New UnitedHealthcare Eye Care Benefit Gives Expectant and New Moms Improved Access to Comprehensive Eye Exams and Glasses

Pregnant, postpartum and breastfeeding women now have a second annual covered eye exam and pair of glasses — at no additional cost — if their prescription changes 0.5 diopter or more

MINNETONKA, Minn.--(BUSINESS WIRE)--UnitedHealthcare has introduced a new benefit program to support the eye health and overall well-being of expectant and new moms, helping expand access to recommended vision care before and after delivery.

The new benefit provides UnitedHealthcare vision plan participants who are pregnant, postpartum or breastfeeding, with a second covered eye exam and an additional pair of glasses if their vision prescription changes 0.5 diopter or greater, at no additional cost.* Because pregnancy can trigger vision changes that may pose a risk to a mother’s health and eyesight, this industry-leading enhancement provides important coverage for UnitedHealthcare vision plan participants.

“An estimated one in six women experience complications associated with their pregnancy, including vision-related issues ranging from mild discomfort to vision loss,” said Anne Docimo, M.D., chief medical officer, UnitedHealthcare. “Introducing this benefit is designed to encourage expectant and new moms to access eye exams that could help detect potential vision issues, which in some cases may pose health challenges for the mother or baby.”

The new maternity vision benefit is now available to people enrolled in employer-sponsored UnitedHealthcare vision plans across the country.

A similarly structured benefit for UnitedHealthcare vision plan participants up to age 13 has helped families across the country since introduction in 2018, enabling thousands of children to access a second covered eye exam and pair of glasses if their eyesight changes by 0.5 diopter or more during the year.*

Both programs are part of UnitedHealthcare’s whole-person approach to care. For instance, employees with both UnitedHealthcare medical benefits and specialty plans can benefit from Bridge2Health®, an integrated health benefits program that uses data to enable clinical interventions and monitor care effectiveness, helping stay ahead of health events and connecting the dots to better health.

“More employers are adopting an integrated approach to health care benefits, with access to quality, evidence-based eye care playing an important part in supporting employees’ overall well-being,” said John Ryan, general manager, UnitedHealthcare Vision. “With the addition of this pro-consumer benefit for expectant and new mothers, we are building upon a holistic approach to medical and specialty benefits that encourages health and more effectively manages costs for employers and individuals.”

Learn more about the connection between pregnancy and eye health.

*Second covered eye exam and glasses is per plan or calendar year depending on the policy and requires applicable copays; second pair does not include contact lenses.

About UnitedHealthcare
UnitedHealthcare is dedicated to helping people live healthier lives and making the health system work better for everyone by simplifying the health care experience, meeting consumer health and wellness needs, and sustaining trusted relationships with care providers. In the United States, UnitedHealthcare offers the full spectrum of health benefit programs for individuals, employers, and Medicare and Medicaid beneficiaries, and contracts directly with more than 1.3 million physicians and care professionals, and 6,500 hospitals and other care facilities nationwide. The company also provides health benefits and delivers care to people through owned and operated health care facilities in South America. UnitedHealthcare is one of the businesses of UnitedHealth Group (NYSE: UNH), a diversified health care company. For more information, visit UnitedHealthcare at www.uhc.com or follow @UHC on Twitter.