According to the 2016 annual Employee Perceptions of Vision Benefits survey conducted by Wakefield Research for Transitions Optical Inc., vision benefits remain a popular election among employees, with eight in 10 choosing to enroll in employer-sponsored plans. In addition, a year-over-year comparison of the surveys showed that vision is the only benefit to experience increased enrollment. All other standard offerings (medical, dental, life, 401K programs) saw slight decreases compared with 2015. After medical, vision insurance tied with dental as the second most popular election, due to the growing number of employees enrolling. This is the first time in Transitions Optical’s history of surveying employees that vision benefits ranked as the No. 2 most popular election.
The survey also found that more than three-quarters (77%) of those enrolled in a vision plan have used it to pay for all or part of a comprehensive eye exam for themselves in the past year. However, utilization varies among generations. Millennials were the demographic group most likely to take advantage of their vision benefits. Nearly 30% of employees aged 18-34 said they used the vision benefits more than once to pay for an eye health appointment in the past year, compared to 18% of Gen Xers and 17% of Baby Boomers.
To help elevate the importance of eye exams and quality eyewear available through a vision benefit, Transitions Optical offers a variety of employee and employer focused tools and education. These can be accessed free of charge through the Transitions Healthy Sight Working for You public education program.