Will Medicare Pay For Lasik Eye Surgery

What Are My Best Steps For Getting Coverage

If youre considering LASIK, you may be able to take certain steps to get coverage:

The costs for LASIK vary from doctor to doctor and from state to state. Factors that may play a role include:

• your vision
• the type of laser and technology used
• the doctors level of expertise

Youll also need follow-up visits after the procedure to see how your eyes are healing.

Medicare And Medicaid Lasik Coverage

LASIK is not covered by Medicare or Medicaid, as it is considered an elective procedure. However, there are some cases where LASIK is classified as medically necessary and insurance coverage may be possible.

For instance, the insurance duo may cover refractive error LASIK in the following situations:

• Refractive errors are deemed severe by a licensed professional.

• Refractive errors were caused by an injury or previous surgical procedure.

• Physical limitation prevents the patient from wearing glasses or contact lenses.

So, if youve had vision surgery before and the surgery created problems for your vision that can only be fixed with LASIK, the cost would likely be covered in the same way another medically necessary procedure would be covered. However, the eye surgeon and location where LASIK is performed must accept Medicare and/or Medicaid cases.

Its important to note that Medicaid is funded and regulated by the state, which means coverage and other important details can vary depending on where you live. Make sure to check the Medicaid website for your particular state or reach out to a local representative for more information.

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Cost Of Lasik Without Insurance

The average cost of LASIK in 2020 is $2,133 per eye a hefty sum, considering each eye takes less than 10 minutes during the procedure. However, the price of the surgery depends on several variables, such as location, equipment and technology used, and the severity of your refractive error.

It’s important to do thorough research before committing to a LASIK center or surgeon. Many vision insurance providers have a list of recommended eye doctors that meet a certain threshold of credibility and trustworthiness.

Taking the time to find a practice and surgeon that puts you at ease is a small price to pay for a smooth and successful LASIK experience.

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What Eye Surgery Is Covered By Medicare

Medicare does not outright refuse coverage for all eye surgeries. Parts A and B, as well as the Medicare Advantage Part C plans, generally do pay for medically necessary procedures when no reasonable alternative exists. Thus, while an elective procedure such as LASIK is almost never covered, the reconstruction of the cornea after traumatic injury likely will be. Medicare also provides some assistance paying for corrective surgery for people with cataracts, glaucoma and other potentially disabling medical conditions.

Will Additional Medicare Plans Pay For Surgery

In addition to enrolling in a standard Medicare plan, you can enroll in a Medicare Advantage Plan . According to the U.S. Department of Health and Human Services, these plans are subject to open enrollment periods, so you cannot join them at any time. You may need to wait for the next period to join.

Enhanced Medicare plans are offered through private insurance companies, although those plans are approved by Medicare. They must cover the same issues covered by Medicare, but some offer a few perks that Medicare does not offer. At times, these perks include LASIK for some people.

For example, Blue Cross Blue Shield of North Carolina in a Medicare Part C plan will cover LASIK for a specific set of patients. Those patients:

• Have been through cataract surgery or corneal transplant.
• Have a difference of more than 3 diopters between their eyes.
• Struggle to see clearly in a way that is not correctable with glasses or contacts.

All three of these conditions must apply in order for the surgery to be covered, so this is likely to be a benefit used by a small number of people. But it is available through the plan.

United Healthcare offers another additional Medicare plan, and here, LASIK is approved for astigmatism caused as a side effect of a prior surgery. This is the only way in which LASIK is approved in this plan, but again, it offers a way for some people to get LASIK surgery through their health care benefits.

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What Can I Expect With Laser Treatment

Laser therapies can be slightly uncomfortable. People often feel a stinging sensation during the treatment, even though the area has been numbed.

Your treatment may take place in a hospital or in an outpatient setting. Most people are able to go home the same day. Usually, you can get back to your normal activities after a day or so.

Does Medicare Cover Eye Surgery

by Ethan Bynon, November 22, 2021 fact checkedA qualified researcher has reviewed the content on this page to ensure it is factually accurate, meets current industry standards, and helps readers achieve a better understanding of Medicare health insurance and Medicare coverage topics…. by Andrew Bynon

Medicare covers eye surgery when it is medically necessaryServices or supplies that are needed for the diagnosis or treatment of your medical condition and meet accepted standards of medical practice….. The most common examples of this are glaucoma surgery and cataract surgery, which are conditions that will permanently damage your eyesight without treatment. Medicare, like most health insurances, will not cover unnecessary and elective eye surgeries, such as LASIK to correct minor vision problems. Some Medicare Advantage plansMedicare Advantage , also known as Medicare Part C, are health plans from private insurance companies that are available to people eligible for Original Medicare …. offer additional benefits, including eye care, and may cover some or all of your elective eye care procedures.

