logo
Despite Majority of Americans Struggling with the Impact of Poor Eyesight and Eye Health on Daily Life, More than Half Are Delaying or Avoiding Eye Care

Despite Majority of Americans Struggling with the Impact of Poor Eyesight and Eye Health on Daily Life, More than Half Are Delaying or Avoiding Eye Care

Business Wire7 hours ago
NEW YORK--(BUSINESS WIRE)--Versant Health's fourth annual Vision Wellness Study, released today, finds that three in four Americans experience disruptions in daily activities due to poor eyesight or eye health, such as driving at night, reading, and using screens. Yet, more than half (54%) delay or avoid eye care because it doesn't "feel urgent.'
'A vision benefit isn't just an add-on – it can be a cornerstone of comprehensive care,' said Neelam Gor, MD, Chief Clinical Officer at Versant Health.
Increased awareness of the connection to overall health is one of several factors that can influence proactive eye care. Versant Health's research identifies other key barriers to be addressed:
Cost concerns: 53% of people who get their eyes tested less than once every two years cite cost concerns or a lack of access to vision care benefits as the reasons why.
Perceived inevitability: 66% of Americans see deteriorating eye health as an inevitable part of aging.
Deprioritization: 63% are prioritizing other aspects of their health, a figure that's even higher among Gen Z (69%) and Millennials (70%).
'A vision benefit isn't just an add-on – it can be a cornerstone of comprehensive care,' said Neelam Gor, MD, Chief Clinical Officer at Versant Health. 'Our study highlights how vision benefits can serve as an essential bridge to regular eye care, but only when the coverage is understood and perceived as valuable.'
Consumer Knowledge Gaps Undermine Engagement
The research findings reveal significant knowledge gaps related to eye care and vision benefits.
Only 55% of consumers can correctly define the difference between a comprehensive eye exam and a simple vision screening. Even fewer understand the full diagnostic capabilities of eye exams – for example, just 30% are certain that an eye exam can help diagnose diabetes, and only 25% are certain about its role in hypertension detection. Yet nearly 9 in 10 people (86%) say they are more likely to schedule an eye exam when they understand how comprehensive eye exams can provide early detection for serious medical conditions such as diabetes, heart disease, and high blood pressure.
Vision and health care carriers, along with eye care providers, play a critical role in addressing these knowledge gaps. Consumers are signaling a desire for more engagement from vision and health care carriers, including:
71% are likely to seek advice about eye health from vision or health care carriers.
75% are looking to their eye care providers to share advice on how nutrition can improve eye health.
86% of parents are seeking healthy eye care advice for children.
In addition to eye health guidance, most consumers would like a better understanding of vision benefits and how to use them. Two-thirds (67%) of people offered vision coverage through their employer or health plan report that the benefit's value hasn't been clearly explained, or they find it confusing to select the right plan. Similarly, 61% of consumers say clearer explanations of how their vision plan works, such as what's covered, out-of-pocket cost responsibilities, and available discounts, would make them more likely to enroll in vision benefits.
'Overcoming these barriers and the low sense of urgency is imperative for improving eye health outcomes. Our research shows that access to vision benefits, combined with an understanding of how the coverage works, are key drivers of seeking eye care,' said Meredith Ryan-Reid, Versant Health CEO. 'When carriers, vision care providers, and employers help connect vision care with overall health, four in five people enrolled in vision benefits are more likely to use them.'
Visit www.versanthealth.com/vision-wellness-study to explore the complete findings.
Research Methodology
Versant Health's 4 th Annual Vision Wellness Study (2025) is based on both quantitative and qualitative components:
The quantitative study was based on an extensive sample size of 3,045 U.S. adults aged 18 and older. Respondents had to at least share responsibility for health care decisions or be the primary decision-maker in their household. The survey captured numerous data points related to demographic information including age, gender, ethnicity, geographic location, employment status, occupation, and household income. Some weighting was applied to ensure representativeness and consistency with the Bureau of Labor Statistics (BLS) data. Weights were applied to age, gender, geographic location, and employment status.
The quantitative data was supplemented by 42 interviews across a variety of audiences, including U.S. consumers (including people enrolled in vision care benefits and those who were not), eye care professionals, employee benefits brokers, health plan executives, and HR decision-makers in small, mid-size, and large businesses.
The surveys, interviews, and analysis were conducted by STRAT7, a global strategy, insights, and analytics consultancy, in partnership with Versant Health.
About Versant Health
Versant Health, Inc., part of the MetLife family of companies, is one of the nation's leading administrators of managed vision care, serving 35 million of our clients' members nationwide. Our purpose is to make healthy vision a reality for everyone by improving access to care and education in the communities we serve. Fueled by our mission to improve members' lives with easy-to-use vision solutions rooted in choice, value, and care, Versant Health believes that everyone has the power to become anything they set their sights on.
Orange background

