The health care industry has been revolutionized by COVID-19, accelerating telemedicine's adoption and changing the fundamental way people access care. While many people have already started to adapt to care in the time of a pandemic, workplace open enrollment season during COVID-19 is new ground, with many unsure how they could be impacted by changes in reimbursement policies and health coverage stemming from the pandemic.

Brokers and benefit managers have always played the lead role in advising employees on often-overlooked benefits during the open enrollment process, in particular vision insurance. In a non-pandemic environment, employees often require education on the value of yearly eye exams, which are typically covered by vision insurance and can provide early detection of systemic diseases and other health issues, such as high blood pressure, glaucoma and diabetic retinopathy, in addition to glasses and contacts. Regardless of whether patients struggle with vision problems, this education reinforces the importance of vision insurance as a vehicle to proactively address overall health, positively contributing to workplace productivity.