New Online Tool Shares Medical Savings and Productivity Gains Possible With Regular Vision Care and Quality Vision Wear
ORLANDO, Fla., Feb. 2, 2010 – The Healthy Sight Calculator, found online at HealthySightWorkingforYou.org, offers human resource (HR) professionals an individualized look at cost savings possible through a premium vision benefit for their specific workforce. This interactive tool helps employers understand how many of their employees are likely to have systemic- and eye-related diseases and vision conditions – and what costs could be avoided by offering these employees quality vision care and vision wear options through a comprehensive vision plan. Because the calculator considers the mix of age, gender and ethnicity within the workforce – and incidence rates vary based on these factors – results will be highly tailored to each user.
The tool was developed by Transitions Optical, Inc. in collaboration with several industry consultants in the eye care and benefits arenas, as part of the Transitions Healthy Sight Working for You initiative. This program provides education on the value of regular eye exams and sight enhancing lens options for reducing healthcare costs and boosting employee productivity.
“The calculator is a real eye-opener to how impactful a vision benefit can be for a particular workforce – and what a ‘no-brainer’ it is to promote it as part of your wellness solution for your employees,” said Robert Pariseau, president, Benefits Solutions Group and contributor to the calculator. “We’ve always known employees want this benefit, and that it’s relatively easy to administer, so the impressive ROI it offers is a real bonus.”
Unprecedented Scope of Impact Explored
The calculator explores the impact of vision care and vision wear on 13 vision-related diseases and conditions, including:
- Systemic disease: Prediabetes, diabetes, undiagnosed high blood pressure and diagnosed high blood pressure.
- Eye disease: Cataract, diabetic retinopathy, intraocular pressure (a precursor to glaucoma), glaucoma and macular degeneration.
- Vision conditions: Trouble seeing up-close, trouble seeing far away, eyestrain and fatigue, and headaches from light and glare.
“Learn more” tabs for each disease or condition explain how a vision benefit can make a positive impact. For example, the calculator describes the ability of an eye doctor to see signs of diabetes and high blood pressure in the eye, and the significance this early detection can have for disease management, and, in some cases, avoidance of the condition altogether.
“Not only can diabetes and high blood pressure be detected through an eye exam, it can be very motivating for people with these conditions to learn that their eyes can be impacted – potentially even leading to blindness – if they don’t take steps to change their lifestyle,” said Vincent Young, M.D., chairman, division of ophthalmology, Albert Einstein Medical Center, and calculator contributor. “An eyecare appointment is also an ideal time to address vision wear options that can help these people alleviate visual discomfort and protect their eyes from further damage, such as from UV.”
Aside from the systemic and eye disease element, the calculator also explains the role of the eye exam in ensuring employees have accurate eyeglass prescriptions and the right lens options to help them see their best on the job.
“People are busy and may not take the time to make sure their lens prescriptions are up-to-date or that they are wearing the right lens options to reduce eyestrain and headaches,” said calculator contributor Kovin Naidoo, O.D., international researcher and global programs director for the International Centre for Eyecare Education. “Employers intuitively know that it’s important to see well to work well, but probably don’t realize how common it is for people not to be seeing to their full potential.”
Naidoo added that offering a vision benefit covering regular exams and premium lens options can be a helpful strategy in encouraging employees to get the eyewear they need.
The calculator concludes with an executive summary that totals all potential cost avoidance, and presents the employer’s potential return-on-investment with a premium vision plan. According to the calculator, a “premium” level of plan was chosen because it can have the greatest impact on an employee’s health and productivity. A premium vision plan typically includes a yearly eye exam and coverage of or discounts on lens enhancements, such as photochromics and anti-reflective coatings, to reduce glare and enhance vision.
The culmination of more than nine months of research, the results reported in the calculator were developed by analyzing existing data on the incidence of various eye diseases and conditions among specific populations, as well as published research on cost avoidance. A paper detailing the methodology and sources used in the calculator is available by clicking the “sources” button in the calculator itself.
A Link to Employee Education
The calculator includes links to resources available through the Transitions Healthy Sight Working for You program related to many of the diseases and conditions explored. These include a Web-based vision loss simulation, multiple educational videocasts, employer and employee newsletters and a customizable vision education kit. These tools, along with the calculator, are available free-of-charge in the tools section of HealthySightWorkingforYou.org
About Transitions
Transitions Optical, headquartered in Pinellas Park, was the first to successfully commercialize a plastic photochromic lens in 1990. As the leading provider of photochromics to optical manufacturers, Transitions Optical offers the most advanced photochromic technology in the widest selection of lens designs and materials.
Transitions Optical’s core product line, Transitions® lenses, are the #1-recommended photochromic lenses worldwide. As higher-performing everyday clear lenses, Transitions lenses change from clear indoors and at night to sunglass dark outdoors in proportion to the intensity of UV light. Transitions Optical also offers several special-purpose dynamic sun lenses that change from a tinted state indoors to a darker state outdoors when activated by UV light. These lenses are marketed as Transitions® SOLFX™ sunlenses. Transitions Optical has manufacturing operations in Pinellas Park; Tuam, Ireland; Laguna, Philippines; Sumare, Brazil and Chonburi, Thailand. Sales offices are located in Cambridge, Canada and nine other countries.
For more information about the company and Transitions lenses, the first to earn the American Optometric Association’s Seal of Acceptance for Ultraviolet Absorbers/Blockers, visit Transitions.com or contact Transitions Optical Customer Service at (800) 848-1506 (United States) or (877) 254-2590 (Canada).