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How Much Will Cataract Surgery Cost

If you have Medicare, youll pay 20% or less of the total cataract surgery bill. The surgery may even be free if you have a plan with a $0 outpatient copayment.

On average, those who only have Original Medicare are paying about $200 to $800 out of pocket per cataract procedure. Below are the average out-of-pocket costs for cataract surgery paid by someone who has Medicare.

The cost of cataract surgery varies widely, and how much you pay will vary based on the following factors:

• Type of facility where you get the surgery done: Costs are lower if you get surgery at a stand-alone surgery center versus an outpatient hospital unit.
• Type of surgery you have: Medicare covers both traditional and laser surgery, but since laser surgery costs more, it may come with higher out-of-pocket costs.
• Your Medicare plan: The type of Medicare you have and the plans level of coverage also affect how much youll pay.

Learn More About Medicare And Cataract Surgery

A licensed agent with Medicare Plan Finder may be able to find plans in your area that fit your budget and lifestyle needs.

Are you interested in learning about available plans in your area? Fill out this form or give us a call at 1-855-783-1189 to schedule a no-cost, no obligation appointment with a licensed agent.

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Other Ways To Pay For Lasik

Many U.S. employees have an FSA, HSA or HRA to cover health expenses with income-tax-free accounts. The cost of laser eye surgery is an eligible expense for all these accounts. In addition, some people may deduct the cost of major medical expenses. Check with your tax preparer to see if you qualify. If you know you want LASIK but are concerned about up-front cost, assess your contributions during your employers open-enrollment window and consider increasing your savings so you can afford the procedure next year. At Tidewater Eye Centers in Virginia Beach, we understand the frustration with wearing glasses and contacts and the desire to have LASIK. Thats why we offer a variety of flexible payment plans and financing options to help make laser eye surgery more affordable for you. To learn more about LASIK and ways to pay, contact us at 757-483-0400 or tidewatereye.com.

The doctors at Tidewater Eye Centers have either authored or reviewed the content on this site.

How Does Insurance Cover Lasik

Many people believe that an insurance provider might cover the cost of LASIK eye surgery under certain circumstances, such as occupation or having medical conditions like severe allergies or severe dry eyes. But you must remember that LASIK surgery is elective, and therefore, coverage is rare since it is not considered medically necessary.

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Types Of Cataract Surgery

There are multiple kinds of cataract surgery:

• Phacoemulsification cataract surgery: This form of cataract surgery is the most common. During surgery, the ophthalmologist removes the cloudy cataract lens and replaces it with a foldable intraocular lens implant, also known as an IOL.
• Extracapsular cataract surgery: With extracapsular cataract surgery, the doctor removes the natural eye lens but leaves a portion of the posterior lens in place. By doing so, the doctor can implant an artificial IOL without having to make major incisions.
• Intracapsular cataract surgery: Intracapsular cataract surgery is one of the least common forms of cataract correction. With this approach, the eye lens and entire eye lens capsule are removed and replaced with an IOL. This form of surgery has a higher risk of complications than other types.
• Laser cataract surgery: Instead of hand-held tools, laser cataract surgery uses lasers to make incisions in the eye lens. It is more advanced and precise than other forms of cataract surgery, but its also more expensive.

Now that you know more about cataract surgery options, you can talk with a licensed Medicare professional at and figure out which Medicare plan is right for you and your health care needs.

Does Medicare Pay For Any Eye Surgeries

Though Medicare doesn’t cover LASIK, it does cover some medically necessary eye care, including:

• Cataract surgery if ordered by a doctor
• Eyeglasses or contacts if you’ve had cataract surgery
• An annual vision exam if you have diabetes
• A annual vision exam if you are at high risk of glaucoma
• Certain diagnostic testing and treatment for serious eye conditions

Note: Medicare does not cover routine eye exams, eyeglasses or contact lenses that fall outside of the situations listed above.

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Cataract Surgery: Is It Medically Necessary

Medicare will only cover your cataract surgery if it is deemed as being medically necessary. In the majority of instances, procedures like cataract surgery will be deemed medically necessary. However, it will be useful to make sure that this is the case before you proceed with the surgery. Otherwise, if you discover that Medicare will not pay for it after the fact, it could put you in a real financial bind.

