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Duke Eye Center Offers Discounted Corrective LASIK Surgery

Faculty and staff can get $600 off the process

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Maria Perveiler, COA, operates a machine used in the Duke Eye Center for corrective surgery.

For years, Ben Primorac had thought about alternatives to help his vision outside of glasses or contact lenses. The more he read about LASIK surgery, the more he thought it would be an option.

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So last year Primorac visited the Duke Eye Center to have the out-patient surgery performed and saved money in the process. As a perk for Duke faculty and staff, employees get about 14 percent off pricing and pay $3,800 for the LASIK procedure on both eyes. That's a savings of $600 on the normal price of $4,400.

If employees use the Duke discount, 2012 will be the last year the full cost of LASIK surgery will be eligible for coverage under healthcare reimbursement accounts. Due to requirements under healthcare reform, the maximum contribution to reimbursement accounts will have a lower cap after 2012, going from $4,000 to $2,500.

"It's a nice benefit for being an employee, but knowing how good Duke doctors are and the fact it's a world-class organization kept me more at ease," said Primorac, a clinical nurse at Duke. "All those aspects helped me make my decision."

In addition to the savings, employees have the option of selecting 24-month zero percent financing or up to 24-month payroll deduction to pay for the surgery, which is what Primorac chose.

LASIK stands for "laser-assisted in situ keratomileusis," a procedure that creates better vision by permanently changing the shape of the cornea, the clear covering of the front of the eye, using a laser. After surgery, patients typically have about 20/20 vision - a standard for good eyesight.

Justin Hammond, marketing manager for the Duke Eye Center, said that staff at Duke's facility has performed more than 20,000 LASIK procedures and also hold free vision correction seminars so faculty and staff can find out how best to care for their sight.

"When it comes to your eyes, you want to know you are being cared for on a personalized level by the very best in the country and you get that at the Duke Eye Center," Hammond said. "We want to make sure every Duke employee has the opportunity to enjoy life without glasses or contacts, if possible, which is why we are making our refractive surgeries more accessible than ever."

Now with clear, 20/20 vision, Primorac said he gets to enjoy little things, like not worrying about contacts falling out or repeatedly pushing up glasses.

"I'm able to wake up in the morning and clearly see my wife or the alarm clock," he said. "I'm glad I trusted Duke with my eyesight."

Learn more about corrective eyesight procedures at the Duke Eye Center website.