FSA Changes May Spike Popularity of LASIK in 2012

    MONROE TOWNSHIP, NJ, December 14, 2011 /24-7PressRelease/ -- As a result of a lower cap on employer-sponsored flexible spending accounts (FSAs), which is scheduled to go into effect in 2013, more people may be having LASIK surgery in 2012.

Dr. Wayne Grabowski of Outlook EyeCare, a full-service eye care center with an outstanding team of New Jersey optometrists and ophthalmologists, says he expects the upcoming change in FSA limits to trigger a jump in the popular vision-correction procedure.

"We're hearing from many of our patients who, in anticipation of these health care reforms, are choosing to put money into their FSAs now for 2012," says Dr. Grabowski, whose specializations include New Jersey LASIK. "They realize the pending changes may prohibit them from having LASIK in the future. As a result, they want the procedure now."

About 85 percent of large employers, as well as many smaller ones, offer FSAs. These flexible health care spending accounts are designed to let employees reserve pre-tax income for medical expenses not covered by insurance. These expenses include deductibles, co-pays and elective surgery such as LASIK. In 2013, FSA account limits will be cut in half, going from $5,000 to $2,500.

"FSAs have allowed many of our patients to benefit from LASIK and other elective procedures," says Dr. Grabowski. "With the lower limit, if people wait until 2013 to have LASIK, they may not be able to pay for the entire procedure from their FSAs."

Advancements in LASIK surgery have opened up the procedure to more candidates than ever before. "When our patients ask whether they are good candidates for LASIK, we carefully evaluate their eyes to make that determination. If they are, many of them are deciding to have the procedure now to take advantage of the higher FSA limit while they still can," says Dr. Grabowski.

One of the premier eye care centers in New Jersey, Outlook EyeCare has a team dedicated to offering top quality, comprehensive eye care for people in the community. The center's two locations provide the latest and highest quality products, techniques and technology. Their services include reconstructive and cosmetic procedures, cataract correction, routine eye care and advanced treatments for eye diseases such as glaucoma.

"Our office stays abreast of FSA guidelines because so many treatments that we offer can be covered by FSAs, including cosmetic procedures such as BOTOX Cosmetic in New Jersey."

Even without the added benefit of using pre-tax dollars for LASIK, the procedure is known for its extremely high level of patient satisfaction. The physicians at Outlook EyeCare share in that satisfaction. "We feel extremely gratified when we help patients to see clearly without corrective lenses. They feel liberated when they no longer rely on cumbersome glasses or contacts, and they can see better than they have in years."

Outlook EyeCare (www.outlookeyecare.com) is a full-service eye care center offering top quality, comprehensive services for patients from Monroe Township and Princeton, New Jersey, as well as the surrounding communities. The two Outlook EyeCare locations are staffed by a carefully assembled team of eye care professionals, all of whom are at the top of their fields and highly esteemed in the medical community. As a result of the specialized training each of the doctors has achieved, Outlook EyeCare is able to meet a full range of eye care needs - vision, medical, surgical and cosmetic - from the most basic to the most complex.

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