When you have moved past the research stage and have concluded that you wish to pursue lasik surgery, paying for the procedure is one additional detail that needs to be worked out. If your insurance will not cover it and you don’t have enough in the bank to pay in cash, thankfully there are options.
As with almost all health insurance plans, my coverage provider considered vision correction surgery an elective operation and would not pay any part of the cost. Fortunately, I did have other options available to me. The choices which were available to me will probably be available for you as well so if you want to have lasik surgery it is still quite possible despite your health insurance not covering it.
The center where I had my lasik surgery offered me a payment plan. Their payment plan called for a reasonable down payment and they did not charge interest on the outstanding balance. There were a couple of lasik centers near my home that offered no down payment, no interest payment plans so make sure you discuss financing options and terms with your provider.
Third-party financing is also an option if the lasik center you choose does not offer a payment plan. Companies such as CareCredit will finance your lasik surgery. Having bad credit could be an obstacle if you are considering using a finance company, though. Your doctor may be able to recommend or provide you with a list of outside financing companies so ask if you are interested.
If you have enough available credit, your lasik provider most likely will accept credit cards. Many patients end up just using their credit card as it requires no additional paperwork or qualification. Before you hand over your credit card, though, compare the interest rate, late fees and minimum payment to those offered by the outside finance companies you doctor can recommend. You may find that your credit card is not the best deal.
Saving regularly until you have enough money to pay for the procedure is another option. You may be in no hurry to have lasik surgery. You may not wish to use credit to pay for your surgery. If you do not anticipate having surgery in the near term, then there is no reason not to put some funds aside to go toward it when you are ready.
If you participate in a flexible savings account offered by your employer, the money in your FSA can be used to pay for part or all of the cost of your lasik surgery. Flexible savings accounts are convenient and easy to set up so if you are not sure if your company offers them, ask at work.
As you can see, if you decide on lasik surgery, but your health plan does not cover it, you are not simply out of luck. You can save until you have enough or you can finance. There is a payment option that makes sense for everyone.
Tags: eye care, laser eye surgery, LASIK, Lasik surgery, surgery, vision