LASIK is considered a cosmetic surgery, and any insurance coverage would vary depending on whether or not a monthly premium is earmarked for coverage of the procedure. Because LASIK is an elective procedure rather than an essential one, it is highly unlikely that insurers will cover its entire cost; however, there are financing options available if your insurance does not cover LASIK. There may be a few exceptions in which an insurance company will cover the procedure costs, and if your insurance policy does not cover laser eye surgery, a variety of payment or financing options are available.
Some large providers partner with LASIK providers to provide courtesy discounts for members, which may help to cover part of the cost of laser eye surgery. Lasik is generally not covered under vision insurance, but most plans do provide a discount plan for corrective eye procedures. Most major medical insurance plans and vision plans generally do not cover LASIK eye surgery.
If you cannot get your LASIK covered by an insurance plan, there may be other ways you can find savings. For instance, some plans provide LASIK coverage to people who had another eye procedure and are now having trouble seeing clearly. In addition to medical coverage, some employers offer supplemental vision plans that can also provide discounts on LASIK.
On average, health insurance plans offering discounts for LASIK could save $715 per eye for LASIK. Insurance discounts vary, and Lasik costs can go as low as $695 per eye with health insurance from Cigna, or you could pay over $2,000 per eye with vision insurance from Aetna. Remember, even with vision insurance, your true costs will vary depending on your insurance plan, the types of procedures you require, and where you receive Lasik. Even with vision insurance and other tips we recommended to help you afford LASIK, you might still need some extra money to afford the procedure.
There are plenty of other routes you can consider for helping pay for LASIK, including vision insurance and health finance companies. For some patients, having a little assistance from their insurance to cover the cost of LASIK makes a huge difference. Keep in mind, however, that even without insurance sharing in the costs of surgery, LASIK has financial advantages, especially if you purchase higher-end contacts, designer eyeglasses, or specialty two-focal lenses. Of course, if you have a severe eye condition that would benefit from LASIK or another refractive procedure, your health insurance will cover the costs of LASIK surgery, just like any other medically necessary procedure.
Because LASIK surgery is not always considered a medically necessary procedure, according to the American Board of Refractive Surgery, it is uncommon for insurance companies to cover the costs of the treatment. The only instances where health insurance covers LASIK prices or other vision-correction procedures are situations in which they are specially written into the policy with higher premiums, usually to the benefit of top executives of major companies. As discussed, most insurance companies classify LASIK as an elective procedure, and they regard contacts and glasses as acceptable alternatives to the procedure. If you suffer from specific health conditions, such as severe dry eyes, allergies, or intolerance to contact lenses, which makes wearing eye-repair devices difficult, you might be eligible for coverage of LASIK under your insurance.
Many people assume an insurance provider might cover the cost of LASIK eye surgery in specific circumstances, like employment, or having a medical condition such as severe allergies or extreme dry eyes. If you are serving in the military and you meet the defined requirements of your eye care, then you might be eligible to get your LASIK covered by your insurance. In this scenario, police officers might qualify to get coverage from their insurance company for LASIK. Someone with that type of insurance who wants LASIK will have to pay for the full price of the procedure, including an exam, aftercare, and lab work, without using insurance.
In this situation, your insurance plan is saving you money, not by providing outright coverage for the procedure, but rather by giving you a discount because your insurance plan functions like a kind of membership. For those with group insurance plans through their employers, the amount your discount is on Lasik can also be affected by negotiated rates between your company and your insurance provider. For instance, if you are getting a Lasik discount on both your vision plan and health plan, you will have to work with your surgeon and your insurer to determine how you can get the best deal. For example, if you are looking to buy vision insurance to help pay for your LASIK, then you are likely going to need to price out your plan higher than someone who only wants discounts for eye care services and contact lenses.
Keep in mind, your real costs and the discounts your insurance offers will vary depending on the plan, where you are getting the surgery, and what kind of surgery you require. Check your particular FSA plan to find out what portion of your refractive surgery costs are considered eligible medical expenses. To estimate how much you would need to set aside for the calendar year, add up your annual average of out-of-pocket medical expenses, then add up any scheduled purchases for that coming year, like eyeglasses, or procedures. Once you know whether or not your insurance offers some benefits for laser vision correction, then plan what portion of the costs you will have to cover.
Whether you have insurance, are underinsured, or are completely uninsured, your LASIK surgical costs are probably going to be paid out-of-pocket (at least partially). This does not mean that you are totally out of luck, as there are options and circumstances in which you can get the costs of LASIK covered, or at least reduced, by using insurance. Because contacts or glasses are almost always sufficient for the patient to function in daily life, LASIK is almost always considered an elective procedure and thus is not covered by insurance, whether you have a government-run or private insurance plan. Considered means that you may use funds in your medical reimbursement arrangement or flex-spending arrangement to cover the cost of LASIK.
