According
to the American Optometric Association, more than half
of all Americans wear corrective lenses to obtain 20-20 vision. In the United
States, Lasik surgery costs anywhere from $1800 to $2500 per eye. As most
insurance companies do not cover Lasik surgery, the high cost makes the surgery
a far-fetched dream for most. That is, until now. In recent years, more and
more people have been heading to Tijuana for Lasik eye surgery and other
medical procedures. The cost of Lasik
surgery in Tijuana
is up to 70% cheaper than it is in the United States. After you factor in the
cost of travel and stay, it still equals out to be much cheaper to travel from
California to Tijuana than to get surgery in the United States.
Will I Still Save Money Even if I’m not from California or Arizona?
Of
course, because of close proximity, patients from California and Arizona will
save the most money by crossing the border into Mexico for Lasik eye surgery.
However, patients from other American states as well as Canada and Europe may
still benefit. If your American doctor is quoting the Lasik surgery at $2500
per eye, that’s $5000. If the cost of Lasik surgery in Tijuana is only $1000
per eye, that’s $2000. The cost of travel will depend largely on your travel
style, but it is very reasonable to assume that you can travel and stay in
Tijuana for less than $1000 during your surgery. In this scenario, traveling to
Tijuana for Lasik surgery will save you $2000.
How Do I Get There?
If
you are from California or Arizona, you can cross the border into Tijuana by
private car or by bus. It is literally only 18 miles from San Diego to Tijuana.
If you are not from California or Arizona but still wish to get Lasik surgery
in Tijuana, then you can fly either to San Diego Airport and drive across or
you can book a ticket to the Tijuana International Airport.
What about Discount Lasik Surgery in the United States?
You
may have seen discount Lasik surgery advertised in the newspaper or online.
They quote a cost of $399, $299, or sometimes even $99 per eye. The reality,
however, is that this is rarely ever the actual cost. Most of the time, this is
just to tempt the patient to make a phone call. The doctor will add on “extra
charges” depending on the state of your vision and other factors. In the end,
even such “discount Lasik clinics” still wind up being much more expensive than
getting Lasik surgery in Tijuana.