LASIK surgery cost may vary widely between one provider/clinic to another. It depends to many factors such as the surgeon you choose, the equipment/technology and quality of the laser system used, the time given to each patient and procedures, your vision prescription, and type of procedures being performed. The only universal standard is that LASIK surgery cost is quoted per eye.
Average Costs
Average LASIK surgery cost for the first quarter of 2010 were:
- $2,150 for all laser-based vision correction procedures (including LASIK)
- $1,580 for non-customized LASIK using a bladed instrument (microkeratome) and excimer lasers (not guided by wavefront analysis)
- $2,170 for wavefront-guided LASIK using a laser-created flap
Average LASIK costs have not risen substantially in several years:
- 2006: $1,950
- 2007: $2,099
- 2008: $2,105
- 2009: $2,140
- 2010: $2,150
This is typically because of the poor state of the US economy. No wonder that more economical vision corrections such as eyeglasses and contact lense become the choices.
Asking for Costs
You have to ask detail information from your eye surgeon about the LASIK surgery cost:
- Price is quoted per eye?
- What is included?
- What is not included?
- What will you have to pay for if complications occur or enhancement surgery becomes necessary?
- How much do prescription medications (such as anti-inflammatories or painkillers) cost?
- If you require temporary contact lenses or glasses after the procedure, how much will they cost?
- How many follow-up visits will you need to make, and at what cost?
Most health insurance companies consider LASIK and other vision correction procedures to be not medically necessary. Main reason is that vision can be corrected with eyeglasses and contact lenses. However, some medical and vision plans offer a discount for LASIK performed by certain eye surgeons.
Although LASIK surgery is not covered by most medical insurance plans, BUT you are the one who decide “how meaningfull your eyes are”.