Try Our AI Features

Explore what Daily8 AI can do for you:

Comments

No comments yet...

Related Articles

KARL STORZ Unifies Canada, US, and Veterinary Organizations to Form North America Region Led by Sonal Matai
KARL STORZ Unifies Canada, US, and Veterinary Organizations to Form North America Region Led by Sonal Matai

Yahoo

time24 minutes ago

  • Yahoo

KARL STORZ Unifies Canada, US, and Veterinary Organizations to Form North America Region Led by Sonal Matai

New organizational structure will drive commercial growth, innovation, and overall business performance. EL SEGUNDO, Calif., July 01, 2025--(BUSINESS WIRE)--KARL STORZ, a family-owned medical technology company headquartered in Tuttlingen, Germany, today announced the creation of a North America region that unifies its US, Canada, and Veterinary businesses under the leadership of Sonal Matai. Matai joined KARL STORZ in 2022 and was appointed to lead KARL STORZ United States in early 2024. As President of North America, Matai will now oversee key functions such as commercial operations, research and development, and manufacturing under a unified leadership structure for the region. The formation of KARL STORZ North America reflects the company's commitment to enhancing operational efficiency, service, and value to its customers across a broader geographic footprint. "After 80 years, KARL STORZ's mission remains the same – to improve patient lives," said Matai, President of KARL STORZ North America. "The decision to unify our businesses across North America underscores our commitment to our customers and their evolving needs in patient care. This is an exciting opportunity to leverage exceptional talent from both countries, which will only strengthen our ability to bring solutions to market with greater speed and agility." Effective today, KARL STORZ North America encompasses six locations in the US and a Canadian and Veterinary hub in Mississauga, Ontario, a region recognized for its booming medical technology sector. Changes to the organizational structure will cause no anticipated disruption to services, product availability, or customer support. About KARL STORZ KARL STORZ is an innovative leader in endoscopic technology and surgical imaging solutions across virtually all surgical specialties. Its integrated OR solutions, including advancements in digital surgery, enhance collaboration to improve clinical efficiency and outcomes inside the hospital and across other sites of care. With subsidiaries around the world, KARL STORZ is a family-owned company based in Germany that designs, engineers, manufactures, and markets all its products with an emphasis on visionary design, precision craftsmanship, and clinical effectiveness. For more information, visit View source version on Contacts Susan ManciaMobile: 562-841-1515E-mail: Sign in to access your portfolio

Mayors, doctor groups sue over Trump's efforts to restrict Obamacare enrollment
Mayors, doctor groups sue over Trump's efforts to restrict Obamacare enrollment

