LASIK Price: How Expensive is LASIK eye surgery?

Is LASIK expensive?

Deals, discounts, and Groupons aside, the average price of LASIK today is about $4,400. That represents a significant investment for most of us, making it difficult to believe that LASIK is less expensive today than ever before.

But, it turns out, that is the truth. In fact, the price of LASIK has remained relatively stable for the past 10 years, while many other economic factors have risen. So much so, that it is estimated that today’s LASIK is approximately 20 percent less expensive than it was just ten years ago.

Is LASIK getting cheaper?

In 2008, the cost of LASIK was also about $4,000, but in today’s dollars, that would be closer to $5,300. However, today the price of LASIK is about $4,400. That alone is a 20 percent reduction in the price of LASIK over time. Plus, today’s average hourly wage has increased over that timeframe to more than $30. In 2008, the average American worker needed to work 186 hours to afford a LASIK procedure; today that figure is 146 hours – a 20 percent decrease in terms of work time.

But, there is more to the story. While the price of LASIK hasn’t changed significantly, there has been a tremendous amount of innovation that has gone into today’s advanced LASIK technologies – making what was already a very good procedure even safer and with better visual outcomes.

Today’s LASIK treatment profiles are significantly more precise, achieving 20/20 vision for more than 90 percent of patients and more than 50 percent achieving better than 20/20. This precision translates into an even higher safety record. LASIK’s exceptional safety is further supported with more advanced diagnostic technology that helps not only guides a more customized vision correction procedure but also provides valuable information to surgeons to help screen out those patients who aren’t good candidates for LASIK.

5 tips on how to make the price of LASIK more affordable

The fact is, that while the LASIK procedure has improved tremendously over the past decade, the price has remained essentially the same. This is excellent news for anyone who has been considering investing in laser vision correction for their nearsighted, farsighted, or astigmatism prescription. If this describes you, and you are wondering about how to make the price of LASIK more affordable, here are a few tips:

1. Find a LASIK surgeon you are confident in and have a thorough consultation which includes an evaluation to make sure your eyes are healthy, if you are a good candidate, and what the surgeon recommends.
2. While at the consult, here are a few questions to ask during LASIK consultation.
3. Then, check your insurance carrier’s LASIK coverage to find out if you have any vision care benefits that may help and if your surgeon is in your provider network.
4. Look into your employee benefits to see if you have access to Flexible Spending Arrangements (FSA) or Health Savings Accounts that allow you to set aside tax-free money for qualified health expenses, such as LASIK.
5. Think about any bonuses (like the latest trend in signing bonuses for new jobs), gifts, or tax refunds you may be entitled to; for example, the recent CARES Act stimulus checks.  These unexpected windfalls are terrific opportunities to invest in your better vision and quality of life.

You can learn more about the price of LASIK, how to evaluate deals, and ways to make LASIK fit in your budget by visiting the Investing in Vision Correction category on this blog.