Will Health Insurance Cover Vision Surgery
The answer is, unfortunately, no. corrective eye surgery is considered cosmetic surgery and health insurance plans. This is because vision eye corrective surgery are elective and in the eyes of insurance companies, not medically necessary. Still, some companies are willing to foot the bill under certain instances. Other companies may also provide coverage for some types of laser eye surgeries.
The instances under which companies are willing to cover laser eye surgery are: if the vision surgery will be used to correct visual errors that have come as a result of some injury or if the refractive errors are a result of surgical errors. Eye surgeries when a patient cannot wear glasses or contacts due to physical constraints like deformities, allergies or lens intolerance are also covered by insurance companies. Some eye surgeries for severe visual impediments are covered by insurance companies but the circumstances under which companies are willing to pay may vary. Check with your insurance provider to find out what kinds of visual impediments they consider medically necessary.
Patients should also check with their employers because some employers have special arrangements with some Lasik centers or refractive surgery centers. Tax deductions are also provided for by some companies. Keep in mind that it’s not a very good idea to target surgeons based solely on their fees. A fee is of course an important factor when considering your surgery but you don’t want to end up with a surgeon who may be charging less but whose qualifications are questionable. You might end up spending much more just to pay for further corrective surgery. A good strategy in planning your surgery is to find the best surgeon that you can and then think of the most affordable financing.
Financing is available for some types of refractive eye surgeries like Lasik. Some insurance companies provide plans for elective procedures, or procedures deemed as cosmetic. They have payment schemes and fixed rates that are worth looking into. A lot of Lasik surgery centers these days also work with insurance companies to assure patients that they can have the best care possible. Large companies, like Microsoft, are currently offering health plans that include Lasik surgery. It won’t hurt to ask your company about the benefits that they offer for such procedures. Laser surgeries cost about a thousand dollars per eye but with a little strategizing you’re bound to find financing for your eye care needs.