It was the best of times, it was the worst of times.” This opening from Charles Dickens’ A Tale of Two Cities applies as much today to the subject of health care as it did to Dickens’ epic novel. Perspective is rarely objective. Crisis or opportunity usually depends on which end of the barrel you are staring down. And sometimes – if not often – perspective is hard to achieve. In the United States, we are inundated with so much statistical information, much of it conflicting, from so many reputable sources (Gallup, Louis Harris, Noble Lownees, A. Foster Higgins, Robert... Read More

BY PAUL J. DISSER Chairman, CEO, and President of Spectrum Vision Systems, Inc. No fuss. No underwriting. No risk exposure. Just pure profit. This attractive scenario and pleasant bottom-line result is being realized by insurers offering low-cost and much-needed vision care as an enhancement and valuable add-on to the primary package being sold (whether it be group life or health, standard disability income, long term care, dental, or whatever). Basically, vision care profits stay at the carrier level. If the funds realized flow at all, they do so through typical compensation arrangements... Read More

The current uneasiness in the marketplace about the final outcome of federal health care reform has created an opportunity in the marketplace that has been spotted by knowledgeable life/health agents. They understand that the government’s goal is to ultimately have comprehensive coverage for all people and that, by voluntary or forced methods, all areas of health will be included in the plans. $3 BILLION ON EYE EXAMINATIONS In today’s work force of men and women over the age of seventeen, nearly 64% depend on corrective lenses. Over 150 million Americans wear corrective lenses.... Read More

As you begin to read this article, the odds are you’re doing so with the aid of eyeglasses. That’s because 64 percent of our nation’s working populace over the age of 17 wear corrective lenses, and the percentage of the growing number of retired seniors who do so is even higher. Coast to coast, all signs point to an increasing number of people sooner or later being in need of eye care. This could be due to the immense amount of time many of us spend daily before the computer screen. But, with certainty, one of the major reasons for the rising need is that when people reach... Read More

Today there’s a new and reengineered approach to the marketing of vision care benefits to a receptive audience. The reengineered approach comes into the marketing spectrum based on lessons learned. In the past, some agents in their enthusiasm to make the sale at times failed to mention that the coverage being provided was less than 100 percent fully-paid. This, in turn, lead to discontent among some beneficiaries who perceived they were participants within a less than user-friendly plan. Today’s providers of vision care benefits have learned from the past and are imparting to... Read More

Today there’s a new and reengineered approach to the marketing of vision care benefits to a waiting and receptive audience. Vision, once considered the “stepchild of benefits,” has grown in popularity since its introduction over three decades ago. And, based on sheer volume, all signs point to the momentum continuing. The reengineered approach comes into the marketing spectrum based on lessons learned. In the past, some agents in their enthusiasm to make the sale, at times failed to mention that the coverage being provided was less than 100 percent fully-paid. This, in... Read More

As agents, brokers and the companies they represent on both the property/casualty and life/health sides of the industry aisle continue to scurry hither and yon in search of something of value, many of them have overlooked the booming and ever-growing vision care marketplace. Those who take the time to do so will find a huge and waiting audience. And, related, they will quickly discover that, with increasing frequency, vision care is something both employers and employees are requesting be added to their benefit package. Yet, despite this heightened interest in vision, the marketplace penetration... Read More

It has been said that an idea, to be suggestive, must come to the individual with the force of revelation. And so, some 30 years after first appearing in the marketplace, an ever-growing number of marketers are focusing, some for the first time, on the booming field of vision care. This evolution to a conclusion that vision could be, and often is, the right peripheral product at the right time to add to portfolio isn’t, upon reflection, surprising. With no pun intended, one eyewitness is of more weight than 10 hearsays. What we’re witnessing, in the aftermath of the demise or ... Read More

According to what you’ve read or heard most recently, these are—take your pick—either the worst of times or the best of times for industry marketers. It’s all, of course, in the eye of the beholders—quickly followed by seemingly endless messages of optimism (a few) or woe (a lot). No wonder so many practitioners are puzzled. To cut-to-the-chase, these are neither the best or worst of times…but something in-between for marketers. On the negative side, ears continue burning from the words coming out of Washington, D.C. A great amount of the justified concern relates to... Read More

It is hard to believe it has been almost one year since our 24th Annual Meeting in Washington D.C. Personally, it feels like the time has evaporated overnight. However, during that time, a great deal has occurred within the healthcare/benefits community and within MI2. As my term as President of MI2 draws to a close, I would like to review some of the significant accomplishments of the Institute. Like all worthwhile organizations, MI2 is a living, breathing entity, undergoing a continual metamorphosis. And yet, even as it changes to reflect the needs of its membership, MI2 has remained... Read More