Cheap Lasik

THEY OFFER LASIK SURGERY FOR BARGAIN-BASEMENT PRICES, BUT THE FLORIDA ATTORNEY GENERAL TELLS THE NEWS 12 I-TEAM THAT THEY ARE LOOKING INTO THAT LOCAL LASIK SURGERY CENTER. CAN THEY REALLY DELIVER ON THEIR PRICE PROMISES?

IT'S LIKE CLOCKWORK, EVERY SUNDAY. IF YOU GET THE NEWSPAPER, YOU'VE SEEN THIS AD: LASIK FOR $299. YES, LASIK EYE SURGERY FOR $299?

Dr. Steven Rosenfeld/Ophthalmologist: "You'd lose money if you did lasik for $299 an eye."

BUT ONE NATIONWIDE COMPANY CALLED LASIK VISION INSTITUTE, BASED RIGHT HERE IN WEST PALM BEACH, CLAIMS IT CAN. SO, THE NEWS12 I-TEAM WENT UNDERCOVER TO FIND OUT!

SHARON WEARS CONTACT LENSES, AND HAS SERIOUSLY CONSIDERED GETTING LASIK SURGERY SO SHE MADE AN APPOINTMENT AT L-V-I. SHE EVEN BROUGHT THE $299 AD WITH HER. BUT AFTER AN EYE EXAM, SHE GOT THE NEWS.

Sharon/Undercover Producer: "The first thing he said, well you're not eligible for the $299. Like right out of the bat, he said that to me."

*HER* PRICE STARTS AT $499 PER EYE. THE FINE PRINT IN LVI'S AD DOES SAY "PRICE MAY INCREASE BASED ON RX". SHARON HAS A -6 PRESCRIPTION. THE $299 PRICE APPARENTLY IS ONLY FOR PEOPLE WITH A -1 OR -2.

ENTER OUR SECOND CANDIDATE. CRAIG HAS A -1.75 PRESCRIPTION. HE WENT THROUGH THE SAME EYE EXAM. THEN:

Craig/Undercover Customer: "They initially offered a $299 per eye."

THAT'S RIGHT, $299 PER EYE. BUT THAT PRICE DOESN'T GET YOU MUCH. IT DOESN'T INCLUDE CERTAIN TEARING PLUGS WHICH SOME PATIENTS REQUIRE. OH, AND IF YOU WANT A GUARANTEE ON THE SURGERY, THAT'LL COST YOU MORE TOO.

Craig: "Even though you have $299 per eye, we're not going to guarantee it's going to fix it."

AND SHARON, WHO WAS QUOTED MORE STILL WASN'T GETTING A GUARANTEE.

Sharon: "With the $499, there is no insurance on that, so if you're vision were to slip and you wanted surgery again, you'd have to pay $499 again."

Brody White/Better Business Bureau: "We think those disclosures should be fully made up front, before the consumer enters the office."

DR. STEVEN ROSENFELD SAYS HIS PRICE FOR LASIK SURGERY WHICH STARTS AT $1500 PER EYE INCLUDES EVERYTHING FOR A YEAR: ALL FOLLOW-UP VISITS, ANY ADDITIONAL SURGERY.

Dr. Steven Rosenfeld/Ophthalmologist: "Most ophthalmologists charge a global fee and we're right up from with what that global fee includes...we don't tack extra things on."

BUT LVI'S ATTORNEY, MATT ZIFRONY SAYS EVEN WHEN TACKING THINGS ON, THE EYE SURGERY AT LVI IS STILL MUCH CHEAPER THAN MOST OPHTHALMOLOGISTS OFFER.

Matt Zifrony/Lasik Vision Institute Attorney: "The real story here is why aren't the competitors charging what the procedure actually costs rather than trying to make as much as they possibly can."

Suzanne Boyd/Reporting: "Lasik Vision Institute tells us only a small percentage of their customers get that $299 price. And we did talk with at least three patients who say that's all they paid. So technically...you can pay only $299, but do you really want to?"

Dr. Steven Rosenfeld: "The way these corporate centers go is they farm you out to local optomoterists, not the MD opthamologists for your post-operative care, so it's not the person who's done your surgery and usually not even the person who's examined you pre-operatively."

IN FACT, YOU DON'T EVEN SEE THE SURGEON UNTIL YOU'RE THIRD VISIT. YOU FIRST MEET WITH A SALESPERSON, THEN AN OPTOMETRIST FOR YOUR EYE EXAM, THEN YOU MEET WITH THE SURGEON.

BUT LVI SAYS THAT'S HOW THEY CAN OFFER THE SURGERY FOR SO CHEAP.

Matt Zifrony/LVI Attorney: "It allows us to save money and pass that along to the customer, but understand our track record...is second to none."

Suzanne Boyd/Reporting: "WE HAVE HEARD NO COMPLAINTS ABOUT L-V-I'S SURGICAL PROCEDURES, ONLY THEIR ADVERTISING. BUT IT IS IMPORTANT TO NOTE THAT LVI'S OWNER WAS FINED $500,000 FOUR YEARS AGO FOR ANOTHER COMPANY HE OWNS CALLED EYEGLASS WORLD WHICH WAS ACCUSED OF SELLING USED CONTACTS.