Costs and Financing

The doctors and staff at LaserView of Central NY take an upfront approach to every aspect of Laser Vision correction. Knowing the cost factors is as important as knowing the potential for risk.

Managing the costs involved, and understanding what you are paying for (or not paying for) are important aspects in your decision-making. No doubt you have heard or seen many advertisements for eye correction surgery. Some are deceptive unless you know what questions to ask. We may be able to help you understand them completely.

LaserView's "No Hidden Costs" Promise

LaserView of CNY's cost for standard LASIK eye correction surgery ranges from $1400 - $1750* per eye, varying by the type of correction and your physician. This price includes:

• all screening appointments and surgery preparation fees.
• all doctors pre-op, post-op and surgical fees.
• all related LaserView facility fees.
• all follow-up visits with your doctor, including any enhancements that may be required to bring you to your best possible vision.

There are no hidden costs.

Once you have been pre-screened, and your doctor knows what kind of correction you will need, we will provide you with your specific costs as outlined above. Medical conditions that must be treated before vision can be corrected safely may result in additional charges. These are often covered by insurance.

*This amount is a combination of the LaserView facility fee and the surgeon's fee. These are paid separately to each provider. Zyoptix procedures will run approximately $500 more per eye.

Financing Options

Affordability of laser vision correction is the key for most of us. How does it fit into our household budgets? There are financing options available. And keep in mind that, depending on the type of eyewear you use now, laser vision correction will pay for itself in 4 to 6 years.

Here is some information that can help you pay for your LASIK surgery through LaserView:

1. Your bank or credit union may offer you very favorable loan rates
After all, LASIK surgery is a long-term investment. We know of options provided by the following:

• Chase - offers no-inerest financing.
• Alliance Bank - download the necessary forms and rate information here. Fax the forms to the bank along with your pay stub or W-2 form.
• Key Bank - offers competitive loan rates.

Interest rates will vary depending on which type of option you may choose, however, using a conservative rate of 9.5%, the total cost of the procedure could be financed for under $88.00 per month ($3500 for 48 months).

2. LaserView offers several payment plans to help make laser vision affordable for almost every patient.
With a variety of ways to pay, there should be nothing standing between you and our highly experienced surgeons.

LaserView offers a special payment plan for its facility fee at no interest. Your credit card will be billed one-twelfth of the cost of your surgery each month for twelfth months. (Yes - that amounts to a no interest loan for one year!)

3. Flexible Spending Accounts
A Flexible Spending Account (FSA) is an employer-sponsored benefit that allows you to pay for eligible medical expenses with pre-tax dollars. If you expect to incur medical expenses that won’t be reimbursed by your regular health insurance plan, you should be taking advantage of your employer’s FSA if one is offered.

FSA saves you money by reducing your income taxes. The contributions you make to a Flexible Spending Account are deducted from your pay BEFORE your Federal, State, or Social Security Taxes are calculated.

Note: You should contact your employer to confirm your savings.

Insurance & Benefit Providers

Affordability of laser vision correction is the key for most potential candidates. Currently, many insurance companies do not pay for this type of surgery.

We do recommend, however, that you check with your insurance carrier or Human Resources department, as there are some contracts that do cover the procedure, along with some union benefits packages and self-funded insurance plans that reimburse for laser vision correction.

Your surgeon will submit a letter to your insurance provider prior to setting up surgery to help expedite the process. Although it is no guarantee that they will provide coverage, we have found that some providers are participating for LASIK.

If your benefits provider will not cover the surgery in full or part, there are financing options available. Link here for more information.

Tax Deductible

Tax deductibility is another thing to think about. Laser vision correction is considered by the IRS to be a medical procedure and is deductible if you meet certain requirements. More importantly, you can put money away in a section 125 plan (flexible spending account) in pre-tax dollars where you work. Depending on your tax bracket, the savings can be in the 30% range. Commitment to one of these plans is typically made in November or December for the following year.

If you have more questions about tax deductibility or flexible spending accounts, contact your Human Resources department at work, or contact our office at 315-423-5114 or information@laserviewcny.com.