RANCHO CORDOVA, Calif.,
Aug. 23, 2016 /PRNewswire-USNewswire/
-- Today, VSP® Vision Care, the largest
not-for-profit vision benefits provider in the United States with 77 million members,
released its Eye Health Index, featuring the top 10 eye-healthy
cities in the United States.
Reno, Nevada, tops the 2016 index
as the nation's most eye-healthy city. New this year, VSP also
unveiled the 10 U.S. cities where the importance of an annual eye
exam is not always top of mind. According to the research,
Cleveland, Ohio, ranked as the
nation's least eye-healthy city.
The Eye Health Index, now in its fourth year, reviews tens of
millions of VSP claims from more than 100 U.S. metropolitan areas
to identify which cities are the most focused on maintaining their
eye health by getting annual eye exams. The 2016 index rankings
were determined by looking at the percentage of VSP members who
received an eye exam in 2015 in cities with at least 100,000 VSP
members. VSP provides vision benefits to 1 in 5 Americans.
"An annual eye exam should be a part of everyone's overall
healthcare routine, not only to keep their vision healthy, but also
to leverage its proven preventative health benefits," said VSP
Vision Care President Kate
Renwick-Espinosa. "Your eye doctor is often the first to
spot signs of chronic conditions, including diabetes, high blood
pressure, and high cholesterol. It's critical that you visit your
eye doctor annually to ensure the health of your eyes as well as
your wellness overall."
The top 10 eye-healthy cities in 2016 are:
- Reno, Nevada
- Boise, Idaho
- Oklahoma City, Oklahoma
- Des Moines, Iowa
- Raleigh, North Carolina
- Redding, California
- Colorado Springs,
Colorado
- Fayetteville, Arkansas
- Denver, Colorado
- Tulsa, Oklahoma
The 10 least eye-healthy cities in 2016 are:
- Cleveland, Ohio
- Bakersfield, California
- Merced, California
- Akron, Ohio
- Albuquerque, New Mexico
- Detroit, Michigan
- Stockton, California
- Santa Rosa, California
- Bridgeport, Connecticut
- Salinas, California
Other key findings from the 2016 Eye Health Index include:
- Youth eye health trending up in least eye-healthy
cities. While Bakersfield,
Merced, Stockton, Albuquerque and Salinas are some of the least eye-healthy
overall, they rank among the cities where the highest percentage of
residents under 17 are receiving eye exams.
- Gender eye health gap. In general, women are more
diligent about their eye health than men. In all of the cities
surveyed, more women visited their eye doctors annually than men.
58 percent of eye exams were received by women compared to 42
percent men.
About VSP Global
VSP Global® helps more than 82 million people see
better by providing affordable, accessible, high-quality eye care
and eyewear. Our complementary businesses combine superior eye care
insurance, high-fashion frames, customized lenses, ophthalmic
technology and retail solutions. VSP Global businesses, operating
in 100 countries in the U.S., Australia, United
Kingdom and Ireland,
include VSP Vision Care, Marchon® Eyewear Inc.,
Eyefinity®, VSP Optics Group and VSP Omni-Channel
Solutions. As a not-for-profit business, we are committed to
bringing vision to those who can't come to us, and to reimagining
how eye care and eyewear are delivered globally.
Media Contact:
Jace
Duval
(916) 851-4531
jace.duval@vsp.com
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SOURCE VSP Vision Care