Do you still have funds remaining in your FSA that you have to use before the end of the year? Putting them towards LASIK may be one of the best decisions you’ll ever make.
It’s normal if it seems like many people are scrambling to use up their flex dollars before they expire at the end of the year. This time of year, many people are scrambling to figure out how to use their flex dollars before they expire at the end of December.
You may not know that you can apply them to your eye care needs, including LASIK, eye exams, contacts, and more! Have you ever dreamed about achieving visual freedom from glasses and contact lenses?
It’s an excellent time to find out if you’re a good LASIK candidate, once and for all. Keep reading to find out why you should use your flex dollars to treat yourself to LASIK!
What is an FSA?
A flexible spending account (FSA) is an account an employer may offer you as part of a benefits package that can help pay for healthcare expenses. You contribute a predetermined amount of your salary. With this amount, you can use these funds when you need them to cover many kinds of out-of-pocket costs.
What makes this different from any other kind of savings account is that the money you set aside is pre-tax or tax-advantaged. With tax-advantaged funds, you do not need to pay income or payroll taxes.
The result is that your hard-earned dollars go farther without being held back by taxes. Knowing how much you have remaining in your FSA this time of year is imperative because flex dollars typically expire come January.
Unless there are exceptional circumstances, this is the point that your balance will reset, and you will forfeit any flex spending dollars you had to your employer. Since they do not roll over into the following year, you will lose them if you don’t use them.
FSAs and HSAs
Although they are similar, an FSA is different from an HSA. The critical difference is that HSAs are more flexible than FSAs.
When you have an HSA, it stays with you. An HSA is an account that you own, independently from any employer. Your employer owns an FSA, so if you change jobs, it will not follow you.
These accounts also have different annual contribution caps. These limits have recently changed. With an FSA, the limit is $2,850. With an HSA, the limits are $3,650 (for one person) and $7,300 (for a family).
The crucial distinction is that unspent funds can roll over from year to year with an HSA but not an FSA. You must understand your account type to avoid losing any funds.
Can You Use Flex Dollars on Eye Care?
Eye care may not even cross your mind when you think of spending your flex dollars. However, eye care is considered a medical expense that you can use toward your flex dollars.
This includes procedures like LASIK and cataract surgery. An FSA is becoming increasingly popular to finance a more significant investment like LASIK, allowing people to simultaneously correct their vision and save money.
But this also goes beyond LASIK and other kinds of procedures. When you think about it, you may be responsible for many out-of-pocket expenses during a calendar year.
Your FSA can help. Put your flex dollars toward regular eye exams, contact lenses, contact lens cases, contact cleaning solution, prescription sunglasses, eye drops, and more.
One of the best ways to get the most out of your flex dollars is to apply them to your eye care. You’ll be glad you did.
Why is Now a Great Time to Get LASIK?
It’s always a great time to correct your vision with LASIK, but that is especially true now. It’s before the height of the holiday season, one of the most exciting—and busiest—times of the year.
Getting LASIK now can be smart when you know your schedule will be packed soon. LASIK will save you time, as you can spend less time looking for your glasses and cleaning your contacts.
Think of what even an extra 15 minutes in the morning would do for your routine. After having LASIK, you won’t have to spend your mornings putting in contacts in a rush or fumbling around searching for your glasses when you wake up.
Can you imagine waking up with crystal-clear vision for years to come? Who wouldn’t want to enjoy the holiday season even more, thanks to clear vision?
From lights around town to ornaments on a tree, there’s so much to see during the holidays. With LASIK, you can see it all more clearly than ever.
The holidays can strain your wallet, but that doesn’t mean you should put your vision needs off until next year or even later. Your FSA can allow you to get LASIK without making financial sacrifices. You could save thousands of dollars on your procedure!
In addition, because you will no longer have to pay for ongoing expenses like glasses, contacts, cleaning solution, and more, LASIK will save you money in the long run.
It’s never too early to think ahead, and getting LASIK soon can ensure you’re in good shape before peak allergy season hits next spring. Anyone suffering from seasonal allergies and wearing contacts knows how that combination can worsen symptoms.
Because you won’t be touching your eyes throughout the day, getting LASIK can improve your symptoms and allow you to take advantage of more spring activities. Not to mention, you’ll be fully recovered well before your favorite things to do in the summer.
Most patients start experiencing better vision almost immediately, with peak vision coming only a month or two after LASIK. That gives you plenty of time to enjoy your new eyesight next summer without worrying about a long, drawn-out recovery period.
Would you like to use your flex dollars to achieve excellent vision with LASIK? Schedule your LASIK consultation at Dell Laser Consultants in Austin, TX, today to find out if you’re a good fit for LASIK!
