Lasik is a common procedure that gives patients 20/20 vision, but how much does Lasik eye surgery cost without insurance? Well, this depends on a few factors, such as your prescription, where you have it done, and more.
We’ll take you through all of these factors, and explain the cost associated with the procedure. If you don’t have insurance, have a look at your options for affordable coverage in line with your lifestyle and financial constraints.
Procedures can get pricey, and you don’t want to be caught with no coverage in place. With that in mind, let’s go over some rough cost estimates.
Lasik Eye Surgery Cost Without Insurance
The average cost of Lasik surgery per eye is around $2300. For both eyes, you’re looking at a cost of around $4600. As we mentioned earlier, this can vary depending on a few factors.
There are several options when it comes to Lasik surgery. You can choose between conventional, custom, and bladeless surgery. Each of these has a slightly different cost attached to it. They also fix different issues. So, you’ll need to take your specific problem into account when choosing the Lasik option you’d like.
It’s important to ask your doctor about any additional costs when booking your surgery. The above cost estimate is for the surgery itself but excludes any pre-and post-operative care.
Conventional Lasik
Conventional Lasik is used to reshape the cornea so that it can refract light properly. This restores clear vision if your only issue is cornea shape.
This option is used for astigmatism, farsightedness, and nearsightedness. These are regarded as lower-order eye issues, and conventional Lasik is used to treat issues such as these because its level of correction is limited.
Conventional Lasik only provides standard corrections, and can’t be tailored to your specific eye problem. This means that if you have a textbook lower-level issue, this option is perfect for you. If your vision problem isn’t mentioned in the list above, you’re going to need to look into other options.
The cost of conventional Lasik is the cheapest of the lot because of this. It can be anywhere from $2000 to $2200 per eye without insurance or a payment plan in place. If you opt for a payment plan, you might be charged interest on top of the cost of surgery.
Custom Lasik
Custom Lasik is as it sounds. It’s the treatment option used for those who need a more custom treatment. Custom wavefront technology is used to enhance conventional Lasik treatment.
The result is that more unique characteristics in the patient’s eye can be taken into account and corrected. The technology creates a three-dimensional map of the patient’s eye, which helps the surgeon determine all of the imperfections in the eye. This includes higher-level issues that conventional Lasik wouldn’t be able to fix.
Fixing these higher-level issues means all light refraction problems become a thing of the past. If you see halos or glare around lights, you likely have a higher-level issue with your cornea and would need custom Lasik surgery.
The procedure takes about fifteen minutes per eye. The healing process is quick, and you could see results as soon as the day after surgery!
The downside is that custom Lasik is more expensive than conventional Lasik. Here, you’re looking at a minimum price of $2200 per eye. That’s $4400 for both eyes if you don’t have insurance coverage in place.
Bladeless Lasik
Bladeless Lasik, like the other two options, aims to eliminate the need for glasses or contacts. This option is the most effective Lasik option and is the newest as well.
It’s an improvement on conventional and custom Lasik. These options use a blade to make a small flap in the cornea of your eye. Bladeless Lasik uses a different type of laser, called a femtosecond laser.
It’s more precise, meaning the results are as close to 20/20 vision as you’re going to get. Bladeless Lasik procedures also have a faster healing time, thanks to how tiny the incision is that’s made.
The incision is also more stable when done using a bladeless laser, and this also contributes to a faster healing time and better results.
There are some downsides to bladeless Lasik. The procedure takes longer to perform, and compared to the other forms of Lasik which have no pain whatsoever, bladeless Lasik results in the patient feeling some pressure in their eyes.
It’s also, as you have probably guessed by now, the most expensive option. Bladeless Lasik starts from $2600 dollars per eye and can cost more depending on where you choose to get your procedure done.
Additional Costs Of Lasik Eye Surgery
There are pre- and post-operative costs associated with Lasik surgery. They aren’t included in the surgery cost itself, and can, unfortunately, rack up quite quickly. There also might be some fees further down the road to maintain your new, perfect vision.
