In the news

In the United States alone, 34.2 million adults have diabetes. Diabetes-related vision impairment and the associated costs affect all age groups, demographics, and health plans. For this reason, it’s critical that health plans and their partners understand how best to identify, educate and positively impact at-risk members.

As we kick off the new year and think about meaningful resolutions, you may be considering healthy habits that support your holistic wellness, as well as that of your loved ones. Visiting your eye care professional is an important task to include in your new year to-dos.

‘Tis the holiday shopping season—and in addition to gifts for loved ones, many health plan members will look to check end-of-year items off their lists, like spending the remainder of their FSA. While they’re thinking about their end-of-year to-dos, health plan partners should be connecting with their members about the benefits of routine eye care.

Vision deterioration can significantly impact seniors’ safety, independence and quality of life. Read more about the importance of protecting eye health for seniors and the steps that can be taken to preserve their vision—as well as their wellbeing and standard of living.

Employees are restless and job hunting again after more than a year of feeling stuck in place. With competition for talent becoming increasingly fierce, employers are stepping up their game to attract and keep good talent. Benefits packages are a key focal point.

Vision changes are an unfortunate, and often unavoidable, reality of aging for many. These changes often emerge in people’s 40s and are initially most noticeable when reading or doing other tasks that require focusing on small details. However, there are steps people can take as they age to protect their eye health.

The second annual Versant Health Vision Wellness Study looked at people’s perceptions of eyecare during a landmark year for the healthcare industry. Even in a year dominated by a pandemic, the study found that eyecare services endured.

This year, many children and families are excitedly—some nervously—preparing for the return to the classroom. However, there is one item on their back-to-school checklist that stands out as one of the most important steps for ensuring children’s long-term learning success—a vision screening or eye exam.

Screen time for children escalated significantly over the past year as many schools switched to virtual learning environments and embraced digital learning tools. Now, the consequences are starting to emerge—and eye health has taken a big hit. Parents will need to pay greater attention to kids’ vision problems in the coming years and will increasingly need to tap into vision insurance.