Dishler Laser - Blog

Epiphany, a nice word meaning that a light goes off with an insight that brings a sense of well being and just a little better understanding of the universe. As I read all the news about health care reform, and how we are moving as a country, perhaps there is a lesson to be learned in one of the last free market medical procedures, LASIK. Now I know this may sound self serving, but bear with me for just a few minutes and let me share with you what I have become aware of only recently after doing LASIK for almost 15 years in Denver, Colorado. I always thought that the reason people wanted laser vision correction was to avoid glasses, contacts and to be more independent from needing an optical crutch. What I did not consider was just how expensive that crutch can be over a lifetime, and how laser vision correction or LASIK can actually save a person some money over the long run. Quite a lot of money actually. In fact for someone in their 20's even a conservative analysis demonstrates that the procedure will pay for itself in about 4 years and over a normal life expectancy, it can save up to almost $50,000 over the costs of the alternative care. Since so many people need correction, it stands to reason that the government should subsidize the cost of LASIK to save on the overall costs of health care in America.