VSP Vision Care
Three Tactics for Improving Vision Benefits Usage

3 Tactics that Get Employees Using Their Vision Benefits

woman using phone while working

You and your employees have invested in vision and health benefits—and that’s great! But with benefits being a big chunk of your total budget, you don’t want them going unused (like that treadmill collecting dust in the corner).

The VSP® Vision Care 2026 Workplace Vision Health Report revealed a significant gap in utilization, with surveyed HR leaders estimating that only 62% of their enrolled employees used their vision benefits last year.1

So, how do you help your team get the most benefit from their benefits when you offer vision? Read on to find out ...

1. Communicate, communicate, communicate

This first recommendation should come as no surprise. As the saying goes, “communication is key.” But nearly three-quarters (74%) of HR leaders say they only communicate about their plan twice a year or less. With that percentage increasing 13% year over year, boosting communication has never been more important.2

Following are a few ways you can amplify messaging around eye health and vision benefits usage. Some of them you’ve likely heard before, but we could all use a friendly reminder every now and then—just like your employees do when it comes to their benefits!

man high-fiving doctor

Make it easy for employees to ask questions

When it comes to helping your team get the most out of their benefits, accessibility is critical. Give workers an easy and comfortable way to ask questions and get information. Consider things like:

Office Hours
Set aside time for those who want help navigating their benefits.
How-To Series
Host open meetings for learning more about your offerings.
Anonymous Q&A
Survey workers anonymously then post results in a visible area.

Keep eye health top of mind year-round

Create a themed monthly communication around a specific eye health or benefit topic. Ideas could be on annual eye exams, workplace eye wellness, or underutilized benefits features.

If you have a company intranet/portal or newsletter, try adding a regular section for benefits. You can also utilize email, social media, guest speakers, or even in-office educational signage to convey key information.

To keep vision in your sights year-round, VSP Vision Care creates a monthly campaign kit, with social media, email, and website content that you can use as part of your communication plan.

Through ongoing communication and by providing easy ways for employees to engage and ask questions, you ensure your benefits stay top of mind.

woman in glasses smiling resting chin on hand

2. Get some high-tech help

Did you know that most workers are open to using technologies powered by Artificial Intelligence (AI) to support their eye health? In fact, more than two out of three workers say they would welcome the use of AI to better understand their vision care plan or to receive eye health education.3

While most AI technologies that support patient care are still in their infancy, they can be great tools to assist (not replace) a qualified vision care provider.

How open would you be to using technologies powered by AI to support your eye health in the following ways?

Percent of employees who said "very" or "somewhat" open:

  • 79%
    Educate me about an eye condition
  • 78%
    Help me understand my vision care benefits
  • 73%
    Help me select a vision care plan
  • 37%
    Perform eye surgery
  • 55%
    Diagnose an eye condition
  • 54%
    Conduct an eye exam

Source: 2026 Workplace Vision Health Report: Cultivating an Eye-friendly Workplace. Workplace Intelligence study on behalf of VSP Vision Care.

doctor and patient reviewing offerings

Here’s a sample of technology offerings to consider:

Virtual Care Platforms

Platforms like VSP partner Teladoc® Health give employees an easy way to get care from the comfort of their home.

Care Navigation Platforms

HealthJoy and Rightway are two companies that help employees find the highest-quality and lowest-cost care.

Polypharmacy Management Platforms

FeelBetter is a platform that can help mitigate the consequences of suboptimal medication management for polypharmacy patients.

Health Consumer Experience Platforms

Companies like League offer a suite of solutions designed to deliver deeply personalized healthcare consumer experiences.

Pharmacy Platforms

Services like Rightway’s pharmacy benefits manager can provide medication advice while helping users save money.

3. Make benefits stick with gamification

One cutting-edge way to accelerate benefits engagement is through gamification. According to a Gartner report, 85% of employees are shown to be more engaged when gamification solutions are applied to their workplace.4

For example, VSP & You is a digital experience that gamifies the pre-enrollment process, offering personalized recommendations and insights for prospective members.

Interactive games can also help employees learn more about health and wellness and develop healthy habits. The American Optometric Association’s Blink Land is one great example. The app uses board-game style play, trivia, and Q&A to teach players about eye health.

Adding health and wellness gamification not only shows that you’re an innovative company, it also shows that you’re dedicated to making it easy and fun for your team to get the most out of their benefits.

VSP Gamification devices graphic

Everything you need to get a utilization lift

Fixing utilization issues is a lot easier when you have the right tools for the job. VSP gives you an entire toolkit to improve education, communication, and engagement with your vision benefits.

Get your free tool kit today!

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Let’s keep the benefits going

Reach out to request a quote or chat about how VSP can help you offer vision benefits your team will love using.

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About VSP Vision Care

Celebrating 70 years in business, VSP was founded in 1955, and remains the only national not-for-profit vision benefits company in the United States. VSP Vision Care provides members convenient access to eye care through the nation's largest doctor network of 137,000 access points.

Footnotes

1-3.  2026 Workplace Vision Health Report: Cultivating an Eye-friendly Workplace. Workplace Intelligence study on behalf of VSP Vision Care. 4. Gamification 2020: What Is the Future of Gamification?, Gartner, Inc. https://www.gartner.com/en/documents/2226015

Legal Disclaimer: Information received through VSP Vision Care's online channels is for informational purposes only and does not constitute medical advice, medical recommendations, diagnosis, or treatment. Always seek the advice of your physician or other qualified health provider with any questions you may have regarding a medical condition.