Can I use my insurance to pay for LASIK?

I hope everyone is having a great summer. I have been busy starting my training plan for a triathlon in Austin at the beginning of September. When the sweat is pouring down my face in this heat, I am so glad I had Lasik surgery to get rid of my glasses and contacts. Lasik is definitely the best thing to do for yourself if you are into sports.

Mann Eye Institute recently ran a Groupon special in Houston. It became apparent after talking with our team, based on the hundreds of calls we received that there is some confusion out there on the financial aspects of LASIK surgery. I am going to attempt to clear up some of the confusion below, but remember you can call any of our Lasik specialists if you have any additional questions.

LASIK surgery is am incredible life-changing event, BUT most medical insurance companies don’t see it as a medically necessary procedure. There are few to no insurance companies that will pay for the complete LASIK procedure. To them, LASIK is an elective procedure. For an insurance company to pay for any surgery, they require the patient to have a disease or limiting condition, one example would be a cataract. Surgery can indeed fix the cataract diseased eye in almost every case. Unfortunately, being nearsighted or farsighted is not considered a disease, rather it is looked at more as an inconvenience.

That being said, there are vision insurance companies that offer discounts through their policies. Again, there are few to none that will cover the full cost of the procedure. Mann Eye Institute has agreements with several traditional and vision insurance companies so be sure to ask if you have any special pricing for your lasik with your individual insurance provider when you call for your complimentary screening appointment to learn if you could be a candidate for LASIK.

One silver lining is that there are financing options to help those who want to spread the payments over time. For example, you can request two years with ZERO PERCENT interest financing and pay around $150 a month if you meet the financing company's criteria.

Hopefully, some of your questions have been answered as it pertains to the non-medical side of LASIK. Please call 1-800-MY-VISION if you have any other questions.

LASIK for a friend

I was thrilled when Dr. Blackburn, a neurosurgeon and a good friend, called me about doing his LASIK, as it's quite an honor when another doctor trusts their vision to you. As expected everything went quite well, and Dr. Blackburn is thrilled that dry eyes and contacts are a thing of the past.

Here is a thank you video from him:

Summer Travel and Dry Eye Syndrome

For many dry eye sufferers, summer spells relief. As we turn off our indoor heating systems and the humidity level creeps up, often dry eye symptoms begin to wane. However, there are a few situations to be aware of that can dry your eyes and put a cramp in your summer plans.

Airplanes
Summer travelers should beware of the dry conditions in airplane cabins. Cabin air is continuously refreshed with outside air, which is very cold and has low water content. The cabin humidity ranges from 5-35%, which is about how dry the air is during the winter in a heated home! Preparing for this environmental change by drinking lots of water and using artificial tears preemptively will allow you to land with your eyes feeling fresh and ready to enjoy your summer vacation.

Click here for more information on the airplane cabin environment.

Allergies
One of the best things about summer is the chance to get out and enjoy nature. But for some allergy sufferers, the thought of grasses and pollen alone is enough to make their eyes itch. Dry eye symptoms, such as ocular irritation, foreign body sensation and light sensitivity, are aggravated by allergies. Itching eyes are an indication that allergies are playing a part in the ocular irritation. In this situation, it is important to treat both the dry eye and the allergies to get relief. Artificial tears are available over the counter, but most allergy eye drops are dispensed by prescription only.

Ceiling Fans
On those hot muggy nights when the ceiling fan is the only thing keeping you from sweating in bed, beware of the drying effect of all of that wind. Many people don’t close their eyes all of the way during sleep. This can be enough to dry the eyes alone, but add in the effect of the ceiling fan and you may wake up in the morning with dry eyes! If you can’t stand the thought of turning the ceiling fan off in the night, consider wearing sleep goggles like “Thera Eyes” or using a gel form of ocular surface lubricant, like Genteal gel prior to going to bed.

If you plan for them, and treat the dry eye ahead of time, you can save yourself weeks of catch-up work with the artificial tears!

More information on dry eye syndrome and treatments.

Active Life Lenses not only fix cataracts, but can improve your vision

Jeanne J. after her Active Life Lens procedure. Read her
 thank you note to Dr. Wright here.

Quality of life is a big term in ophthalmology.  Luckily we rarely have to deal with life and death situations in our field, instead we are given the chance to improve a patient’s everyday life, which is just as exciting to me. It is what makes my job the best one in the world.

Nobody likes the news that they need surgery.  The same holds true for patients who come to me with decreased vision from cataracts.  Many patients hear that “s” word and become apprehensive.

What is great about ophthalmology is that I have the opportunity to not only fix a cataract, but to make the vision better than before the cataract.  Think about that for a second. Most of the time you go to the doctor with a problem. You get it fixed, which brings you back to the baseline you were at before the illness or problem.  With cataract surgery, I am able to remove the cataract, but take it a step further and actually improve the vision to better than before surgery.

