PINELLAS PARK, Fla.—Enrollment in vision benefit plans remains high among all employees, however, new research finds that younger generations are not only significantly less likely to enroll, but also are less likely to understand the importance of regular, comprehensive eye exams. According to the ninth annual Transitions Optical Employee Perceptions of Vision Benefits survey, 76 percent of employees overall are enrolled in their company’s vision program. But the Millennial and Gen Z employee groups are significantly less likely to enroll in or utilize the vision plan offered by their employer, according to the survey’s findings.

“Regardless of generation, the survey found that providing ongoing education about vision benefits can help to increase employee enrollment and utilization,” a Transitions Optical announcement detailing the survey’s findings stated. The announcement also noted that Millennials and Gen Z employees continue to make up an increasing portion of the work force.

According to the survey, 84 percent of Baby Boomers and 80 percent of those in Gen X are enrolled in their company’s vision plan, but 75 percent of Millennials and only 50 percent of those in Gen Z say they are enrolled. “Further findings indicate that this could be due to a lack of education, including a misunderstanding of what comprehensive eye exams detect vs. vision screenings, and not knowing what benefits are included as part of their vision plan offering,” Transitions said in its announcement.

While two-thirds of employees overall agreed that it’s important to schedule regular, comprehensive eye exams with an eyecare professional—in line with enrollment trends—the survey revealed an education gap among younger employees, particularly those in Gen Z (60 percent believe it’s important vs. 67 percent of all employees).

“While many eye diseases and overall health issues are more common with age, it’s critical that all employees schedule regular, comprehensive eye exams,” said Drew Smith, director, North America channels, Transitions Optical. “Early detection of these issues can help to reduce, or even avoid, significant medical costs and vision loss. Additionally, comprehensive eye exams can identify common, correctable problems—such as trouble seeing up-close or far away—and provide access to the right eyewear to boost productivity and help employees see better now and in the future.”

The survey was conducted in December 2017 by Wakefield Research on behalf of Transitions among 1,300 nationally representative U.S. adults. For the purposes of this survey, GenZ adults are defined as ages 18-19, Millennials (Gen Y) as 20-36, Gen X as 37-52, and Boomers as 53-71.

Additionally, the survey uncovered a lack of understanding of what comprehensive eye exams include—particularly among younger employees. More than one in five (or more than 20 percent) Millennial and Gen Z employees incorrectly believe that if they receive an eye test/vision screening from their primary care physician, they don’t need to schedule a comprehensive eye exam with their eyecare professional. This compared to 8 percent of those in Gen X and 7 percent of Boomers who believe this.

The survey also found that only half of employees feel very confident in understanding what their vision plan covers, with few differences across generations. The silver lining is that nearly all employees (96 percent) say they’d be more likely to use their benefits if they better understood what their plan covers, reinforcing a need for education. Millennials were the most likely to say they’d be “much more” likely to use their vision benefits if they better understood them (56 percent vs. 49 percent of all employees).