The costs for laser eye surgery can be out of reach for some candidates but there are always ways to get a better deal. You may be tempted to choose the cheapest option but it is not usually ever the best option. Neither is choosing the most expensive option, as you may find it very difficult to pay it back on time. In this article, I’ll be going over what average laser eye surgery costs and ways you can negotiate with your surgeon to get a better price.

First of all, you should know what laser eye surgery costs. The range of traditional LASIK performed with a blade, should be around $1000 to $2000. IntraLase LASIK (aka bladeless LASIK), is a little more expensive than traditional LASIK by about $400, but it could range between $100 to $500 dearer. Wavefront LASIK is probably one of the most expensive types of laser eye surgery and is, on average, $600 more expensive than traditional LASIK. There is a newer form of technology that combines both IntraLase and wavefront LASIK called iLASIK. There are reports of this type of laser eye surgery costing about $2500 per eye for a single person. The other ‘standard’ laser eye surgeries, like PRK and LASEK, cost similarly to traditional LASIK performed with a blade.

When looking around for a surgeon or through LASIK centers, you may want to know what best choice is. This all really depends on your personal situation, such as your financial situation and your prescription. If you have a mild prescription, then you may be eligible for a bargain priced LASIK surgery (costing less than $1000 per eye). However, you should always read the fine print and clarify the conditions of the lower price, such as asking “How experienced is the surgeon?” and “Is that the full price of the surgery?” If you are considering higher priced laser eye surgery, then you should make sure that surgeon is very experienced and has the credentials or track record to prove to you that he or she is worth the cost.

To ensure that you are getting the best deal possible and to minimize laser eye surgery costs, you should be as questioning as possible. You should thoroughly discuss with your surgeon the fees involved and ask questions like “What is or isn’t included in the single quote?”, “Do I need to pay for temporary glasses or contact lenses after surgery?”, “Do I need to pay for any medications, such as painkillers, after the surgery?”, “Will I need to pay for any follow-up visits or enhancement procedures if necessary?” Asking the right questions can help you negotiate the best price for you whilst still getting a high quality result from the surgeon.

Other ways to minimizing laser eye surgery costs would be to see your employer can make an arrangement with the LASIK center to see if they can make a special price for you. If you work in a large company, then your employer may provide a subsidized health plan that may partially cover the cost of the refractive surgery. Most health insurance covers consider refractive surgery as cosmetic so to get some kind of cover from them, you will have to go through your employer. This is only if work in a large company, otherwise, you may also be eligible for a tax deduction for the surgery. You may even want to charge the surgery on your credit card if your bank has low interest rates, but this is only a last resort.

These are just some of the things you can do to get a better deal for your elective laser eye surgery. There is no need to get ‘cheap eye surgery’ overseas since if you did your research properly, asked the right questions and make negotiations with the right people, you can be on your way to receiving high quality laser eye surgery at a very affordable price.