Can You Use An HSA Or FSA For LASIK Surgery?

LASIK surgery can completely change your life for the better. Eliminating your dependency on glasses and contact lenses, while saving you hundreds of dollars every year on eye tests and prescriptions, can significantly improve your quality of life.  The IRS has announced new contribution limits for both the Flexible Spending Account (FSA) and the Health Savings Accounts (HSA) for the 2019 tax year. This could have a direct effect on patients looking to benefit from LASIK surgery in Dallas. Anyone who has access to either of these types of account may now be able to undergo LASIK surgery using their pre-tax dollars, as LASIK has now been defined as an eligible expense according to the IRS.

What Is An HSA?

An HSA is a tax-advantaged bank account that allows you to save pre-tax dollars through payroll deductions. The savings you accrue can then be used to pay for out-of-pocket healthcare costs that aren’t usually covered by your regular health insurance. You will need to be enrolled in a high-deductible health care policy to be eligible for an HSA in the first place.  The amount you will now be able to set aside for 2019 in an HSA is as follows:

• $3,500 (individual)
• $7,000 (family)

An HSA is different to an FSA in so far as the contributions must be deposited in the HSA before you can use the money to pay for eligible expenses. Because it is your own money, pre-tax, that’s in a bank account, there is no requirement to “use it or lose it.” Unlike an FSA, the funds in your HSA account can continue to accumulate until you are ready to use them. HSA bank accounts also include a “catch-up” contribution provision, will enable participants that are aged 55 years or older to contribute an additional $1,000 towards their own HSA.

Can you use HSA for LASIK?

Although the IRS sets limits on which procedures can and can’t be covered by an HSA, LASIK is currently considered to be an eligible expense meaning you can use your HSA to pay for your LASIK surgery here in Dallas. How to use your HSA to pay for your LASIK. The funds held in your HSA will be available without a time limit. This means that you could fully fund your HSA each year, and then tap into the account when you have enough money to cover the LASIK procedure. Also, if your employer offers an FSA program, you can use it in conjunction with your HSA to help further fund your LASIK surgery in Dallas.

What is an FSA?

An FSA is an account that allows you to set aside pre-tax dollars from your paycheck to pay for eligible out-of-pocket expenses. You set the level you want to contribute, and your contributions to the account are spread out evenly over the year. The maximum you can contribute for 2019 to the program is $2,700, and one of the main benefits of the FSA program is that you can access the full amount of your annual contribution election, even if you haven’t yet made all of the pre-tax deductions for the year. In it’s purest form, an FSA allows you to access funds before you have even contributed to them! Some stipulations must be met, however. For example, you must use the full contribution amount within 12 months or risk losing the balance. While some plans may offer a small grace period that rolls over into the next plan year, it is worth looking to spend the full amount of your contributions on an annual basis.

Does FSA Cover LASIK?

The IRS places restrictions on what is covered by FSA funds. However, an FSA currently covers LASIK procedures.

How to use your FSA to pay for your LASIK

 

If you are a suitable candidate for LASIK surgery in Dallas, you may be able to use your FSA or HSA funds to help pay for it.  The problem with an FSA is that you may not have enough money to pay for the entire procedure. If your company’s plan provides a “grace period” you may be able to combine any remaining FSA funds from the previous year with the FSA funds from the current year to reach the full amount. Using the combined FSA funds could help to offset the cost of LASIK surgery and ensure that this life-changing surgery is affordable for you.  LASIK Surgery From LaserCare Eye Center
We offer state of the art LASIK surgery with affordable payment options. Call us at 214.328.0444 to book your consultation with our surgeon for your LASIK surgery in Dallas today.

source https://www.dfweyes.com/lasik/%e2%80%a8can-you-use-an-hsa-or-fsa-for-lasik-surgery/

Can Cataract Surgery be Redone

Cataract surgery is irreversible. This is because the cloudy natural lens that results in a cataract is removed during surgery and cannot be placed back in. In most cases, when people ask whether a cataract surgery can be redone, they’re often implying whether a cataract can come back or if there is anything else that can be done to improve their vision.

Can a Cataract Come Back?
The good news is that cataracts do not return once they have been removed.  A cataract occurs when the natural lens in your eye becomes cloudy due to aging or trauma. During cataract surgery, the clouded lens is removed and is replaced with an artificial lens implant. Since the lens is removed completely, the cataract cannot come back in the operated eye.

Can an IOL be Replaced?
If the intraocular lens (IOL) used during surgery is not centered correctly or is not the ideal power, it can be repositioned or replaced. For example, if you had your presbyopia corrected using a multifocal implant and you’re experiencing vision issues, such as poor near vision or halos following surgery, the IOL can be exchanged for a different presbyopia-correcting implant.

Cataract surgery is among the safest and most commonly performed surgical procedures in the U.S. Therefore, the need to redo a cataract surgery is infrequent.

Note that there are risks associated with replacing an IOL, as with any other surgery. Some effective alternatives to replacement surgery include:

• Glasses or contact lenses
• Laser vision correction
• Limbal relaxing incision

If you’re considering having your IOL replaced or repositioned, discuss your options thoroughly, analyzing the risks, benefits and suitable alternatives.

Before performing cataract surgery, your surgeon will take some measurements from your eye. These measurements are influenced by many factors, including eyeball length, corneal curvature and the position of the cataract as well as the new lens. Although not common, all surgeons have to replace an intraocular lens at some point, due to complications from the implant or poor lens positioning or lens power. If your surgeon feels the positioning of your lens or the lens power is incorrect, and it is safe to perform an exchange, consider discussing your options or going for a second opinion.

Will My Vision Worsen After Cataract Surgery?
Vision generally does not worsen following cataract surgery – unless you have other problems, such as glaucoma or macular degeneration later in life. The lens implants used for cataract surgery are highly durable and long-lasting. At times, the capsule that holds the lens implant may become cloudy following cataract surgery, affecting your vision. Your eye doctor may use a laser to clear the cloudiness and restore your vision.

Most people have to use eyeglasses or contact lenses after cataract surgery, at least for a limited period of time. Once your eyes have healed from surgery, your eye surgeon may recommend using prescription glasses for excellent vision.

source https://www.dfweyes.com/cataract-surgery/can-cataract-surgery-be-redone/