Will Health Insurance Cover Laser Eye Surgery?
So, have you finally decided to throw out those glasses/contacts and jump into the 21st century by submitting yourself to Laser Eye Surgery? The good news is that it is a relatively painless procedure that is performed every day on thousands of people. The bad news, though, is that for the most part, your health insurance policy won’t pay for it!
LASIK (Short for “Laser-Assisted In Situ Keratomileusis”) is a medical procedure that will permanently alter the shape of the patient’s cornea, using an Excimer laser. (In case you don’t know, the cornea refers to that clear membrane covering the front part of your eye.) It is used to help reduce a patient’s dependency on corrective eyewear, whether you use glasses or contact lenses.
Unfortunately, even though it is a corrective procedure designed to help you see better, it is still considered a “cosmetic” type of surgery. (It is not life threatening.) Don’t worry, though. If you find that your insurance does not cover the LASIK procedure, there are many ways to help pay for it! It may take you a few months to afford the procedure, but it is an attainable goal. You may even qualify for assistance, if you check around.
After you establish that your health insurance will not cover the procedure, you will want to do a little homework so that you can save yourself as much money as possible. Of course, you don’t want to sacrifice quality for dollars, so you will want to research both costs and possible surgeons before making a decision.
Once you figure out exactly what type of procedure you will need, you can then begin to “comparison shop” to find a surgeon that offers the procedure at a price you can afford. As hard as it may to believe, LASER Eye Surgery doesn’t have to cost an arm and a leg. You can find surgeons that will perform the surgery for as little as a couple hundred American dollars per eye. You can also find surgeons that wouldn’t be mad if you agreed to pay much more than that!
Though it may be intimidating to know that you will most likely have to pay for the procedure yourself, don’t let that stop you from finding a surgeon that you can trust and afford. Many surgeons perform Laser Eye Surgery. Some offer payment plans, as well as discounts and even monetary assistance, depending on your situation.
Your eyes are a very important part of your body; so don’t pass up the opportunity to chuck those contacts and glasses for a more permanent way to correct your vision. If you don’t have insurance coverage, you are not alone! Do a little research and save some money and before you know it, you will find yourself in the care of a Laser Eye Surgeon. Once you have the procedure completed, you will see that the money is well spent!
