Adults with vision coverage report high satisfaction with their benefits, including coverage meeting their needs (82%) and protection from paying the full out-of-pocket cost of care (77%). These findings highlight strong alignment between employers and consumers, with both recognizing the value of vision coverage.
How cost and affordability impact care
At a time when health care costs are putting added pressure on household budgets, keeping vision coverage affordable is a priority, with 89% of covered adults saying affordability matters to them.
The cost and affordability of that care often determine whether people get the care they need at all. Among adults without coverage who had an unmet vision need but did not seek care, 84% cited cost as the main reason or a contributing factor.
The survey also found that adults without vision coverage are twice as likely as those with coverage to skip an eye exam altogether. That's a missed preventive health opportunity, since 80% of consumers say regular eye exams are important to maintaining overall health, and 67% are aware that eye exams can detect signs of chronic conditions like diabetes or high blood pressure.
For employers, including small businesses, vision benefits are an affordable way to support employee health and well-being. A majority of employers surveyed (74%) rated vision benefits as good or excellent value for the cost and strongly affirmed (71%) that they offer vision benefits to support employee health and well-being.
"The survey shows that while consumers and employers may view vision care from different perspectives, they reach the same conclusion: Vision coverage works," said Dr. Mary Anne Murphy, an optometrist and AAVC spokesperson. "It helps keep care affordable and accessible, delivers real value to families and employers, and should be preserved. As an optometrist and private practice owner for more than 20 years, I have seen firsthand how critical vision coverage is to connecting patients to the eye care they need while keeping costs within reach."
Given that value, it's no surprise that consumers and employers are concerned about policy changes that could increase costs, reduce access or weaken the value that vision coverage provides today. A majority of employers (56%) surveyed were concerned that policy changes could increase their vision benefit costs. Consumers and employers were overwhelmingly aligned on the view that officials should prioritize affordable vision care (74% and 83%, respectively).
For policymakers weighing changes to vision benefits, the findings point to a clear priority: employers and consumers want to protect the affordability and access vision benefits provide.
"Employers of all sizes, along with their employees and families, are looking for ways to manage rising health care costs, and vision coverage is proving its value by helping keep care affordable and within reach," said Ruben Guerra, Board Chair of the Latin Business Association and AAVC member. "Yet legislation being considered in statehouses across the country puts affordability at risk for many. The research shows that consumers and employers alike recognize the value of vision coverage and do not want changes that could drive up costs or make care harder to access."
Survey methodology: The research was conducted as a single national survey initiative with complementary consumer and employer components, examining how people who use employer-sponsored coverage and organizations that purchase vision benefits view affordability, value and potential policy impacts. The consumer survey was conducted online among 4,027 employed adults aged 21-64 who were enrolled in employer-sponsored insurance. The sample included 3,027 adults with vision coverage and 1,000 without. The employer survey was conducted online among 201 benefits decision-makers at small and medium-sized employers that offer vision coverage. The sample included 100 respondents from businesses with 2-99 employees and 101 respondents from businesses with 100-999 employees. The surveys were conducted in July and August 2026 and commissioned by the Alliance for Affordable Vision Care, of which VSP Vision is a funder.
