In short, many insurance companies consider LASIK surgery to be an elective operation. This means that it's something you can choose whether to have or not, because not having it will not be a serious risk to your health. Generally, the "elective" category covers procedures such as cosmetic treatments, which help your self-image, but which don't correct a serious, health-threatening problem. If your insurance company considers LASIK to be elective, then your policy probably will not cover it. However, it never hurts to check, just to make sure. There are some insurance companies that will cover a portion of the cost, especially if your physician or eye doctor feels strongly about need for the procedure. This partial coverage, usually offered by the bigger insurance companies, is referred to as an indemnity plan.

Having said that, it's still a good idea to ask your doctor if he feels LASIK surgery would be considered a medical necessity. There are several procedures that insurance companies once called "cosmetic" which they now accept as necessary. If this is the case with your insurance policy and your need for LASIK, your policy might cover part or all of it.

As you're investigating whether your insurance policy will pay for your LASIK operation (and how you'll pay for it if they don't), you must pay attention to all the expenses associated with the procedure. Not every organization will charge the same thing for the same procedure. Normally, though, you can expect to pay anywhere from $1,000 to $2,500 for each eye (The exact amount depends on how complex the surgery). If this is completely out of your budget range, find out if your surgeon has special rates at certain times. If so, it might be wise to wait for the next time they offer that rate. Just be sure that you're paying for a quality surgeon and quality procedure.

There are other ways you can pay for your LASIK, as well, especially if you don't have insurance coverage. There are some surgeons who offer discount pans that will lower the cost. Also, some businesses offer financing for elective medical procedures (which sometimes includes LASIK operations). And if nothing else, your doctor might also offer a payment plan option. This is becoming more and more common for procedures that most of us consider necessary, but which the insurance industry doesn't. Under a payment plan, you can normally just pay a deposit and then a small monthly fee. And finally, there are also medical loans available that would operate much the same way as the doctor's payment plan. Ask your medical practitioner if he knows of a place that he would recommend that offers such loans