According to Versant Health's Lisa Hall and Kelly Wenrich, more employers are recognizing that offering vision benefits is a cost-effective way to reduce health-related absenteeism and health care premiums, while increasing productivity.

Providing a vision care plan to employees gives employers a "leg up on the competition" because it's a benefit not yet commonplace in the recruitment process, says Kelly Wenrich, director of client management for Versant Health.

Wenrich also points out that when employees take care of their vision, they are healthier and more productive, which can benefit the company overall.

Encouraging employees and their families to have annual eye exams can be a relatively low-cost and minimally invasive way for them to gain a window into their overall health.

"A comprehensive eye exam is much more than reading an eye chart," says Lisa Hall, Versant's regional vice president of third party commercial sales. She adds that more than 25 chronic health conditions can be identified through an eye exam and that surprisingly, 20% of people diagnosed with diabetes first learned of their condition through a routine eye exam.

Both Wenrich and Hall say that offering a vision care benefit requires very little commitment from employers, both operationally and financially, yet it can be a key component for increasing employee satisfaction and loyalty.

Press play to hear more from Hall and Wenrich on ways to encourage vision care enrollment, its effect on pricing and network choice, and its role in early detection of chronic conditions.