Can you afford Laser eye surgery?

by Vic Bilson

Most insurance plans won’t cover eye surgery cost since it is an elective surgery and linked more closely with cosmetic surgery. There are exceptions, however, but in most cases insurance won’t pay.

Laser eye surgery cost analysis sa wide variety of prices and an even wider variety of what is included in the price of the surgery. For example, is the initial consultation and examination included in the price should you elect the surgery? Are post-operative visits included in the price? How many? What about the eye drops used during the surgery? Some laser surgery centers charge as much as $100 for those drops.

As far as the cost of the actual surgery itself, advertised prices are usually per eye. Since it’s really not a good idea to have surgery on both eyes at once, you will probably just be looking at the cost of one eye initially.

Beware of Laser surgery centers advertising this surgery for $299 or $399 per eye. As a matter of fact, in November of 2005 a Florida company settled a false advertising claim that was brought by the Illinois Attorney General’s office. The suit alleged that the company did not make a full disclosure of their prices. They were advertising laser eye surgery for $299 an eye but customers were paying much more.

Why does laser eye surgery cost so much? The equipment is expensive, training employees is expensive and even royalties have to be paid to manufacturers. Laser eye surgery can cost as much as $2500 an eye. Yet in the same city you can find a well qualified eye surgeon to do the same surgery for $1500, so it pays well to shop around. Don’t accept laser eye surgery cost estimates. Insist on a breakdown of every charge.

Don’t make the mistake of letting your decision be based totally on cost though. This is far too important a procedure to be based solely on money. Make sure too, that you are given a full evaluation before you agree to the surgery. This involves more than just an oral consultation. This is not something for which you can be screened online either. It’s important that the eye surgeon examine your eyes before he can make his recommendation.

There are many questions to ask yourself besides, “How much does laser eye surgery cost?” Once you investigate all the different aspects of laser eye surgery, money may be the least of your concerns!

Related LASIK Eye Surgery Cost Articles

The Cost of Lasik Eye Surgery
Prices for LASIK eye surgery have been rising for the past several years. One reason is because new procedures are used such as "custom LASIK" which is more expensive than traditional LASIK.

Why Does The Cost of LASIK Eye Surgery Vary?
As far as the cost of LASIK eye surgery is concerned, the only worldwide standard is that prices are quoted per eye. However, the cost depends on several factors and varies from one provider to another.

Is Lasik Surgery Covered By Insurance?
Even if you have vision insurance, most plans will not cover the Lasik surgery but it is possible that your employer may have a policy in place to cover some of the surgery or offer a reduced rate.