Unfortunately, you might need glasses as you age, even after having Lasik surgery. Your vision can deteriorate over time because of the natural aging process.
You would therefore need to pay for glasses. The good news is that this is usually only needed at night once you’ve had Lasik surgery, even as you age.
In terms of pre-operative care, you’ll need a course of antibiotic eye drops before your surgery. These can cost anywhere between $20 and $60, depending on the brand you opt for.
you’ll also need to pay for the doctor’s visit, which will be around $150 to $250. This price can go up depending on the state you’re in.
The post-operative costs include eye exam costs. You’ll need one once you’re healed, and then you’ll need an annual eye exam to determine if you need additional care or not.
The hope is always that you won’t need glasses again, but it’s important to check that your vision doesn’t deteriorate over time.
What Affects The Cost Of Lasik Eye Surgery?
Below, we’re going to take you through the factors that impact the cost of your Lasik surgery.
There are different options when it comes to choosing the tools used, where you get your surgery, the state of your eyes, and what before and after care you need. These all affect how much your care related to your surgery will cost.
The Type Of Technology And Equipment Used
The type of laser used for your surgery is the first factor that will impact the cost. As we mentioned earlier, bladeless Lasik surgery is the most advanced option, but also the most expensive.
Conventional laser is the most affordable, as it makes use of the original technology developed for Lasik surgery. This doesn’t mean it’s unsafe though. So if this is the only option you can afford, there’s no need to worry.
Prescription
The state of your eyes before the Lasik surgery determines how much it’ll cost. If you have a low-level issue such as astigmatism, you can get away with the cheaper conventional Lasik surgery.
If your issue is high-level and needs more customized intervention, you’ll need to opt for either custom Lasik or bladeless Lasik.
If you’re struggling with your vision but have never had your eyes tested, this will be an added cost as well. You cannot have Lasik surgery without knowing your vision prescription strength.
Additionally, some doctors charge more for your Lasik surgery if your prescription is stronger, and less if it is weaker.
Clinic Location
The location of the clinic where you have the surgery can also affect the cost. If you’re having it done in a major city center, your surgery will likely cost more than if you have it done in a small town.
This is because doctors in major cities, for the most part, pay higher property prices and higher taxes, and have overall higher expenses to keep up with competitors.
Pre- And Post-Operative Care
Lastly, the type of antibiotic drops you’re prescribed as part of your pre-operative care regime will also impact the overall cost of your surgery.
Some people also experience anxiety before the surgery. If this is the case for you, you might benefit from a doctor’s visit and temporary anxiety medication for the day of the procedure. Getting your anxiety under wraps will be important to get through the surgery.
Post-operative care will start with some mild painkillers if necessary. These will cost around $10.
You’ll then need an eye exam once you’re healed. Without insurance, this will cost you around $100.
Once you’re given the all-clear, you’ll need an eye exam once a year.
Does Insurance Cover Lasik?
Whether or not your insurance will cover the cost of Lasik eye surgery depends on the insurance plan you have. Some plans cover Lasik in full, some cover it in part, and some consider it an elective surgery and don’t cover anything as a result.
If your insurance doesn’t cover Lasik, they will likely cover eye exams and either prescription glasses or contacts.
The reality is, if you require visual assistance, there will be a significantly higher cost if you don’t have any insurance coverage.
If you opt for glasses instead of Lasik, you’ll still require an eye exam every year to check on your prescription strength and to make sure your current glasses or contacts are sufficient to supplement your vision.
The average price of a pair of glasses is around $350. However, this can go up to $1000 depending on the type of lenses you need and the frame you choose.
With insurance, this price can be reduced to around $100, making glasses much more affordable.
To Conclude
If you need any assistance to see, the unfortunate truth is that it’s going to cost you to seek care.
Whether you opt for Lasik, prescription glasses, or contacts, it can cost you a few thousand dollars to correct your vision. Lasik is for the most part a once-off cost, but glasses can add up over the years as well.
Insurance can protect you from these costs. You can access insurance even if you have a low income or no income at all. Get in touch with us at Enhance Health today to review your options.
