Health Reform Endanger Vision Care

Written by Rob Lynch president and CEO of VSP Global, a nonprofit vision benefits plan.


"Whether you are for or against the current health care legislation, you can most likely agree that the current health care system needs to be fixed. What exactly to fix is where the debate lies. But what about the things that aren't broken?

Amazingly enough, there is a vital component of our national health care system that not only provides top-notch services, but actually has an incredible 90-plus percent approval rate by those who are covered. This is America's vision insurance system. Vision insurance and eye care not only deliver vital health care services but actually lower the cost for treating the chronic diseases that are bankrupting America's health care system. It is a shining example upon which Congress should base the reforms they are now examining. So why are they trying to change a part of the system that's not broken?

Today, most Americans who have some form of vision insurance are covered by standalone plans. They do not get their vision coverage through their medical insurer. In survey after survey, people covered by stand-alone vision plans report that they not only utilize the service, but actually love their coverage and the relationships they develop with their eye doctors. In fact, 61 percent of working Americans with vision care receive an annual eye exam, while only 21 percent of Americans receive physicals each year.

For the more than 100 million Americans with stand-alone vision insurance, legislation on the floor of the House and Senate will not only force them to change insurance companies, but also change their doctor. This directly contradicts what President Obama has repeatedly promised: "If you like your doctor, you can keep your doctor. If you like your health care plan, you can keep your health care plan." It's too bad that some members of Congress are not listening to the president.

Proposed legislation will kill stand-alone coverage by excluding it from what constitutes a federally qualified health plan. Americans would be required to buy bundled insurance — both vision and medical — through the same insurer.

That's like forcing individuals to buy homeowner's insurance through their auto insurer.

Many medical insurers have zero experience with providing vision coverage or benefits.

Furthermore, the legislation would also separate children's vision coverage from their parents', making vision care much more complicated for families.

Why get up in arms about vision care? It's simple. The current model works and serves millions. Vision care helps improve health and quality while lowering costs. For example, the Center for Health Transformation conducted a study of 2,000 uninsured patients in Columbus, Ga. which showed 100 percent of patients diagnosed by eye doctors as having diabetic retinopathy or retinopathic changes followed through to obtain the requisite additional care, as opposed to only 64 percent of patients who followed through on additional care after receiving a diagnosis of a chronic disease that did not threaten their ability to see.

Killing stand-alone vision plans will decrease competition, increase taxes, increase costs, and ultimately hinder Americans from receiving critical vision care. At a time when change may be imminent, it is incumbent upon our government to make changes that will reduce cost, increase efficiencies, and provide Americans with more choices. We have an opportunity to fix some of the foundational problems with our system. But vision care is not one of them. Instead, vision should be looked upon as a model for what works."

Comment: I thought the above important enough to reproduce in total. It was published in Agents Sales Journal, an industry newsletter.