Will Your Lasik Surgery be Covered by Insurance?
Lasik vision correction surgery is increasingly becoming a preferred method for individuals wanting to improve their vision. The Lasik procedure takes just a few minutes, is painless and has a very high success rate. There is no need for hospitalization and patients can walk out of the surgery center a few hours after the surgery. Post surgery there are just a few restrictions and that too for a limited period of time. All these do not come cheap though. Lasik vision correction surgery comes with a rather high price tag, which escalates further in case of eyes that have deteriorated to a great extent. The cost of Lasik surgery varies greatly from place to place. Since Lasik surgery is elective, you will find that most insurance companies do not cover this procedure.
You should check your insurance plans before you decide to go in for Lasik eye surgery. Even if you have vision insurance you may find that your plan may not cover Lasik eye surgery as it is considered an elective procedure. You should also check with your employer. Some employers have an agreement with certain Lasik centers to give their employees special rates and discounts.
Some insurance companies now offer a new kind of plan called ‘expanded vision insurance program plan’. This covers more than just the basic eye examinations, contact lenses and eyeglasses and could also include Lasik surgery in the plan. An expanded vision insurance program plan may not always pay the entire amount needed for the procedure, but it could offset a percentage of it and if you are lucky that could be 50%. If you do have an expanded vision health plan, go through it and see if it covers Lasik surgery.
After you’ve decided to go ahead and have Lasik surgery to correct your vision, the next step is to check out the various surgeons that perform this surgery and the cost of the surgery. Lasik surgery costs differ greatly form one place to another and Lasik ads are often deceiving even though they may not be outright lies. What most Lasik ads quote is just the basic Lasik surgery price, which would apply to individuals who need a small degree of corrective surgery. But the higher degrees of vision correction incur higher costs. The average cost of Lasik surgery is around $2000, but it could cost more. Also a more experienced surgeon would charge much more for performing the surgery than a surgeon with less experience. Do not base your choice solely on the doctor’s fees. The extra money may be well worth it if it means choosing an established and reputed doctor who has a lot of experience and access to the latest technology.
You should also explore the possibilities of having your Lasik surgery in a more Lasik-friendly country. Most insurance plans in Africa, Europe, Latin America and Asia do cover Lasik surgery even though it is an elective procedure. However this is not the case in Canada and the United States, so your personal financial burden could prove to be much higher in these two countries.
If possible you should opt to pay for your Lasik surgery through the flexible spending account offered to you by your employer. If you have enough money saved in your flexible spending account it could help pay for the entire surgery or at least partially cover the cost of the surgery. You need to inform your Lasik doctor if you are paying him in this manner, as there could be some paper work involved between the surgery center and your employer. You should also check the possibility of deducting the costs of Lasik surgery from your federal income tax. Your tax accountant should be able to help you out with this.
It is a good idea to explore the various payment methods to help you defray the high cost of Lasik eye surgery. Talk to your Lasik doctor who will be glad to work out the most appropriate plan for you.
Watch the video related to lasik eye surgery
www.toronto-laser.com Initially joining the staff at the University of Toronto in 1988, Dr. David Rootman has gone on to hold a number of positions and memberships, bringing his knowledge and expertise of LASIK eye surgery and corneal transplants to more and more people. He also holds a staff position at the University Health Network at the Toronto Western Hospital, passing on his knowledge and experiences to others who strive to help people with their ophthalmologic and laser vision …
Help answer the question about lasik eye surgery canada
LASIK Surgery Question?
I am considering doing laser eye surgery in April and have been visiting various places…most places quote me prices around $5000…one place though which is located in the financial district of Toronto, Canada where I live offeres surgery from as low as $ 500 an eye (place is called LASIK MD)…i find that a little troubling…they say they offer it this low because of the sheer volume that they do and they can afford to offer it this low…im just wondering what to do?
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9 Responses to “Will Your Lasik Surgery be Covered by Insurance?”
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as a dependent: NO.
for Active duty: only sometimes. priority is given to those who need the surgery for their job. it is space A for everybody else, and the waiting list can be years long. they will NOT cover it if you have it done on your own.
It depends if you need the surgery to have better vision and improve your eyes/sight, or if you just don't wanna wear glasses. Just go to a doctor and ask if the surgery will improve your vision/if it'll be beneficial/needed. If s/he says yes, then she will have insurance cover it.
Medical insurance covers medical problems (in most cases). Myopia / hyperopia/ astigmatism / presbyopia that requires spectacle correction is not a medical problem and hence no insurance company that I know of has ever covered laser eye treatment in this case. Laser eye treatment is considered an elective cosmetic surgery – hence the problems people have trying to claim damages when things go wrong. (unless you can prove negligence, you don't stand a chance – exhaustive consent forms, voluntarily having a surgical procedure on healthy tissue etc)
Prices seem to average around $2100 per eye.
Not sure that Care Source will cover any of the Lasik costs, perhaps a few percent? Ask them?
I have seen a colleague of mine save $2000 on his lasik in PA through 2020vision4less.
Into,
LASIK is considered cosmetic surgery/ elective surgery/ optional surgery and is therefore not curing a disease process and thus not covered by insurance.
Several insurance companies offer a discount for LASIK, 10 to 15%, at specific surgery centers. Check to see if you qualify for the discount known as TruVision.
No.
Most insurances do not. But, to make sure, call the little toll free number on the back of your card and ask! I am sure that they will tell you!
It depends on your insurance. You can call the provider or most providers have a website that tells you what they cover. Most will help with or completely cover contacts. Generally insurance won't cover Lasik if you're a minor and most doctors won't do Lasik until either your growth plates in your hands have sealed (indicating biological adulthood) or you have 3 consecutive annual eye exams in which your vision does not change.
If your vision is still changing there's no point in getting Lasik because it will continue to change pretty much until it just doesn't change anymore (usually this happens once you reach adulthood if your vision problems began as a child).
None that I know of. It is considered elective and cosmetic.