If you are considering either PRK or Lasik eye surgery in Las Vegas and are wondering which would be most cost effective for you, you’ve come to the right article. In order to help you make an informed choice, we will look at the various factors that determine the cost of Lasik or PRK eye surgery.
We will also look at the various options open to you for offsetting the bill. For example, is it covered by your health insurance plan or can you get any form of financing for either of them?
Without much ado, let’s start with factors that determine the cost of each of these procedures…
PRK vs Lasik – What Factors Determine Your Costs?
There’s a common mistake many people make when it comes to things like an elective medical procedure: They want a one size-fits-all cost. It would be good if we could give you the price like, say, the cost of buying a brand new Ford SUV. However, it’s important to note that things work a bit differently in this sector.
So enough of the talk; what are those factors?
1. The Brand’s Reputation
We know it sounds odd to talk about a brand and such an entity’s reputation when having a discussion on a medical procedure. But come to think of it, if a surgeon who works on celebrities is to handle either your PRK or Lasik surgery, do you think you’d be paying the same fees as an unknown doctor?
Yes, irrespective of who’s more experienced or skilled, you can be sure that the celebrity doctor would command much higher fees.
This also goes for the practice. If a clinic has built a reputation of a high success rate in this area, they’d easily command higher fees.
So before we start looking at other factors that have to do with the true value you get from a clinic or group of professionals, we think you should take note of this.
Your Surgeon’s Experience/Skill
This wouldn’t come as a surprise to most of us. The more experienced any person is on a job, the higher the professional fees they command, all other things being equal. The same applies to the level of skill shown in the procedure.
So if you are going for an eye doctor with many years of experience and who has demonstrated a high level of skill (shown by success rate), you should expect to pay higher fees. To understand this more, click here.
Use of Advanced Techniques or Specialized Tools/Features
An excimer laser is used in all levels of PRK surgery, for example. While some surgeons may just go about the procedure with excimer lasers and a blade, some would prefer to use more advanced stuff. For example, if your doctor prefers to use a wavefront-guided laser, your bill will be higher by up to $300 dollars or more. Now considering that this is just per eye, your bill can easily shoot up.
Post-Surgery Treatments and Related Issues
Is everything included in the bill? By this we mean the cost of the medicines you’d have to take after the surgery. You also need to find out if the bill covers the cost of follow-up treatments you’d have to take.
A receipt that covers only the main procedure will vary greatly from one that includes all the extras that you’d have to deal with after. So it’s a good thing to ask. If the bill is just for the surgery, add the other costs yourself to get the true picture of what you’d have to spend overall.
How Much Work Is Involved?
Does your case require just the basic stuff or complex surgery? A patient who wants to get rid of minor refractive errors will require less than another who has major refractive errors. If, for example, a patient is farsighted while having issues with astigmatism or any cornea abnormalities, the bill for such a patient will invariably be a lot higher.
Along these lines, if a patient asks for increased sedation above the usual localized anesthesia administered or wants medication for anxiety, it will take their PRK eye surgery cost past the regular rate.
Is PRK or Lasik Covered By Insurance?
Ordinarily, you’d expect that your health insurance policy would cover anything that has to do with your health, right?
Well, in this case, you’re wrong – That is, as far as most insurance policies are concerned and here’s why…
Your insurance provider sees Lasik or PRK as a purely optional procedure. In fact, many place them on the same level as cosmetic surgery procedures like breast enhancement and butt lift.
Yes, we know your eyesight is much more important to you than what you consider as other people’s vanities. However, your insurer thinks differently and with good reasons…
If there’s any risk attached to a procedure, most insurers will be wary of providing coverage for such. This is because they might become liable for any complications that might arise. At the least then, they’ll be required to cover the costs of dealing with those complications. At the extreme, they might be subject to liability claims.
Apart from that, insurance providers are usually averse to providing coverage when there is a widely accepted treatment for the same condition. This is especially true when such alternative is both cheaper and less risky. In this case, they believe glasses or contact lenses would do the job.
All that said; you’d have to check the details of your specific policy to see what’s covered. Yes, some special types of health policies might provide coverage for, at least, a part of your Lasik or PRK surgery.
What About Financing?
Well, you’ve read through the fine print of your policy and you are certain that there’s no form of cover for you there. So are you stuck with your eye problem or are condemned to contact lenses and glasses even if you want something different?
No, NOT if you can get financing for your eye surgery.
The good news is that you can get special financing to deal with your eye problems. You just need to look in the right places.
It helps if you have a good credit rating but even if you don’t, there are still financing options for you. All you have to do is some diligent research on good old Google and you’ll find a number of options to explore.
Conclusion
Whether you choose to go for PRK or Lasik eye surgery shouldn’t be down to cost ONLY. We believe it’s a smart idea to have a chat with your doctor and be advised on what’s best for your health.