Employees’ total health and wellbeing extends far beyond the doctor’s office. According to SHRM, 71% of employees say their top source of stress is personal finances.(1) Some are even putting their healthcare needs on hold because of financial concerns. A survey released by the American Psychological Association shows nearly 1 in 5 Americans say they have either considered skipping (9%), or have skipped (12%) going to a doctor when they needed health care because of financial concerns.(2)

This problem is real, and we usually talk about how vision benefits can make a difference as an affordable and easy way to detect and manage many health and vision conditions that otherwise may not be discovered in the absence of obvious symptoms or major health episodes forcing a visit to a doctor. There’s even more to the vision benefits story. Did you know it can also help members get the hearing care they really need, affordably?

That’s where EyeMed’s hearing care discount program comes in. EyeMed members have access to special hearing care discounts through Amplifon Hearing Health Care, a leader in hearing care.

We joined forces with Amplifon to create this program because hearing loss and vision issues often go hand-in-hand. Studies have correlated poor visual performance with a higher likelihood of hearing loss, even when age is not considered. (3) A typical member story illustrating hearing health needs goes like this:

An everyday member struggle with hearing

Imagine Joni. She has been hearing impaired since early childhood. She tried to adapt to her hearing loss — but it wasn’t enough. Joni wore hearing aids as a child, but quit when she was a teenager. As an adult, with a career in education and 2 active children to raise, Joni came to her wit’s end trying to cope with her hearing loss. She found it was holding her back in all areas of life. But the cost of modern hearing aids prevented Joni from seeking professional care.

One day at the school where she teaches, Joni confided in a friend about a promotion she wanted. She said she was afraid to apply because of her hearing loss. Her friend asked Joni why she hadn’t done something about it and Joni opened up about her financial struggles. Her friend reminded Joni about the Amplifon hearing aid discounts available to employees through their company’s EyeMed vision benefits. That conversation made a big difference in Joni’s life.

She took advantage of the Amplifon program through EyeMed and now wears state-of-the-art hearing aids. Joni’s discovered not just better hearing, but a better quality of life. At home and at school, she can communicate much more easily, without asking others to repeat themselves. Recently, Joni applied for and received a promotion. She feels so much more confident in her ability to do her job and take on new responsibilities.

An easy solution to affording hearing care

Joni’s story is real for many. Now, imagine if Joni addressed her hearing loss sooner. Would she have advanced more quickly in her career? Would she have been more active socially? How different would life have been?

That’s why I took the time to write this story. EyeMed wants employers and brokers to know not only the value of the affordable and easy-to-access eye exams, eyeglasses and contact lens benefits that are the core of vision coverage. We want benefit pros to know about additional health care offerings like the hearing care discounts program available to all EyeMed members with a funded benefit.

If you’re an employer that already has EyeMed benefits, you can share the information at this site with your vision members, or contact your EyeMed account manager. If you don’t have EyeMed vision benefits and want to learn more, you can request an EyeMed representative contact you at starthere.eyemed.com.

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1: “Financial Wellness in the Workplace,” SHRM, https://www.shrm.org/hr-today/trends-and-forecasting/research-and-surveys/pages/2014-financial-wellness.aspx

2: “Stress in America: Paying with Our Health” survey, American Psychological Association, http://www.apa.org/monitor/2015/04/money-stress.aspx

3:“Hearing Impairment Appears Associated With Vision Problems in Elderly,” May 2, 2008, quote of Dr. Marilyn Schneck, http://www.docguide.com/hearing-impairment-appears-associated-vision-problems-elderly