Using HSA dollars to pay for ASA / LASIK

Here’s how to make laser surface vision correction more affordable with pre-tax healthcare savings

By Craig Moskowitz, MD

Refractive procedures like Advanced Surface Ablation, a safer alternative to LASIK and PRK, are generally treated as qualified medical expenses, so HSA (and FSA) dollars can be used to pay for the procedure and related care. Confirm with your HSA custodian, but this is a common and accepted route.

“As fall arrives and winter starts to creep up on us, folks sometimes realize they have unused pre-tax dollars and prefer to use them before the plan year ends. If that’s you, we can prep the paperwork so reimbursement is smooth. We see this often from patients traveling in from NYC and elsewhere.”

How we make HSA payments simple

In practice, patients typically either pay at the time of service with an HSA/FSA debit card or pay out-of-pocket and reimburse themselves later from their HSA.

At our practice we routinely accept HSA/FSA debit cards, and when you pay we give you an itemized, dated receipt that lists procedure and diagnosis codes, provider info, and totals – the documentation most custodians ask for. Because card processing has a fee, some patients prefer to pay by other means and then reimburse themselves; either way, we’ll prepare the paperwork you need (This is what many of our patients do.).

Our Pricing for Laser Eye Surgery

Unlike most vision correction clinics in the city, we price ASA transparently and include post-op visits and follow-up care in the fee. We offer two plans with no additional/surprise charges:

• Conventional ASA (for both eyes) – $4,600

• Custom, Wavefront-Guided ASA (both eyes) – $5,600

All post-op care is of course included in these fees.

By the way – if you’re wondering how these costs compare to contact lenses and glasses, check out the video on this page or click here.

Simple step-by-step checklist

1. Confirm HSA eligibility with your plan administrator (show them IRS Pub. 502 if needed).

2. Tell us you’ll be using HSA/FSA funds – we’ll note that on your file.

3. Decide how to pay:

   • Use your HSA/FSA debit card at checkout (we accept it), or

   • Pay another way and submit our itemized receipt to your custodian for reimbursement.

4. Keep your itemized receipt (we include procedure and diagnosis codes, provider tax ID).

5. Submit receipts and any requested forms to your HSA custodian. If they ask for letters or codes, we’ll provide them.

Why now is a great time to book ASA

This season is often the easiest time for recovery and scheduling:

• Many people have fewer in-person obligations (vacations, quieter social calendars), making it easier to rest and follow post-op instructions.

• Increased remote work lets patients take a few days of recovery without burning vacation time or worrying about being in public.

• Built-in holidays make scheduling follow-ups convenient and reduce pressure to rush back to busy weeks.

• Year-end HSA balances: folks sometimes realize they have unused pre-tax dollars and prefer to use them before the plan year ends. If that’s you, we can prep the paperwork so reimbursement is smooth. (We see this often from patients traveling in from NYC and elsewhere.)

Final note

Using HSA dollars can meaningfully lower your out-of-pocket cost and is a routine choice for many New Yorkers.

If you’d like, we’ll pre-prepare the invoice and documentation before your procedure so everything is ready for quick reimbursement. Call or message us and we’ll walk you through the best option for your HSA balance and schedule, whether you live in NYC, commute in from the suburbs, or are local to the area.