Many patients shy away from LASIK surgery because they don’t want to pay for it out-of-pocket. This is a shame because, when comparing the first-time costs of LASIK surgery and the lifetime costs of not getting LASIK, most people actually save money by investing in LASIK.
5 Ways Getting LASIK Surgery Will Save You Money
Here are five ways LASIK can save you money over the lifetime of your “new” eyes.
Say goodbye to bills for prescription glasses
Did you know that the average, out-of-pocket cost for a pair of eyeglasses is around $212, assuming you don’t choose designer frames? If you don’t have vision care, the expense can be triple or quadruple that amount when you factor in the initial vision exam costs. Most people also get prescription sunglasses, which doubles that cost.
Assuming you have a good insurance plan and you get a new pair of glasses and sunglasses every two years (a very conservative estimate), you’ll pay about $2200 over the next 20 years. That’s not including costs for the occasionally lost or broken pair of glasses, not to mention contact lenses. If you don’t have insurance, that cost is more like $6000 or more. If you are someone who prefers designer frames, you’ll pay closer to $7500.
When you look at the lifetime costs for prescription lenses, they exceed the cost of LASIK for a single eye, especially if you have a health savings account (HSA) or a flexible savings account (FSA) to help pay for it.
Reduced vision-related accidents
No price can be put on improved vision. Did you know that drivers who aren’t wearing their prescription or contact lenses are four times more likely to cause or be involved in a car accident? This is why your driver’s license specifies whether or not you wear corrective lenses. If you are on record for needing glasses and you don’t wear them, you are more likely to get the blame for an accident. Most of the conditions that lead to night blindness diminish after the LASIK procedure and post-op recovery. This also reduces your chances of getting a car accident due to any struggle to see after sundown.
In addition to suffering unnecessary injuries or the fees and financial penalties related to a personal injury/negligence lawsuit, the physical and energetic toll these situations can take is impossible to value in terms of dollar amounts.
Reduced eye injury will save you money
Ironically, the same glasses that work to keep you safe by correcting vision loss can also make you more prone to eye injuries. OSHA reports that the large majority of workplace injuries occur because employees aren’t wearing the proper eye protection. Sometimes employees believe their prescription eyeglasses are protection enough and fail to use OSHA-approved prescription safety glasses. In other cases, chemicals, fumes, or heat can damage eyeglasses while you’re wearing them. Regular prescription lenses work to improve your vision rather than to provide protection or eye safety.
Your LASIK surgery gets you out of glasses and more likely to wear proper eye protection on the job, and this can save you exponentially in terms of injury-related time off work, medical bills, etc.
Plenty of financing options available
There are so many ways to pay for LASIK surgery, none of which require writing a check immediately after your procedure. Many eye centers offer in-house financing options to break your costs into small, monthly increments. Others are happy to take CareCredit, which helps qualifying patients to enjoy zero-interest payments for up to 12 consecutive months.
As we mentioned above, many of our patients have employer-sponsored health savings accounts (HSA) or flexible savings accounts (FSA). If that’s the case, we’ll send your paperwork to the HR department or appropriate parties and get reimbursement directly from them.
Quality of life (and vanity)
Glasses come in various styles and are so trendy that we have teenagers who don’t need glasses and choose to purchase stylish frames with non-prescription lenses. That said, the majority of our patients wish they didn’t need glasses and are tired of a lifetime of wearing them. If you fall into that camp, your LASIK surgery will be well worth the investment.
Think of it this way; according to The Spruce Eats, the average cost for coffee drinks from trendy places in the U.S. is $2.75. We’ll round that up to $3.00, including a small tip. We just did a poll here in the office, and our average drink costs closer to $3.75, but we’ll stick with the $3.00. If you get three drinks per week, you’ll spend $9,360 over the course of 20 years.
When you look at it that way, you can trade your fancy drinks for LASIK surgery and still have thousands of dollars to spare. There’s no comparison.
Call Us To Schedule An Appointment
Are you interested in learning more about affordable LASIK surgery from the nation’s leading eye surgeons? Schedule a consultation with us here at Atlantic Eye Institute. We never recommend LASIK surgery for any patient unless we believe the cost is worth it and firmly feel it will improve our patient’s vision and quality of life. Have a specific question about the cost of LASIK surgery or whether it is worth it? Our friendly staff is ready to help. Give us a call at (904) 241-7865.