San Francisco Chronicle​

time28 minutes ago

  • San Francisco Chronicle​

Mayors, doctor groups sue over Trump's efforts to restrict Obamacare enrollment

WASHINGTON (AP) — New Trump administration rules that give millions of people a shorter timeframe to sign up for the Affordable Care Act's health care coverage are facing a legal challenge from Democratic mayors around the country. The rules, rolled out last month, reverse a Biden-era effort to expand access to the Affordable Care Act's health insurance, commonly called 'Obamacare' or the ACA. The previous Democratic administration expanded the enrollment window for the coverage, which led to record enrollment. The Department of Health and Human Services rolled out a series of new restrictions for Obamacare late last month, just as Congress was weighing a major bill that will decrease enrollment in the health care program that Republican President Donald Trump has scorned for years. As many as 2 million people — nearly 10% — are expected to lose coverage from the health department's new rules. The mayors of Baltimore, Chicago and Columbus, Ohio sued the federal health department on Tuesday over the rules, saying they will result in more uninsured residents and overburden city services. 'Cloaked in the pretense of government efficiency and fraud prevention, the 2025 Rule creates numerous barriers to affordable insurance coverage, negating the purpose of the ACA to extend affordable health coverage to all Americans, and instead increasing the population of underinsured and uninsured Americans,' the filing alleges. Two liberal advocacy groups — Doctors for America and Main Street Alliance — joined in on the complaint. The federal health department announced a series of changes late last month to the ACA. It will shorten the enrollment period for the federal marketplace by a month, limiting it to Nov. 1 to Dec. 15 in 2026. Income verification checks will become more stringent and a $5 fee will be tacked on for some people who automatically re-enroll in a free plan. Insurers will also be able to deny coverage to people who have not paid their premiums on past plans. The rules also bar roughly 100,000 immigrants who were brought to the U.S. as children from signing up for the coverage. HHS said in a statement that the polices 'are temporary measures to immediately tamp down on improper enrollments and the improper flow of federal funds.' The mayors — all Democrats — argue that the polices were introduced without an adequate public comment period on the policies. 'This unlawful rule will force families off their health insurance and raise costs on millions of Americans. This does nothing to help people and instead harms Americans' health and safety across our country,' said Skye Perryman, the president of Democracy Forward, which is representing the coalition of plaintiffs in the lawsuit. The lawsuit does not challenge the Trump administration's restriction on immigrants signing up for the coverage. The Biden administration saw gains in Obamacare enrollment as a major success of the Democratic president's term, noting that a record 24 million people signed up for the coverage, thanks to generous tax breaks offered through the 2022 Inflation Reduction Act. But the program has been a target of Trump, who has said it is riddled with problems that make the coverage unaffordable for many without large subsidies. Enrollment in the program dipped during his first term in office.

KARL STORZ Unifies Canada, US, and Veterinary Organizations to Form North America Region Led by Sonal Matai
KARL STORZ Unifies Canada, US, and Veterinary Organizations to Form North America Region Led by Sonal Matai

Business Wire

time29 minutes ago

  • Business Wire

KARL STORZ Unifies Canada, US, and Veterinary Organizations to Form North America Region Led by Sonal Matai

EL SEGUNDO, Calif.--(BUSINESS WIRE)--KARL STORZ, a family-owned medical technology company headquartered in Tuttlingen, Germany, today announced the creation of a North America region that unifies its US, Canada, and Veterinary businesses under the leadership of Sonal Matai. KARL STORZ North America now encompasses six locations in the US and a Canadian and Veterinary hub in Mississauga, Ontario. Matai joined KARL STORZ in 2022 and was appointed to lead KARL STORZ United States in early 2024. As President of North America, Matai will now oversee key functions such as commercial operations, research and development, and manufacturing under a unified leadership structure for the region. The formation of KARL STORZ North America reflects the company's commitment to enhancing operational efficiency, service, and value to its customers across a broader geographic footprint. 'After 80 years, KARL STORZ's mission remains the same – to improve patient lives,' said Matai, President of KARL STORZ North America. 'The decision to unify our businesses across North America underscores our commitment to our customers and their evolving needs in patient care. This is an exciting opportunity to leverage exceptional talent from both countries, which will only strengthen our ability to bring solutions to market with greater speed and agility.' Effective today, KARL STORZ North America encompasses six locations in the US and a Canadian and Veterinary hub in Mississauga, Ontario, a region recognized for its booming medical technology sector. Changes to the organizational structure will cause no anticipated disruption to services, product availability, or customer support. About KARL STORZ KARL STORZ is an innovative leader in endoscopic technology and surgical imaging solutions across virtually all surgical specialties. Its integrated OR solutions, including advancements in digital surgery, enhance collaboration to improve clinical efficiency and outcomes inside the hospital and across other sites of care. With subsidiaries around the world, KARL STORZ is a family-owned company based in Germany that designs, engineers, manufactures, and markets all its products with an emphasis on visionary design, precision craftsmanship, and clinical effectiveness. For more information, visit

DOWNLOAD THE APP

Get Started Now: Download the App

Ready to dive into a world of global content with local flavor? Download Daily8 app today from your preferred app store and start exploring.
app-storeplay-store