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Routine Eye Exams Detect Medical Problems, Result in Health Care Cost

It has long been known that regular eye exams are key in detecting not only vision problems, but
also various other medical conditions, while still at an early stage. Now, a study has quantified the
dollar value of such early detection efforts, in terms of the cost savings to a company’s health care
plans.

Human Capital Management Services analyzed the health care costs for five companies — all VSP
clients — with a total employee population of 90,000, and examined how disease detection that
resulted from eye exams impacted these costs. Each of the five employers saw health care cost
savings ranging from $204,000 to 968,000, attributable to the early detection of medical conditions
through eye examinations. Specifically, when an eye exam resulted in early detection, companies
saved $2,875 in health care costs annually per employee with diabetes, $1,510 in health care costs
annually per employee with hypertension, and $755 in health care costs annually per employee
with high cholesterol. Overall, for every dollar spent on routine eye exams, a company could
recuperate 94 cents in avoided medical costs.

Diabetes, hypertension and high cholesterol are among various diseases that can produce
symptoms visible in an eye exam. Regular eye exams also are critical in detecting serious
conditions of the eye, including macular degeneration, corneal ulcers, glaucoma and cataracts, as
well as other non- eye- related conditions such as brain tumors.

Statistics surrounding diabetes illustrate how an additional route of detection, such as vision exams,
can have a life- saving and cost- saving impact. Estimates indicate that nearly 23 million Americans
have diabetes, yet 6 million — more than a quarter — do not know that they have the disease.
Untreated diabetes can lead to vision impairment and blindness. Diabetic retinopathy, a diabetes related
medical condition, is the leading cause of new cases of blindness in adults ages 20-74,
according to the American Optometric Association. Diabetes also can be a contributing factor in
glaucoma and cataracts. Comprehensive eye exams include dilation, during which the optometrist
or ophthalmologist examines the blood vessels leading to the eyes and looks for symptoms of
retinopathy which, if found, would indicate the presence of diabetes.

Employees are more likely to attend to their eye health if they are enrolled in a vision plan that
covers all or part of the cost of routine eye exams. A vision plan is an inexpensive benefit to begin
with. Given the cost/ benefit figures cited above — 94 cents in avoided medical costs for each dollar
spent on routine eye exams — can your company afford not to offer a vision plan to employees?