Many individuals desire LASIK surgery, yet its cost may be prohibitive without coverage from an insurance provider. Luckily, there are ways to secure coverage for this procedure.
First and foremost, consult with ophthalmologists who offer LASIK surgery and discuss insurance coverage. This may also assist with pre-authorization and provide details of financing plans which make surgery more affordable.
1. Contact Your Insurance Provider
Your insurance provider should be your first stop in seeking coverage for LASIK surgery. There may be certain occupations or medical conditions which require it, such as police officers or firefighters; your coverage might even extend to covering the surgery’s cost – making LASIK accessible.
Medical insurance rarely covers the costs associated with LASIK surgery; however, many vision plans offer discounts for these or similar refractive surgery procedures such as LASIK. VSP and EyeMed, for instance, both provide special “refractive surgery benefits” to their subscribers which offer discounts typically between 15-20% off surgery costs.
As with other medical procedures, LASIK falls within an accepted medical category and you should check whether funds in your health savings or flexible spending account can help cover some of its cost. Because funds have been put aside specifically for this expense in these accounts; additionally they can cover other out-of-pocket costs like prescription medication or eye exams.
Consider financing your LASIK procedure using the CareCredit healthcare credit card, which has been specifically created to assist with out-of-pocket medical expenses not covered by traditional health or vision insurance plans. Flexible payment options enable you to find monthly payments that fit within your budget, while taking advantage of tax advantages by using the money held in these accounts before taxes are assessed. This option provides an excellent alternative to placing the cost of LASIK surgery onto a high-interest credit card, though it should be noted that it will not replace insurance coverage; you must still meet standard minimum requirements set forth by your plan.
2. Contact Your Ophthalmologist
Eye care providers and ophthalmologists often have strong relationships with insurance providers. They may know if your health or vision insurance provides coverage for LASIK surgery and how to access it, in addition to how best to obtain this coverage. In some instances, your ophthalmologist will even submit claims directly with the insurer and work toward pre-authorization. They may even provide you with a list of doctors in-network with your plan, reducing out-of-pocket expenses significantly.
Though most health and Medicare insurance plans do not cover laser eye correction surgery, certain vision plan providers like Aetna Vision Preferred, Cigna and CareFirst BlueCross Blue Shield do provide coverage. To confirm if your plan covers laser vision correction surgery, call their customer service department via the number on your insurance card to find out whether coverage exists; their representative should be able to give you all of the information you require including its CPT code which is S0800.
Ophthalmologists can also provide a thorough review of your medical history to the insurance company to demonstrate why LASIK surgery is appropriate and necessary for you. This may include discussing quality-of-life issues that would benefit from improved vision and reduced dependence on glasses and contacts, among other tests such as corneal topography, epithelial thickness mapping and corneal biomechanical metrics that can determine if you qualify as an ideal candidate for LASIK.
Under certain conditions, LASIK surgery may be covered by your health insurance if you’re serving in the military and have specific safety requirements that prevent you from wearing contact lenses or glasses. However, this is an extremely challenging feat to achieve; you will require extensive documentation showing why surgery is medically necessary.
Your ophthalmologist should have an established relationship with an insurance provider so they can offer resources and assistance for financing surgery and its subsequent care, as well as exploring self-pay or alternative financing options that might be available to you.
3. Contact Your Employer’s Benefits Manager
There are only a few limited circumstances where insurance might cover the cost of LASIK surgery. These typically include serving in the military and meeting certain predetermined vision requirements, or working for a company like Blue Cross Blue Shield that offers employee benefits like Blue Cross Blue Shield which negotiate with LASIK providers to offer special discounts – though these discounts usually don’t cover it completely, they may help offset its price tag.
An alternative method of paying for LASIK may be through a health savings account (HSA) or flexible spending account (FSA). These accounts enable individuals to contribute tax-free funds that can then be used towards medical expenses including LASIK surgery. Depending on your employer and plan size, you could potentially contribute as much as $2,750 each year into an FSA; these funds must be utilized within one calendar year otherwise they will expire and must be spent within that calendar year or they will expire without penalty.
As well as these options, tax refunds can often be used to pay for eye surgeries like LASIK or other eye procedures. Credit cards with low or no interest rates may also help pay for these procedures; some patients prefer saving their bonus payments or other forms of cash in order to avoid credit card debt when funding their procedure.
As well as calling your provider and asking about coverage for refractive surgery, another way to determine whether LASIK will be covered by insurance is by asking about its universal CPT code for refractive surgery – you’ll find this code either in your policy documents or Blue Cross Blue Shield card. Your insurer should then be able to tell you whether they cover it at what level, along with which providers they have chosen as preferred network members and any discounted rates they might offer their employees for this surgery procedure.
4. Contact Your Surgeon
LASIK is considered an elective surgery and therefore, not covered by traditional medical insurance such as Medicare or Medicaid. However, many vision plans offer coverage or discounts for LASIK procedures. If this applies to you, be sure to reach out to either your employer’s benefits manager or customer service department of your insurance provider and inquire if LASIK coverage exists in your area if any such coverage exists and request a list of approved ophthalmologists and surgeons as soon as possible.
LASIK (laser-assisted in situ keratomileusis) is an eye surgery technique used to correct nearsightedness and farsightedness, astigmatism, presbyopia, as well as astigmatism by changing the shape of your cornea so light focuses properly onto your retina. LASIK has become one of the most sought-after forms of vision correction surgery worldwide and FDA-approved since being first implemented over 20 years ago.
If you are interested in exploring your options for refractive eye surgery such as LASIK or PRK, it is wise to contact an experienced ophthalmologist. He/she can explain each process thoroughly and help determine if LASIK or another refractive surgery treatment would be suitable for you as well as provide information regarding financing solutions.
As an alternative to having LASIK covered by insurance, it may be possible for you to use funds from either your Flexible Spending Account (FSA) or Health Savings Account (HSA) account to pay for it. If you’re unsure how much LASIK costs, arrange a free consultation with an ophthalmologist in your area in order to learn more about its price tag and associated costs such as follow-up care and any additional services required post-LASIK surgery.
Be wary when comparing prices. Keep in mind that even a low initial quote may not include comprehensive evaluations or extra services like bladeless LASIK or Wavefront mapping. A low price could indicate that doctors are cutting corners to lower costs; when it comes to your health, quality should always come before cost.