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Does Medicare Cover Eye Exams

If you want to run into your local vision center for a simple exam to get glasses, Medicare wont cover. Youll be 100% responsible for the cost of your prescription eyewear, as well as your routine exam.

If youre in the market for preventive screenings and tests to check for glaucoma or macular degeneration, youre in luck. Medicare will cover preventive screenings to help keep the health of your eyes in check. Not only will Medicare cover the exams for macular degeneration, but theyll include any doctor visits to treat the disease.

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Does Insurance Cover Lasik

Many people contemplating options for correcting their vision naturally consider LASIK. But does insurance cover LASIK eye surgery? Some vision insurance policies offer benefits that can help cover the cost of laser eye surgery, but sometimes only for specific situations. Itâs important to carefully study your insurance policies to determine what kind of coverage you have for laser vision correction.

Does Insurance Or Medicare Cover Lasik For Astigmatism

Since you can, in theory, use glasses or contact lenses to amend your astigmatism, and since these therapies are considered less expensive than LASIK, this is not a treatment that most insurance plans consider medically necessary.

An expert writing for the Huffington Post reports that Medicare plans will cover cataract surgery to restore sight, but Medicare will not cover LASIK surgeries. To Medicare, LASIK is a cosmetic procedure that you should pay for. That is true whether you have astigmatism or not.

Private insurance plans, such as BlueCross BlueShield of North Carolina follow suit. This organization will not pay for LASIK procedures, as they say they cannot be considered medically necessary when less-invasive solutions, such as glasses, work just as well. There are no exceptions listed to this rule, which makes the policy seem quite firm.

People who enroll in Kaiser Permanente insurance plans may believe that they have coverage for LASIK, as the organization claims to be “one of the leading providers of LASIK.” Unfortunately, the organization provides this care on a fee-for-service basis, meaning that members need to pay for this kind of care. It is not covered by health care benefits even though it is provided by Kaiser.

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Is Lasik Covered By Medicare

Unfortunately, Medicare won’t cover the costs of LASIK or any similar laser eye surgery, but some Medicare Advantage plans might.

What is LASIK? If you wear prescription glasses or contact lenses, youve probably considered laser eye surgery as a way to see clearly without specs or contacts. LASIK improves vision for patients with nearsightedness, farsightedness or astigmatism, often providing immediate and long-term improvement with minimal pain or discomfort.

Lets review why LASIK isnt included in your Medicare benefits, how this procedure differs from cataract surgery and the potential costs involved if you elect to have laser eye surgery.

Does Medicare Cover Lasik Eye Surgery

Its never too late to take steps to correct your vision, and many older adults on Medicare may be wondering if and how LASIK eye surgery is covered by Medicare.

While LASIK eye surgery is not covered by Original Medicare , some Medicare Advantage plans may cover LASIK eye surgery. Medicare Advantage plans are sold by private insurance companies and are an alternative way of receiving Medicare health benefits and prescription drug coverage.

Medicare Advantage plans often cover routine vision care, prescription glasses and contact lenses. Many of these Medicare Advantage plans with vision benefits may also cover LASIK surgery.

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How Much Does Laser Eye Surgery Cost In Australia

The cost of laser eye surgery depends on the type of treatment youre having. To give you an idea of how much you might pay for each type of treatment, weve looked at several Australian clinics and provided price ranges based on our findings.

Keep in mind that the below prices are a guide only they are subject to change, and your treatment can fall outside of these dollar ranges, depending on your circumstances and your surgeon.

What You Need To Know:

• Cataracts are a cloudy area in the lens of your eyes that cause blurry vision, faded colors, sensitivity to light, and double vision
• More than half of all Americans age 80 or older have cataracts or have had surgery to rectify the condition
• Without insurance, cataract surgery typically costs between $3,783 and $6,898
• Original Medicare doesnt usually include vision coverage, but it does cover cataract surgery
• To qualify, cataract surgery must be done with traditional surgical techniques or lasers
• Medicare Advantage plans also cover cataract surgery

Over 24 million people have cataracts or have had surgery for cataracts, and that number is expected to double by 2050.

Cataracts, an eye condition that can cause blurry vision and sensitivity to light, typically require surgery. Without insurance, the procedure can be very expensive. Will Medicare pay for that high cost?

While Medicare doesnt typically cover vision care, such as glasses or contact lenses and eye doctor visits, cataract surgery is the exception. Medicare will pay for cataract surgery if its done using traditional surgical methods or lasers.

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