At Mann Eye Institute, we perform the surgeries and use Active Life Lenses to improve your life.  There are lenses that can get rid of the astigmatism and prescription that has plagued some their whole lives.  These lenses can let you wake up in the morning and see in the distance without glasses in greater than 95% of people who receive them.  There is also a lens which can let you see distance and near without glasses the majority of the time.  Think about shaving, putting on make-up, and of course reading without using glasses.  Again, around 95% of people with Active Life Lens procedures can go the majority of their day without glasses. That’s pretty amazing if you ask me.

Come in and see if one of out Active Life Lens procedures may be able to help you see better and be less dependent on glasses.  It is an exciting opportunity for our patients, and we love to be a part of it.

Enjoy outdoor activities again

The weather is changing, and it is time to get out and enjoy the sun.  Along with the sun comes the active lifestyle we all enjoy.  At Mann Eye Institute, I get the pleasure of hearing my happy patients talk about all the activities they get to enjoy glasses-free after surgery.

For those out there who are on the fence about LASIK you should talk to someone who has already had surgery and ask them how happy they are (even if they were nervous about doing it beforehand!)

We all know we should be running, walking, biking, swimming, and more to stay healthy, look good, and live longer.  Think of how much easier is to do all these activities without glasses.

And even for those activities that require eyewear, my patients get excited when they no longer have to buy expensive prescription eyewear.  To be able to buy swim goggles, designer sunglasses, motorcycle goggles, and such without the restrictions of a prescription opens up a whole new world of designs and brands at a fraction of the cost.

We hope we can add you to the large contingent of happy patients at Mann Eye Institute. Call, email, or chat with us to set up a free appointment to see if you would benefit from Blade-free LASIK or if an Active Life Lens is right for you.

Brian Wright, MD
Mann Eye Institute
(713) 580-2500
www.MannEye.com

MS150 Recap

I thought I would take the opportunity to update all of you on our MS150 trip this last weekend.  We had a great time (and some mishaps) and raised money for the fight against multiple sclerosis.

The adventure started Saturday AM as our team met at 6:45 at Tully Stadium in Houston.  We picked this location to start because we were gluttons for punishment and wanted to ride the extra miles instead of leaving from Katy like most of the 13,000 riders.  Things started well despite the tough wind working against us for a good portion of the ride.  There were break points every 10-15 miles where you could refill your water and get a snack.  Half way through we stopped in Bastrop and had a lunch.  At that time we decided to break up into smaller teams as different riders wanted to go at different paces to finish the 102 mile day.

Troy (our PR guru) and I sped through the second portion and met our two volunteers in La Grange and waited for the other riders.  Next came in Dr. McIntire (Austin MD), her husband Jim, Christian (Main street office manager’s husband), and Joseph (Sugar Land technician.)  But John (my technician’s husband) was nowhere to be found. We waited in La Grange for a couple hours then started searching the medical tents and officials.  When we finally found him we learned that he had an asthma attack and ended up at the hospital getting fluid and breathing treatments.  An experience I am sure he won’t forget!

After we were all together again we headed to Giddings where we stayed the night and ate dinner at Camp Tejas.  My sister and her husband run the camp, so we enjoyed and appreciated their hospitality, soft beds, and warm showers.

The next morning we headed out at 6 to get back to La Grange again for day 2 of the ride.  To John’s credit, he was equipped with his inhaler and ready to ride!  Once again we broke up into groups of varying speeds.  I joined Troy again as we were intent on breaking land speed records on our bikes.  Lisa and her husband formed the second group which was followed by Christian and Joseph.  In the rear was John going his own pace to avoid any further ER trips.

The day was beautiful and we had an uneventful ride….. save one mishap.  Troy and I were drafting other riders and going around 20-25 mph when it happened.  Troy’s front tire hit my back tire and I heard a loud crash.  I looked back and Troy had crashed with resulting road rash (abrasions) all along the left side of his body.  A medic assisted cleaning off his wounds and putting on some bandages.  Then, like the warrior that he is, he climbed back on his bike and we finished the race.  In fact, we all finished alive.

I want to thank the great volunteers who helped us along the way and fed us and hydrated us at the tent after.  We had a great time and perhaps will try again next year if everyone dares….

Don’t Let Itchy Eyes Hinder your Spring Activities

Spring is the season that many people start experiencing “Itchy Eyes,” usually caused by pollens and grasses that are most prevalent at this time of year. This problem can be exacerbated by contact lens use as the contacts often collect allergens and cause constant exposure to these irritating plant particles.

There are multiple ways to deal with the “Itchy Eye” problem, including artificial tears and switching from contact lenses to prescription glasses. Additionally, many of our patients report significant relief following their Blade-Free LASIK procedures at Mann Eye Institute. When a patient is able to eliminate the need for contacts, he or she is also eliminating the constant exposure to allergens caused by those contacts.

This a great time of year to be outside, and we want to help you enjoy your outdoor activities and the many beautiful aspects of nature with clear vision and without discomfort or itching. I invite you to visit us at Mann Eye Institute to learn more about Blade-Free LASIK and our other vision correction solutions.

Brian Wright, MD

Mann Eye Institute

(713) 580-2500

www.MannEye.com