Did you know that around 164 million American adults wear glasses? Many of these spectacle-wearers might choose to wear contact lenses for most of their waking hours for convenience.
However, the truth still remains: they’re visually impaired, which means when they have to take out their contacts at some point, they might have to wear glasses to be able to get around.
Are you one of these glasses-wearers and are you thinking about getting LASIK so you don’t have to wear eyeglasses anymore? Then you might be wondering about LASIK eye surgery cost. In that case, read on, as we’ll give you more information on that.
LASIK Eye Surgery Cost
So your first question is probably this: how much is LASIK eye surgery? As you might’ve already guessed, there’s no one singular answer.
In 2019, the average cost of LASIK surgery in the US was around $2,200 per eye. Expect to pay anywhere between $1,000 to $3,000 per eye as a general rule of thumb. If you need this surgery performed on both eyes, then be prepared to double this figure.
Keep in mind that this is usually the upfront cost. The price you’re quoted may or may not include consultations, medications, post-op exams and/or care, and even follow-up surgeries if you need further correction for your eyes.
Here are some other factors that can affect how much you pay for LASIK eye surgery.
Location
Different areas of the nation have varying costs of living. This, in turn, affects how much professionals charge for their services. This is because they have to make up for overhead; mostly, rent and utilities.
Also, if you live somewhere where there are only a few providers for LASIK surgery, they’ll be able to charge higher prices since they have less competition.
If you want to keep your costs low, it might be worth expanding your radius for surgeons. Just make sure to factor in travel costs to see if you really save money in the end.
Your Vision
In general, the worse your vision is, the more you’ll have to pay. This is because your eyes will require more work done on them to restore them to a normal/healthy shape.
Don’t forget that you need to factor in your astigmatism too.
The Type of LASIK Surgery
There are actually 2 types of eye surgery: LASIK and SMILE. LASIK is the older technology while SMILE is the newer one. Because SMILE surgery takes longer and also requires the use of more sophisticated equipment, it’s almost always more expensive to get.
If you’re interested in hearing more about SMILE eye surgery, read this resource here.
The Surgeon
Not every surgeon will charge the same. Just like with any other profession, the more experienced and reputable a surgeon is, the more they’ll charge.
For this reason, don’t try to go cheap. These are your eyes you’re dealing with, after all. You should value experience and skill over price.
Does Insurance Cover LASIK Eye Surgery?
After learning the cost of LASIK eye surgery, the next question you probably have is whether or not insurance will cover it. Unfortunately, they don’t. This is because LASIK is considered an elective/cosmetic surgery, meaning it’s not medically necessary.
However, not all hope is lost here. There are some employers that have subsidized health plans where they’ll cover some of your costs. So it might be worth asking your employer about.
How to Pay for LASIK Eye Surgery
Now that you have a rough idea of how much LASIK can cost, the next thing on your mind is how to pay for it. While some people can afford to pay the price outright, others aren’t so lucky.
So what can you do if you can’t pay the whole amount off at once? Here are some options.
Financing
What’s great is that many LASIK providers also offer financing. This means you can get eye surgery without paying for the entire thing up front.
Many also offer no-interest financing too, which means you won’t have to pay a penny over what you’re quoted.
Take Advantage of Discounts
Eye care providers will also usually have promotions to entice people to get surgery with their practice. This means there are limited-time offers and special group pricing offers you can take advantage of.
Use FSAs and HSAs
FSAs (Flexible Spending Accounts) and HSAs (Health Savings Accounts) are both accounts you can set up through your employer.
FSAs allow you to use pre-tax income to pay for out-of-pocket medical expenses. The maximum amount in 2020 is $2,750, which means you’ll likely need other funding to get LASIK eye surgery.
This is where HSAs come into play. To have an HSA, you have to have a high-deductible health plan through your employer.
If you do, then you can set aside money from your paychecks, up to $3,550 (individual) or $7,100 (family). You can then use this money to pay for your LASIK eye surgery.
Get Clearer Vision by Looking Into LASIK
No matter what your prescription is, you’re probably tired of wearing glasses. LASIK is a fantastic option to get a second chance at clear vision, so you should take it if possible.
Now that you’ve read this article, you know more about LASIK eye surgery cost. It might be a more realistic thing to have in the near future now that you know it won’t cost a complete fortune. And with all the various ways available to pay off the surgery costs, it’s probably something most people can make room in the budget for.
Did you like this article on the cost of LASIK eye surgery? Then take a look at the rest of our blog for more informative posts.
