How to pay for LASIK

LASIK sits in a category of its own: it is elective, so insurance rarely pays, but it is frequently eligible for reimbursement from a tax-advantaged health account, which changes the effective price. The provider usually quotes a per-eye fee and offers an in-house payment plan, and the comparison between that plan and a personal loan is where the money is decided.

Why the per-eye quote needs unpacking

LASIK is advertised per eye, and the advertised figure is often for the basic procedure at a promotional price. The realistic comparison includes the pre-operative assessment, the procedure itself, post-operative visits, any enhancement within a stated period, and whether the quoted price assumes a particular technology. Ask for the all-in price per eye for the technology the surgeon actually recommends.

The gap between the advertised price and the all-in price is one of the most common sources of complaint in this category. It is not deception if the inclusions are stated, but it is easy to compare two providers on two different scopes. Fix the scope first, then compare.

Source: U.S. Bureau of Labor Statistics average price data, U.S. city average, not seasonally adjusted. Refractive surgery has no equivalent published series.

The published context

There is no government price series for refractive surgery. The consumer price index for medical care is the closest official context and it moves slowly relative to the promotional pricing that dominates this market. The table below shows the direction of consumer prices generally, which is the honest backdrop for a quote.

The four payment routes

**Cash or card, paid at once.** Many providers discount this, and it is the cleanest comparison point.

**A tax-advantaged health account.** In the United States, an HSA or FSA can often reimburse LASIK because it is a qualified medical expense, which effectively pays for part of the procedure with pre-tax dollars. Check the plan rules first, because the account may require a letter of medical necessity.

**Provider financing.** Common, convenient, and sometimes interest-free for a promotional period. Ask what the rate becomes afterwards and whether interest is backdated.

**A personal loan.** Fixed term and unrestricted. For a larger all-in price it is often cheaper than provider financing, and it is not tied to the provider.

• Ask for the all-in price per eye, including assessments and enhancements.
• Ask whether the price is the same for the technology recommended for your eyes.
• Ask what the enhancement policy is and how long it lasts.
• Check whether your HSA or FSA will reimburse the procedure.

A worked repayment example

The example below uses the Federal Reserve H.15 bank prime loan rate and a standard amortising schedule. It is arithmetic, not a quote, and it is there so you can compare the provider's plan against an independent benchmark.

Worked example, with the assumption stated: $4,000 borrowed at the Federal Reserve H.15 bank prime loan rate of 6.75% (published 2026-09-16) repaid over 24 months on a standard amortising schedule. That gives a monthly payment of $178.64, total interest of $287.30 and a total repayment of $4,287.30. This is arithmetic from a published rate, not a quote: a real APR includes fees and is set by the lender from your credit, so your figures will differ. If your health account can reimburse part of the cost, the amount you need to finance falls, which reduces every figure in the schedule.

Compare the result with the provider's plan over the same term. A plan advertised as low-monthly is often a longer term, and the total interest is the number that decides whether it is cheaper.

Comparing LASIK against a lifetime of contacts

The usual justification for LASIK is the lifetime cost of contact lenses and glasses, but that comparison is only honest if you price the alternatives over the same period and include the risks. Contacts carry a recurring cost and a small risk of infection; glasses are cheaper to replace but do not correct vision the same way; LASIK is a one-time cost with a small chance of needing an enhancement.

There is no official series that settles this for you. The defensible approach is to write down your actual annual spend on contacts, solution and eye exams, multiply it by the number of years you expect to need correction, and compare that with the all-in LASIK price plus the expected cost of any enhancement. State the assumptions and the comparison is yours.

Be conservative with the years. If you are forty-five and the comparison assumes twenty years of contact lenses, it is assuming you will still be wearing contacts at sixty-five, which many people are not. A shorter horizon favours the recurring-cost option; a longer one favours the one-time procedure.

Include the risk. LASIK can leave residual prescription, dry eye or halos, and an enhancement is a second procedure with its own cost and recovery. The published literature puts the enhancement rate in the low single digits to low double digits depending on the population, and no official series converts that into a dollar figure, so state your own assumption.

Finally, remember that the financing can erase the saving. A procedure financed at a high rate over five years can cost more than the contacts it replaced, which is why the payment route belongs in the comparison rather than after it.

If your employer offers a vision benefit or a health account, price the procedure net of that benefit before comparing it with contacts. The pre-tax treatment of an HSA or FSA reimbursement is a real discount that a commercial quote will not mention.

Where these figures come from

Related pages

• LASIK costs by state and province
• Is LASIK worth it?
• Loan payment calculator
• Total cost of ownership calculator

Frequently asked questions