How Much Does Lasik Eye Surgery Cost?
Lasik eye surgery costs an average of $2,632 per eye without insurance and $1,801 per eye after an insurance discount.
An insurance discount for Lasik will save you an average of 32% on surgery costs. You can also reduce your costs by paying for Lasik with a flexible spending account (FSA) or health savings account (HSA) so you don't have to pay income tax on money used for medical expenses.
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Cost of Lasik eye surgery
The average cost of Lasik eye surgery is $2,632 per eye. When paying full price, rates can typically range between $1,000 and $3,000 per eye.
A discount from your health insurance company typically saves you about $715 per eye, and a vision insurance discount averages $948 per eye.
Item | Cost per eye | Cost for both eyes |
|---|---|---|
| Lasik eye surgery cost without insurance | $2,632 | $5,264 |
| Lasik cost with health insurance discount | $1,917 | $3,834 |
| Lasik cost with vision insurance discount | $1,684 | $3,368 |
You'll generally save a little more by using a discount through vision insurance than through health insurance. However, exact savings vary by insurance plan.
How Lasik insurance discounts are different than insurance coverage
Your insurance plan may offer a Lasik discount if you use an affiliated surgery center or eye doctor.
Lasik is an elective procedure. This means that Lasik isn't covered by insurance through your plan's standard benefits. Instead, the discount is like a savings coupon.
You can use the insurance discount as soon as your plan starts, without having to first meet a deductible. But any Lasik costs are kept separate. The thousands of dollars you spend on Lasik surgery won't count toward your insurance plan's deductible or your annual spending cap called the out-of-pocket maximum.
Best insurance plans for Lasik discounts
Lasik will typically cost less than $1,000 per eye with the best insurance plans for Lasik:
- Health insurance plan from Cigna
- Vision insurance from UnitedHealthcare or Davis Vision
What affects how much you pay for Lasik?
Your corrective eye surgery costs will vary widely based on factors such as your vision prescription and the type of procedure you get.
- Your vision prescription: Lasik can cost more if you have a more severe prescription or have specialized needs such as an astigmatism correction.
- Surgeon experience: Ophthalmologists with more training and experience tend to charge more. You could also pay more if the surgeon has name recognition within the industry or your area.
- Type of Lasik surgery procedure: The bladeless Lasik procedure that uses lasers has midrange costs. You'll usually pay more for custom (wavefront) procedures, and it's usually cheaper for Lasik with blades or PRK.
- Location: Lasik usually costs more in cities and urban areas.
What's usually included in the cost of Lasik
In many cases, the cost of surgery is a flat rate. So after a consultation, you'll be able to find out if you qualify for Lasik and how much surgery will cost.
The cost of Lasik surgery usually includes:
- Pre-op exam
- Surgery fee
- Prescription eye drops
- Follow-up appointment
- Lifetime enhancements (sometimes included)
You'll usually have extra costs for:
- Additional office visits if they're needed: Rates will be based on the surgery center.
- Medications recommended by your surgeon: Eye drops for pain and discomfort may be recommended by your surgeon. Your health insurance plan's prescription coverage may help you reduce your pharmacy costs.
- Artificial tear eye drops for dryness: Over-the-counter eye drops are typically used for a few months after surgery. They aren't covered by insurance, and the cost could add up to more than $100, depending on how many you need.
Cost of Lasik by type of surgery center
Where you get your surgery can have a big impact on the cost of Lasik.
Independent facilities tend to be more expensive than major Lasik chains. Depending on where you live and the surgeon's experience, rates at a private practice could be $500 to $1,000 higher than rates at a nearby Lasik chain location. However, the independent surgery center may provide more personalized service.
