On LASIK Surgery Prices

One word sums up LASIK surgery prices: expensive. But what about those special LASIK surgery prices you saw in last Sunday's newspaper? Don't be fooled. If the LASIK surgery prices you saw in the ad seem low it is probably because they are not revealing the hidden costs or the price for a person whose eye condition is not very severe. And because LASIK surgery prices are associated with elective surgery, they are not covered by employer or personal health insurance plans. So how does one save on LASIK surgery prices? Here are some ways to consider:

Option 1 - Save on LASIK surgery prices by going out of the country. Many people exercise this option. LASIK surgery prices can be reduced to third to half the cost of what it would cost in the United States. Some things you should consider in addition to the reduced LASIK surgery prices are that you may not have as many consumer protections in the land where you get the surgery done, you may have language difficulties, or you may have problems returning for the follow-up visits. For example, the country of Thailand advertises LASIK surgery prices at one third that of the U.S. Most LASIK surgeons in Thailand have been educated in the United States or Europe and they also maintain even higher standards. However, the flight is 17 hours from the west coast of Los Angeles to Bangkok and you are not going to be able to quickly come back for follow-up visits nor will you be able to quickly get back if there are difficulties. If you use a LASIK surgeon in a place like Thailand, make sure the doctor writes down notes and instructions to pass on to a LASIK surgeon in the patient's home country.

Option 2 - Take advantage of a surgeon's special referral programs. Sometimes a LASIK surgeon will offer a discount on LASIK surgery prices if you bring in a friend (a referral) and you both qualify for the procedure.

Option 3 - Use a flexible spending account. These accounts allow you to save on LASIK surgery prices by saving the money tax-free and using the money to pay for your LASIK procedure. Check with your employer about the flexible spending accounts as many people use this method to pay for LASIK. You stand to save a lot more on LASIK surgery prices than you would if you used a LASIK surgeon's credit financing plan which would incur high interest rates.

No matter which option (or combination thereof) that you use to get the best LASIK surgery prices, you must always know exactly what you are paying for and what you are getting in a package. Programs with low LASIK surgery prices are typically leaving out something or only apply to those meeting certain optimum conditions. Many times what is being left out are the fees for follow-up visits which you will undoubtedly need after the procedure. So don't try to save so much on LASIK surgery prices that you fail to consider ALL expenses involved. Make sure you get all these details up front.