If you have a Kaiser Permanente or Tricare health insurance plan, it is likely that you will not be able to use it for LASIK. But, that is not the end of the story. In some cases, LASIK surgery is covered by your plan.
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LASIK is not covered by Medicare
If LASIK surgery is not covered by your Medicare plan, you may be able to get similar results with a different method. A Medicare Advantage plan covers certain services that Original Medicare does not, such as doctor visits and prescription medications. Some plans also cover transportation costs. In addition, Medicare Advantage plans may include extra benefits, such as vision care and LASIK surgery. But be sure to ask about LASIK coverage before signing up for any plan.
Although most private insurance plans do not cover LASIK, Medicaid covers it for people who qualify for it. To find out if your insurance will cover your surgery, contact your health plan or employer’s benefits department. Many policies cover some or all of the cost, but you should still be prepared to pay the full amount out of pocket.
If LASIK is not covered by Medicare, you should still be able to get it through Medicaid. In this case, Medicare will cover some of the costs of LASIK surgery, and Medicaid will cover the rest. Medicaid also has LASIK financing options, so you can spread the cost over months or years. You may also be able to use a health savings account or Flexible Spending Account to pay for the procedure.
It is not covered by Tricare
LASIK is considered elective surgery and is not covered by most insurance plans. TRICARE, however, covers it, as long as it is provided by a provider in their network. TRICARE has an extensive network of authorized and contracted providers, including military clinics and in-network civilian physicians. This network is administered by regional contractors. To find a provider, use the TRICARE provider directory.
Because of this, some providers opt out of billing Medicare and TRICARE. In these situations, TFL processes the claims as a second payer and pays up to 20% of the TRICARE-allowable charges. Nevertheless, the patient is responsible for the rest of the charges. If TRICARE is a primary payer, it will pay more.
If you have Kaiser insurance and Tricare, you can visit the TRICARE website to find out if your insurance covers laser surgery. The website offers useful information on eligibility requirements and benefits.
It is not covered by private health insurance
If you want to undergo LASIK eye surgery, you need to make sure that you’re aware of what your insurance policy covers and what it doesn’t. For example, if your Kaiser insurance or private health insurance doesn’t cover laser eye surgery, you must look for another option. You can also use a flexible spending account (FSA) to pay for your surgery. This type of account helps you make your money stretch farther by removing taxes from the money you use for the procedure.
Although most health insurance policies do not cover LASIK, some vision insurance companies offer price breaks for this procedure. For example, CareFirst vision insurance plans offer up to 30% off laser vision correction, while Aetna eye care benefits include 15% off LASIK retail prices. While health insurance may not cover LASIK, it still covers most vision correction procedures.
Some health insurance providers don’t cover LASIK because the American Refractive Surgery Council says that the procedure is not medically necessary. Rather, they consider it a cosmetic procedure that may be too expensive for most insurance plans.
It is not covered by Kaiser Permanente
There are several ways to get LASIK surgery without paying out of pocket. For example, you can go to an eye doctor to ask about Medicare plans that cover the procedure. You can also find a plan through a plan finder, which helps you compare plans in your area.
Many health insurers are now offering discounts on cosmetic surgery procedures in an effort to attract new members and retain current ones. One example is Kaiser Permanente, which has opened two dozen for-profit clinics in Northern California. While Kaiser Permanente does not cover LASIK, it does offer a discounted rate for this procedure. This fee covers your follow-up care and exam, and Kaiser Permanente officials said they are willing to give you a quote upfront.
There are many reasons why your insurance plan may not cover LASIK. One reason is that some plans don’t cover laser surgery at all. Some will cover it as an elective procedure, while others may not. You can also try switching to a Medicare Advantage plan for the procedure. You can do this during open enrollment for Medicare, which is between October 15 and December 7. You can use this opportunity to switch from one part C plan to another.
