'Our members are always able to get the best prices that Specsavers offers'
Municipal Retirees Organization Ontario (MROO) members will be seeing a lot more clearly now, thanks to their new partnership with Specsavers, an eyewear retailer.
MROO, the largest organization supporting over 36,000 OMERS pensioners, recently announced a partnership with Specsavers, one that will save their members a few hundred dollars on eye health care.
“Our members will get some savings that are our benchmarked,” says Ken Noakes, executive director at MROO. “They may get offered from time to time to the public, but there'll be a bottom-line price for our members. They’re always able to get the best prices that Specsavers offers no matter what's going on, what time of year it is. No matter what special offer they have going on to the public, they'll always be able to get the lowest price.”
Eye health is now back on their list of other benefits, which include health and dental coverage through Victor, Rogers’ wireless for cell phone plans and opportunities, HearingLife for hearing aids and hearing health as well as Trip Merchant for travel benefits, added Noakes.
MROO’s eye health benefits were previously covered under Theodore and Pringle, an arm of Loblaws. “That partnership ended a couple of years ago and so we spent some time researching who would be a good partner for us and who could bring value to our members.”
Noakes added MROO wanted to find a partner who was value-oriented and could cover as many of their members as possible. Specsavers, with their, “phenomenal growth seemed to check that box,” he said.
“We want to find a provider who can give good pricing to our members and look after their eye health which is just as important as getting glasses. They're very accommodating and very innovative in the things that they've put forth and that we put towards them.”
What initiated the partnership, Noakes highlighted, was an educational series for their members. MROO hosts webinars every month and Specsavers presented a webinar on eye health for MROO’s members. When MROO kicked the whole program off, it was very well received by their members and “that was as much value there as there is in this opportunity to get the quality at already a good price,” said Noakes.
Managing director of Specsavers Canada, Bill Moir, says they provide a great offering for all seniors who visit Specsavers.
“MROO members can expect savings while accessing high quality eyecare that includes Optical Coherence Tomography (OCT) as well as affordable eyewear,” he said in a statement. “OCT is a 3D eye scan that helps Optometrists spot sight-threatening diseases in their early stages. All Specsavers locations are equipped with OCT, which is included as part of the standard eye exam at no cost to eligible patients to ensure comprehensive clinical care. Plus, if you’re a senior who is eligible for provincial health coverage, your eye exam will be at no cost to you.”
Additionally, Moir said OCT technology will benefit plan sponsors and employers because regular eye exams with OCT supports good eye health, which ultimately benefits the employee and the employer.
“It creates an opportunity for early intervention when eye diseases show their earliest signs. Most importantly, preventative care helps to safeguard the patient’s vision in the long-term, but it can also mean savings for an organization’s employee and benefits plan when more expensive treatments are avoided,” he added.
“We're excited to be working with Specsavers,” said Noakes. “It's really brand new for us and our fingers are crossed that our members are going to embrace it. Specsavers, so far, has been great to work with, and we expect it will continue.”
