Attn: lasik1

[Dan Long]

My wife is wanting to have LASIK done to get rid of her contacts and I was looking for a little advice. Through Blue Cross Blue Shield we have access to a discount plan for LASIK that is called TruVision. The price is $895 per eye for LASIK, about $1200 each for custom LASIK, and 1500-1800 each for the bladeless procedure. We would have to go to Jacksonville (I'm in Gainesville) to one of their facilities they contract with. Are these prices in line with the norm or a decent discount? Would we be better off to use someone in town or do you have a recommendation of someone you know? Any other words of wisdom?



Thanks

Dan

 

[Darrell Miller]

My wife had glasses/contacts since she was a kid. Had the surgery three years ago. Cost about $4k for both eyes. Was a recommendation from her regular eye doctor, not a "lasik clinic". Always says she wish it had been available earlier and it was more than worth the cost.

 

[Scott Heckler]

I had it done back in '99. Fortunitly at the time it was covered 100% by my medical coverage as a surgery. We had 50 people between emplyees and spouses get it done before they dropped that coverage from our plan. I can say it was the best thing i ever did. I had it done in a lasik center by a well known eye surgen from Wills Eye in Philadelphia. It is not so much the price but look into the doctor's experience in doing lasik. They have come so far since i had it done.

 

[Gary Kong]

Go with what your insurance company recommends because if you go outside "the plan", and something secondary occurs as a result of the Lasik (infection, damage, etc.) then followup medical care coverage may be denied. I had lasik done, paid a little more to go with a health plan approved eye surgeon as opposed to the lower cost lasik clinics. My wife is a nurse who oversees insurance approvals, etc. and she insisted I go with a plan approved Lasik surgeon.



While the risk of anything going wrong with Lasik is minimal, why take a chance by going outside your helath coverage to save some time and/or money? I love the results, BTW.

 

[Paul Maurer 2]

The BC/BS discount sounds reasonable- I charge $2500 per eye for Intralase (bladeless) LASIK at the Palm Beach Laser Eye Institute- see website below. The two docs I am familiar with in Jax are Jerry Maida and Bob Schnipper. I strongly advise you to go with the bladeless procedure- I was skeptical of its superiority until I started doing it in April, and now I will not do LASIK any other way- the flaps are more uniform, predictable and safe. I often have patients tell me they see better than they ever have after custom bladeless LASIK.I think she will be very happy!

 

[Gavin Allan]

Dan, after looking at the website, I think you need to go to PALM BEACH!

 

[Dan Long]

Wow, very nice facility you guys have! I'd love to bring her down there to have it done, and if it was only 1 appointment I would really consider it, but since there's several visits involved it just wouldn't be feasible to travel that far. I'll have to check and see which doctors they use in Jax.



Thanks for the input everyone!

 

[Gregg Freshcorn]

I walked in without an appointment and had my eyes done the same day! It did take most of the day because of dialating the pupils and then having to wait for them to go back to normal. I told them that I had no other available time. I had it done about 5 years ago at about $4K. I wished I had done it sooner!