Financing Options For Lasik Surgery
Almost 2 million Lasik procedure are expected to take place in the United States this year. However, these procedures are still generally not covered by insurance plans. Financing options have to be carefully considered. If you cannot pay for Lasik in cash, or on a credit card you will have to get a loan for it. One option many employees of larger companies should check out is Flex Pay, or Flexible Spending Accounts (FSA). Also, find out if your company has an agreement for volume discounts with a local lasik center. Check out if your company offers these.
Your company can put a portion of your salary into your FSA, and you dont have to pay any federal, state or local taxes on this money.
Many companies allow you to spend the money for health expenses anytime during the year, even using the funds that you would be projected to save in one tax year. So if you saved $80 a week, you could have $4,000 available for your Lasik Surgery. The benefits of using Health FSA depend on what tax bracket you are in. Check with your tax account to find out how to deduct lasik costs from your tax under this or other programs.
The provider of the services also offers loan repayment programs to finance lasik surgery. One Lasik company offers the option of no-interest loans if they are repaid on time and payment plans of 24 and 48 months. Other loan programs are connected directly to banks, such as Capitol One. They offer fixed interest rates of starting at1.9%, with no interest options. The repayment period can be stretched out to 60 months. Another thing to consider is what prices a Lasik center charges for enhancement surgery that is secondary surgery to improve the first surgery. In some cases there is no charge, or only a small charge. Overall, beware of bargain lasik since you want to get the best lasik outcome possible. Also, the total cost of the procedure includes initial evaluation of suitability for lasik, pre-operation and post-operation examinations. Count this all up when you get your financing package. Consider the potential cost of a second enhancement surgery as part of the overall price package, even if in fact this does not become necessary. Are there any ophthalmologic schools offering low rates if you let students work on you? It might be an option if your desperate for a Lasik operation.
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