Laser eye surgery, while not cosmetic in nature, is still regarded as an elective procedure, meaning the patient has chosen to have the procedure performed. Most insurance companies in the U.S. and Canada will not cover the cost of surgery. While cost should certainly not be the deciding factor in choosing a laser eye surgeon, it does however remain a factor in your decision.
Contact your medical insurance provider first for information regarding their coverage of costs. As a general rule, most will not provide coverage. However, it always pays to ask first rather than just assuming this is the case. Also check with your employee benefits administrator to see if your company has any arrangements with a given laser eye surgery center for a discounted price. Beyond that, credit cards and cash are accepted by virtually all lasik practices.
It is worth repeating to state again that it is never wise to choose a surgeon based on cost alone. Better you should find the best surgical care possible and if need be finance the cost of the procedure. Many of the larger LASIK centers such as LasikPlus will offer financing for Lasik through third party financing companies and frequently offer incentives such as free initial exams.
The actual cost of the procedure can vary greatly for a variety of reasons. Surgical practices in large metropolitan areas have a much greater overhead than those in smaller cities and thus must pass some of that cost on to their patients. Keep in mind that the surgical practice is also paying rent, employee salaries, and the cost of laser equipment and supplies. Another big factor in determining the cost is the condition of your eyes and the actual surgical procedure that must be performed. The more complex the laser eye surgery, the higher the cost. Custom LASIK which involves using special technology to map aberrations in the eye will generally cost more than traditional laser eye surgery. Some surgeons will add this as an additional charge while others will include it in a global package type fee.
So what is the average cost of Lasik surgery? Costs can and will vary considerably, however a ballpark average is about $2000 - $2500 per eye, depending upon where you have it done. Your surgeon should be able to give an exact figure for the cost of your laser eye surgery procedure after an initial assessment of your medical condition is made. The fee should cover your preoperative treatment, the actual procedure, and postoperative care.