Financing & Payment Options

Affording Top-Quality Vision Care

If you want better vision, the team at Tidewater Eye Centers doesn’t want cost to stand in your way. We know many of our patients have seen advertisements for low-cost LASIK and other procedures, and that this may be tempting. However, we encourage patients to thoroughly research their providers before entrusting the health of their eyes to the doctor with the lowest prices. In many cases, low-cost vision centers may be using older technology, working with doctors from out-of-state who aren’t available to meet with patients before or after the procedure, or are charging additional service fees to make up for their apparently lower costs.

You won’t find this at Tidewater Eye Centers. We make vision correction surgery affordable without skimping on the quality of our doctors, our technologies, or your vision outcomes. Best of all, our doctors live locally and are available to patients at any time. By choosing Tidewater Eye Centers, we will help you achieve the best vision possible while still giving you the highest level of care and the best value.

We have several recommendations to help make clearer vision an attainable goal for your budget:

• LASIK financing
• Flexible Spending Accounts
• Tax refunds
• Credit Cards

Flexible Spending Accounts for Vision Care

If you have access to a Flexible Spending Account (FSA) or Health Savings Account (HSA), you may be able to set aside pre-tax earnings to save for vision surgery and ultimately end up spending less on the overall cost. There are restrictions with these plans regarding the timeframe when the money must be used, so make sure you know all of the specific rules of your plan before enrolling. It is also advised to have a free vision correction consultation with us prior to enrolling to ensure your eyes are right for the procedure and you know how much it will cost. You don’t want to under- or over-save and end up losing money.

Corporate Plans for Vision Care

Through the Corporate Partner Program and Flexible Spending Accounts, companies can give their employees the gift of clear vision at affordable prices. Either by offering a company discount or allowing the employee to use pre-paid tax dollars to pay for the medical expenses, companies can help their valued employees save hundreds of dollars on ocular care and other lifestyle-enhancing surgeries.

Tax Deduction and Refunds for Vision Care

As of 2003, the Internal Revenue Service announced a new tax provision permitting taxpayers to deduct medical expenses if such expenses exceed 7.5 percent of their annual incomes. Because medical care “meaningfully promotes the proper function of the body,” it qualifies as a deductible expense according to the IRS. If you meet the qualifications for this tax deduction, the costs of it will be substantially reduced for you.

Applying your tax refund toward refractive surgery can be a smart use of this “found” money. Rather than spending it on vacations, electronics or shopping sprees, you will be putting that money toward improving your quality of life through vision correction.

Insurance Accepted

Tidewater Eye Centers in Chesapeake, Portsmouth and Virginia Beach accept the following insurances. If you have any questions about your insurance coverage we recommend you call our billing office.

• Medicare
• Railroad Medicare
• Anthem BCBS
• Optima
• Tricare
• Aetna
• United Healthcare
• AARP
• Coventry Health
• Cigna
• Virginia Medicaid
• Virginia Premier
• Humana
• Most VHN Plans
• Most PHCS Plans

Contact Tidewater Eye Centers

If you are interested in vision correction surgery like LASIK but are concerned about the cost, please let us be of assistance to you. Our staff will be happy to help you understand your options when it comes to affording vision correction surgery. Contact us to schedule your free consultation today.