Vision Insurance
Vision Benefits Event in Orlando–Fun in the Rain

by Leila Morris

Nearly 170 vision-plan reps and brokers gathered for the annual Transitions Academy at the Disney resort Orlando for few a rainy days from Jan. 31 to Feb. 2. Brokers and plan reps are a small, but growing contingent of the annual event.
The Academy featured everything from educational sessions, roller coaster rides, team building exercises, and musical entertainment, to wisecracking moderators in bouffant hairdos. More than 1,400 attendees came from around the world -- most from optical stores and vision labs. This is the third year that the Transitions Academy has hosted an annual managed vision care track.
Pat Huot, director, managed vision care, for Transitions Optical, focused on the glaring need for employers to provide better communications about their vision benefits. A recent survey by Transitions Optical revealed that employees are not as likely to enroll in vision benefits than they are to enroll in medical and dental benefits. “This is a serious lost opportunity for employers to help lower potential healthcare costs and boost productivity,” he said.
Huot noted the following statistics:
Enrollment
• 76% of employees are enrolled in a vision plan.
• 56% enrolled because of discounts on eye care and eyewear.
• More than 60% say they would be more likely to keep using their vision benefit or enroll in a vision plan if it covered premium lens options, such as photochromics.
• 20% cited diagnosing or managing chronic disease as a reason to enroll in a vision plan.
Employers Communications
• 66% say their employer only discusses vision benefits during annual enrollment.
• 25% say eye health information is included in the discussion.
• 30% say their employers do not take the appropriate steps to make sure their employees understand their vision benefit.
• 55% can’t identify lens options in their plan.
• 80% value their vision plan, but most aren’t aware of how to care for their sight.
Utilization
• 30% of vision plan enrollees don’t use their plan to get a comprehensive vision exam.
• Nearly 50% did not use their vision benefit, in the past year, to buy eyeglasses for themselves.

Many employees simply don’t enroll because they think they don’t have any eye health problems and don’t need vision correction. This is where education comes in. The American Dental Assn. and the Medical Panel Expenditure Panel Survey offer some sobering statistics: 15% of all diabetes-related healthcare costs are associated with the eye and 33% of people with an eye disease don’t know they have it. However, 44% will change their behavior and be successful in turning their health around once they have this information. Approximately 60% of diabetes-related blindness can be prevented by early treatment.

But Diabetes is just one culprit among many that can rob a person of sight. Other problems include hypertension, autoimmune diseases, and even the side effects of chemotherapy. Dr. Vincent Young, MD, of the Albert Einstein Medical Center, stressed that everyone should get an annual comprehensive eye exam even if they don’t think they have a vision problem. An exam can detect hidden problems with eyes or overall health while it’s still early enough to do something about it.

Ethnic Groups at Risk

Dr. Young noted that when employers are just trying to survive in this economy, it’s tough to be concerned about vision problems among different ethnic groups. But, it can help for them to understand how addressing high-risk groups can help reduce overall healthcare costs. He explained how ethnic differences in the workplace can affect sales and utilization of vision plans:
Asian Americans are more likely to develop a specific type of glaucoma and are more likely to have myopia. Diabetes is the fifth leading cause of death among Asian Americans between ages 45 and 65. Tuberculosis is 13 times more common among Asian Americans and ocular tuberculosis is one form of the disease.

Diabetes is 70% higher among African Americans than among non-Hispanic Caucasians. African Americans are also more likely to suffer from hypertension, HIV/AIDS, Glaucoma, and Cataracts. African Americans are especially prone to sickle cell disease, which can lead to vision problems and even blindness. Tragically, young African Americans are also more prone to blindness as a result of various health conditions.

Hispanics are more likely to enroll in vision plans to provide eye care for the family.
The following are reasons people gave for not enrolling in a vision plan:

• I don’t like to go to the eye doctor -- 9% of Asian Americans and 5% of Caucasians.
• My general physician can address any eye-health problems – 10% of African Americans, 8% of Asian Americans, and 1% of Caucasians.
• My employer did not explain the vision benefit well enough – 15% of African Americans, 8% of Asian Americans, and 2% of Caucasians.

To help brokers and employers get the word out, Transitions Optical launched a website with a range of educational materials including a Healthy Sight Calculator to determine return-on-investment of vision benefits. (HealthySightWorkingForYou.org.) Brokers can download a free customizable vision benefits newsletter, drop in their own logo, and send it out to clients. The website also features videos, sales tips, and some pretty unsettling simulations of what your eyesight would be like with different types of vision problems and eye diseases.

Enrollment In Employer Benefits

	Total	Caucasians	African Americans	Hispanics	Asian Americans
Medical	89%	89%	88%	90%	94%
Dental	85%	85%	84%	85%	92%
Vision	76%	73%	79%	77%	86%
Life	7%	67%	61%	71%	67%

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Leila Morris is editor of California Broker Magazine. She also writes the weekly Insurance Insider News, available at www.calbrokermag.com. She graduated with a B.A. in Political Science from St. Mary’s College of Md.