LASIK costs an average of $4,492 for both eyes, or about $2,250 per eye, and most health insurance plans don’t cover it. That’s a significant expense, but you have more ways to pay than you might realize. Between tax-advantaged savings accounts, medical credit cards, provider discounts, and federal tax deductions, most people can piece together a strategy that makes the procedure affordable without draining their savings all at once.
Why Insurance Usually Won’t Cover It
Health insurance companies classify LASIK as an elective procedure because glasses and contacts can correct the same vision problems. That means standard medical and vision plans won’t pay for it. In rare cases, a plan might cover LASIK if it’s deemed medically necessary, such as when vision problems result from an injury or prior surgery, or when a patient physically cannot wear glasses or contacts. But for the vast majority of people, insurance is off the table.
That said, your vision plan may still help indirectly. Some employer-sponsored vision plans offer member discounts on laser eye surgery. UnitedHealthcare Vision members, for example, can get up to 35% off at participating locations. It’s worth calling your vision insurance provider before you start exploring other options, because even a modest discount reduces the amount you need to finance or save.
HSA and FSA: The Best First Move
If you have access to a Health Savings Account or a Flexible Spending Account through your employer, these are the most tax-efficient way to pay for LASIK. Both let you set aside pre-tax dollars for qualified medical expenses, and LASIK qualifies. The money you contribute avoids federal income tax, and in most states, state income tax too. For someone in the 22% federal tax bracket, paying $4,500 with pre-tax dollars effectively saves around $1,000 compared to paying with after-tax income.
FSA contribution limits for 2025 are $3,300 per year. That won’t cover the full cost in a single year, but it makes a substantial dent. HSA limits are higher: $4,400 for individual coverage in 2026 and $8,750 for family coverage. Unlike FSAs, HSA funds roll over indefinitely, so you can save across multiple years if needed. You’re also allowed to use both an FSA and an HSA together if your employer offers both programs, which can help you accumulate enough to cover the full procedure.
The key planning move here is timing. If you know you want LASIK next year, max out your FSA or HSA contributions during open enrollment this fall. Some people split the cost across two plan years: contribute the max this year, schedule surgery early next year, and use contributions from both years to cover the bill.
Medical Credit Cards
Two credit cards dominate the medical financing space: CareCredit and Alphaeon Credit. Most LASIK providers accept one or both. These cards work like regular credit cards but are designed specifically for healthcare expenses, and they offer promotional financing that standard cards typically don’t.
Alphaeon offers 0% interest promotional periods of 6, 12, 18, or 24 months depending on the purchase amount. For a typical LASIK procedure costing $4,500, you’d qualify for the 18- or 24-month no-interest window. The catch: if you don’t pay the full balance before the promotional period ends, interest gets charged retroactively from the original purchase date. The standard purchase rate is 32.99%, so missing that deadline is expensive.
If you need longer to pay, Alphaeon also offers fixed-rate installment plans stretching 24 to 60 months. The rates range from 14.99% for a 24-month plan to 17.99% for 60 months. These aren’t deferred interest, meaning you pay a predictable amount each month without the risk of a retroactive charge. After the fixed term ends, any remaining balance jumps to 31.99%.
CareCredit works similarly, with promotional no-interest periods and longer-term fixed-rate plans. Once approved, you can reuse the card for future medical expenses without reapplying. Both cards are worth comparing side by side before you commit, since the terms for your specific purchase amount may differ.
Provider Payment Plans and Discounts
Many LASIK centers offer their own in-house financing or will match you with a third-party lender at the time of your consultation. Some of these plans come with 0% interest for 12 to 24 months, similar to what medical credit cards offer but without opening a new line of credit.
Discounts are also more common than people expect. Military members, veterans, active-duty personnel, and their spouses can find discounts of 20% or more at major providers like LasikPlus. Some clinics run seasonal promotions offering $500 off per eye. Corporate discount programs, student discounts, and group rates through large employers also exist, though they vary widely by region and provider.
One important note on pricing: advertised “low-cost LASIK” deals often apply only to the mildest prescriptions using older technology. The quoted price may not include your initial consultation, pre-operative testing, post-surgical medications, or follow-up visits. Always ask for the all-inclusive price before comparing providers, so you’re measuring the same thing.
The Federal Tax Deduction
LASIK qualifies as a deductible medical expense on your federal tax return, but there’s a significant threshold to clear. You can only deduct the portion of your total medical expenses that exceeds 7.5% of your adjusted gross income. If your AGI is $60,000, that means your medical expenses need to top $4,500 before you can deduct a single dollar. And you have to itemize deductions on Schedule A rather than taking the standard deduction, which only makes sense if your total itemized deductions exceed the standard deduction amount.
This deduction works best for people who already have high medical expenses in a given year. If you’re planning other procedures, or if a family member has significant medical bills, scheduling LASIK in the same calendar year lets you bundle those costs and clear the 7.5% threshold more easily. On its own, LASIK for someone with moderate income and no other medical bills often won’t generate a meaningful tax benefit.
Stacking Multiple Strategies
The smartest approach combines several of these options. A practical example: you contribute $3,300 to your FSA during open enrollment, covering most of the cost with pre-tax dollars. You check whether your vision plan offers a member discount, knocking a few hundred dollars off. The remaining balance goes on a medical credit card with a 0% promotional period, and you pay it off within the interest-free window.
You can legally use FSA or HSA funds alongside insurance discounts or provider promotions. There’s no rule against combining pre-tax health account dollars with a negotiated lower price. The Refractive Surgery Council specifically notes that FSAs and HSAs can be used in conjunction with insurance benefits and discounts.
If you’re planning a year or more in advance, you have even more flexibility. You could save in your HSA across two calendar years, building up enough to cover the full cost without financing at all. HSA funds invested over time can even grow tax-free, making the account function like a dedicated LASIK savings fund.
What Affects the Final Price
The $2,250 per eye national average is just that: an average. Your actual cost depends on the type of procedure, the technology used, your prescription complexity, and the surgeon’s experience. Conventional LASIK tends to cost less than custom or wavefront-guided LASIK, which uses detailed mapping of your eye to personalize the treatment. All-laser (bladeless) LASIK and SMILE, a newer minimally invasive option, also tend to sit at the higher end of the price range.
Each eye may require a different treatment, so the per-eye cost isn’t always identical for both sides. A comprehensive quote should include pre-operative exams, the procedure itself, post-surgical medications, and all follow-up visits. Some providers bundle everything into one price, while others charge separately for each component. Asking for an itemized breakdown before you commit helps you avoid surprises and gives you a real number to build your payment plan around.