Many firms believe cutting vision care out of their health plan is a practical way to deal with skyrocketing health costs. Here’s one reason why this probably isn’t the best move.
The benefits of regular eye exams go well beyond correcting vision problems, and regular eye exams can help detect other health problems.
Reason: Blood vessels that are easily visible during routine eye exams have been proven to help detect early stages of chronic conditions such as high blood pressure and diabetes, according to the Blood Pressure Association.
So regular eye exams can actually help employers spot – and even prevent – costly health problems that aren’t necessarily eye-related.
After all, employers will always have that group of employees who won’t go to a primary care doctor regularly.
But those workers probably won’t have the same aversion to visiting an eye doctor. For these folks, an eye exam may uncover the onset of health conditions that could end up being very costly, if not treated they’re early enough.