Surgery location | Cost per eye | Cost per two eyes |
|---|---|---|
| QualSight | $1,728 | $3,456 |
| LasikPlus | $2,048 | $4,095 |
| Private practitioner | $2,750 | $5,500 |
The LasikPlus surgery chain, which does about a third of the surgeries in the country, has average prices. The cost of surgery at LasikPlus is typically between $1,800 and $2,295 per eye, according to the Federal Trade Commission (FTC). Note that this is on the high end of the chain's advertised cost of typically being between $1,095 and $2,100 per eye.
The U.S. Food and Drug Administration (FDA) cautions against choosing a Lasik facility based on the cost alone. Your choice about eye surgery will impact your vision for the rest of your life. In addition to price, consider how much experience the doctor has and if the office is using the latest technology and procedures.
Advertisements for cheap Lasik costing $250 per eye are usually false.
Be cautious if an advertisement seems too good to be true or if a surgery center is using heavy-handed sales tactics. About 94% of people didn't qualify for one chain's promotional rate of $250 per eye. And they didn't find out that they weren't eligible until after a 1.5-to-2-hour Lasik consultation exam.
Best ways to pay for Lasik
Because Lasik is expensive, most people pay for the eye surgery using the following two options:
Pay with an FSA or HSA to maximize savings
Rather than using a traditional savings account to put money aside for Lasik, using a flexible spending account (FSA) or health savings account (HSA) helps the money you earn go further because you won't pay income tax on the money you put into the account. Typically, using an FSA can give you an extra $570 to $969 to use for Lasik surgery, depending on your income tax rate.
Enroll in a payment plan through the Lasik surgery center
Most Lasik surgery centers will have a financing department that lets you set up a payment plan. These plans are frequently through medical credit companies such as CareCredit. This can help you avoid interest for six months to two years. Terms can vary, so watch out for extra fees and high interest after the promotional period ends or if you don't stick with the payment plan.
How the cost of Lasik compares to eyeglasses and contacts
The cost of Lasik eye surgery is about the same as the cost of 15 years of wearing contacts or 26 years of wearing eyeglasses.
When comparing the cost of glasses or contacts over 10 years to the cost of Lasik, you'd be paying more for Lasik than for either glasses or contacts alone.
Method | Average cost per year over 10 years |
|---|---|
| Lasik | $526 (Assuming one-time cost is $5,264) |
| Contact lenses | $350 (A one-year supply, based on a simple prescription) |
| Glasses | $200 (One pair of average brand glasses each year) |
| Contacts + glasses | $550 |
Financially speaking, getting corrective eye surgery when you are in your 20s will give you the best return on your investment. For example, getting eye surgery at age 21 will mean you'll be able to avoid glasses and contacts for more years than if you got Lasik at age 50. And Lasik doesn't stop the eye's aging process, so in the future, you may still need glasses for reading or distance.
Frequently asked questions
How much does Lasik typically cost?
Lasik corrective eye surgery costs an average of $5,264 for two eyes. Savvy shoppers can sign up for an insurance plan that has good discounts for Lasik, which can reduce your surgery costs to about $2,000. Using an FSA or HSA can help you have more money for surgery because you don't have to pay income tax on those funds.
How much is Lasik with insurance?
After an insurance discount, Lasik costs an average of $3,601 for two eyes. Savings vary by plan, and any Lasik discount will be separate from your main insurance benefits. You may also have to use a specific surgery chain to get the discount.
Can you really get Lasik for $250?
Probably not. The Federal Trade Commission (FTC) found that 94% of customers did not qualify for the promotional price of $250 per eye at LasikPlus. Only 1% of customers received the promotional surgery cost of $250, and most others paid the full rate of nearly $2,000.
Why is Lasik so expensive?
Lasik is so expensive because the surgeon needs to make precision cuts to your eye in order to correct your vision. This requires a surgeon who has had training and experience, as well as the use of the latest technology.
Is Lasik worth it financially?
On average, Lasik surgery costs about as much as 15 years' worth of contact lenses or 26 years' worth of eyeglasses. However, the break-even point can be in as little as six years if you are able to get a good deal on Lasik by using an insurance discount.