Mutual of Omaha boosts voluntary offerings

Mutual of Omaha is kicking off the new year with a new vision program and upgraded dental insurance.

Beginning next year, the insurance company will team up with EyeMed to offer its employer customers preferred pricing on advanced services such as retinal imaging exams and Lasik surgery, says Marty Traynor, senior vice president of voluntary benefits at Mutual of Omaha.

Customers also will have access to benefits from national chains Lenscrafters, Target Optical and Pearle Vision, Traynor adds.

Dentist dental

While the percentage of companies offering vision insurance has increased in the past five years, laser surgery benefits have dipped slightly, according to the Society for Human Resource Management’s 2018 Employee Benefits Report. Twenty-six percent of companies surveyed say they offer laser-based correction, down from 28% in 2014.

But it’s not just vision care that Omaha Mutual is making changes to.

In an effort to expand the number of dental providers, Mutual of Omaha will no longer lease out its network to outside management. In managing their own network, the insurance company hopes to reduce the cost of premiums and out-of-pocket costs for their customers.

This news comes as open enrollment season is in full swing for many employers. Mutual of Omaha says it can package its vision and dental product on one bill which is supported by enrollment professionals and service teams.

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