Paying for Eye Treatment: Where to Find Help

Medical costs related to caring for your eyes can mount up in a hurry. Between injections, medications, copays, and surgeries, the out-of-pocket costs can overwhelm your pocketbook, even with insurance. 

There is financial help worth exploring through your eye doctor, nonprofit organizations, and drug manufacturers.

Start with your current eye doctor’s office.

One of the best places to begin is right at your eye doctor. Ask them to help you apply for programs that help pay for costs not covered by insurance or Medicare. 

Eye clinic staff often know which financial assistance programs are available, as well as the application process. 

If you want to explore options yourself, these trusted websites offer information about low-cost eye care:

• American Society of Retina Specialists—Patient Assistance Resources
• National Eye Institute—Finding Free or Low-Cost Eye Care

Check what eye care your insurance actually covers.

Understanding your vision treatment coverage can help you avoid unexpected costs. Many people have both vision insurance (routine eye care) and medical insurance (eye diseases and treatments)—and they’re not the same.

In a Glaucoma Community story, Barbara discovered her optometrist was in-network for vision insurance but not for medical insurance, which led to unexpected costs.

To avoid surprises:

• Call your insurance plan to confirm what’s covered.
• Check whether your doctor is in-network for both vision and medical insurance.
• Ask your eye clinic staff to help review your benefits.

If coverage is denied, you may still be able to appeal.

For more details, Prevent Blindness has a helpful overview: Prevent Blindness—Medicare and Eye Health.

Ask about help with medications.

Many people struggle to pay for ongoing eye injections like Eylea or Lucentis, which can have a very high cost per dose. But drug manufacturers can offer financial help with these costs. 

Your eye doctor may already know which programs can help with your specific eye treatment.

For your convenience, use these links for more trusted information:

• BrightFocus Foundation—Financial Aid for Glaucoma Medications
• Prevent Blindness—Vision Care Financial Assistance Information
• American Academy of Ophthalmology—Free or Discounted Medication 

Some companies also offer assistance directly, such as:

• Alcon Patient Assistance Program

Eligibility varies, and applications may need information from your doctor.

If you need eye surgery, ask about available programs.

If you have cataracts or glaucoma but can’t afford eye surgery, a few programs may offer free or reduced-cost procedures for people who qualify. For example,

• Mission Cataract USA: Provides free cataract surgery for eligible patients.
• AGS Cares: Surgical Glaucoma Care Program: Offers free glaucoma surgery for patients who qualify.

These programs are limited, but your eye doctor can help you determine whether they may be an option and how to apply.

Ask about nonprofit patient assistance funds.

Some nonprofit organizations offer financial help for eye treatment costs, including copays and medications for conditions like macular degeneration or diabetic retinopathy.

These programs open and close throughout the year depending on funding. If one is closed, you can still:

• Sign up for notifications when the fund reopens.
• Ask your clinic to monitor the fund for you.

First ask your eye doctor about these programs; they often know which ones are open and how to apply. 

If you wish to explore options yourself, here’s a list of some well-known programs. Even if funds are closed, ask about waiting lists:

• The Assistance Fund: Offers grants for patients with conditions such as macular degeneration and macular telangiectasia.
• Patient Advocate Foundation: Provides the National Financial Resource Directory that searches national and regional financial assistance programs. It’s also merging soon with the PAN Foundation, which helps cover costs for certain macular diseases and inherited retinal diseases.
• Good Days: Offers financial aid for some retinal diseases. Here’s some help for navigating possibly unfamiliar medical terms:
• Wet macular degeneration and diabetic retinopathy are under Related vascular and neovascular retinal diseases.
• Advanced dry macular degeneration is under neurodegenerative retinal diseases.
• HealthWell Foundation: Offers help paying for certain macular degeneration treatments.

Financial assistance programs and eligibility requirements can change. Check with your doctor, clinic, or the organizations listed in this post for the most current information.

Coping with vision loss.

Managing treatment costs while adjusting to vision loss can feel overwhelming. Alongside financial assistance, many people find it helpful to have strategies and support for living with vision loss.

At Hadley, you can discover new ways to do things that have become more difficult due to vision loss and find a supportive community that “gets it”—all free of charge. If you would like to talk with someone or learn about our Hadley resources, call us: 800-323-4238.