Lasik Eye

Lasik eye procedure is still regarded as an elective procedure, meaning the patient has chosen to have the procedure performed. Most insurance companies in the U.S. and Canada will not cover the cost of this procedure. While cost should certainly not be the deciding factor in choosing a laser eye surgeon, it does however remain a factor in your decision.

Contact your medical insurance provider first for information regarding their costs. As a general rule, most will not provide coverage. Anyway, it always pays to ask first rather than just assuming this is the case. Check with your employee benefits administrator to see if your company has any arrangements with a given lasik eye corection center for a discounted price. Another option which is becoming more common is to pay for Lasik eye surgery with a Flexible Spending Account or Health Savings Account. Again, if you don’t already know, check with your employer to see if they offer these benefits. When all else fails, credit cards and also cash are accepted by virtually all lasik practices.

It’s worth repeating to state again that it is never smart to choose a surgeon based on cost alone. You should find the best surgical care possible and if need be finance the cost of the operation. Many of the larger multi-practice laser centers offer financing for Lasik operation through third party financing companies and frequently offer incentives such as free initial exams.

The cost of the operation can vary greatly for a variety of reasons. Surgical practices in large metropolitan areas have a much better overhead than those in smaller cities and thus must pass some of that cost on to their posible patients. Keep in mind that the surgical practice is also paying rent, employee salaries, and the cost of laser equipment and supplies. Another big and important factor in determining the cost is the condition of your eyes and the actual surgical operation that must be performed. The more complex the lasik eye surgery, the higher is the cost. Custom laser which involves using special technology to map aberrations in the eye will generally cost more than traditional lasik eye procedure. Some surgeons will add this as an additional charge while others will include it in a package type fee.

So how much is this lasik procedure?Costs can vary considerably, anyway a ballpark average is about $2000 - $2500 per eye, depending upon where you have it done. Your surgeon should be able to give an exact figure for the cost of your laser surgery operation after an initial assessment of your medical condition is made. The fee should cover your preoperative treatment, the actual operation and postoperative treatment.