcare industry experience. As Vice President at Cornerstone Group, she advises large employers on long-term cost-containment strategies, consumer-driven solutions and results-driven wellness programs. Amy speaks regularly on a variety of healthcare-related topics, is a member of local organizations like the Rhode Island Business Group on Health, HRM-RI, SHRM, WELCOA, and the Rhode Island Business Healthcare Advisory Council, and participates in the Lieutenant Governor’s Health Benefits Exchange work group of the Health Care Reform Commission.

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