It is difficult to give an average price for Lasik because so many variables are involved.
The average price for lasik will vary, depending on where you have the procedure, which lasik surgeon does it, which eye clinic you choose, and the type of treatment you opt for.
But be very careful about buying on price; eye surgery is forever!
Lasik prices vary from a cut rate of $1000 to anything around $3500 per eye. The final cost depends largely on the extent of the surgery you may require and any follow-up treatment.
An Average Price for Lasik Is No Real Guide
And that’s because lasik eye surgery is treated as an “elective treatment”; in other words, it is one you choose to have, so when you’re doing your sums it’s better to over-estimate and assume that you will have to cover the full cost.
In the United States most insurance companies, and Medicare, will not cover the cost of Lasik eye surgery, although there are medical plans that do offer some benefits.
You might also be able to deduct the cost off your Federal income tax.
Average Price for Lasik? It All Depends
It is obviously important to assess Lasik eye surgery costs when you are trying to decide whether to have the treatment.
Unfortunately, there are no clear rules to follow when you’re trying to decide if you can afford the treatment. Costs vary widely between regions, lasik doctors, and eye clinics.
Probably the only real constant is that prices are quoted per eye.
Until recently there was another constant in the average price for lasik – it has had been going up for some time. Now, however, there are signs prices have stabilized. So as a rough guide, the average price for lasik is probably north of $2100 per eye. Prices are highest on the West Coast and in the Northeast.
“Ability to pay” explains some of the price differences; prices will obviously be higher in the richer areas.
Custom Treatment Bumps Up the Average Price for Lasik
Prices are also going up because of greater use of new and more expensive technology, in what is called “custom lasik”.
For instance, a clinic that uses wavefront technology to determine the aberrations in the eye’s visual field will add anything up to $500 per eye to the bill.
Some surgeons use IntraLase (a type of laser) to create the Lasik flap rather than a blade. The benefits are fewer complications, fewer “re-treatments” and better visual acuity, and all this reduces lasik eye surgery risks. But this also increases the total lasik eye surgery cost by between $250 and $500 per eye.
By now your “average” part of the “average price for lasik” has been well and truly destroyed!
Initial screening and pre-operative testing is important, helps avoid problems – and adds to the final cost of lasik eye surgery.
By now, the figure you were working on as the average price for lasik is long gone!
Clinics have to cover their normal operating costs and maintain a range of equipment. They have to pay royalties to the laser manufacturers, cover their overheads and of course make a profit.
Besides offering a highly-desirable service, lasik centers and surgeons also run a business.
Make sure you read the fine print. Make sure you understand all the processes and procedures that are being quoted, and make sure they are inclusive and fully-disclosed.
The fees for any subsequent prescriptions, any special glasses or lenses, and the cost of follow-up visits should all be included in your final lasik eye surgery cost.
So all in all, it’s probably better to do some research in your area, get accurate prices, and avoid any unpleasant surprises when you see how much your average price for lasik has been pushed up by additional charges.
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