The following is a summary of a recent Aug. 31, 2007 NY Times article with Dr Dello Russo which discussed Lasik financing, as well as an evening news MSNBC article from Sept. 2, 2007.

Much has been written lately about the credit market but one area of credit is just beginning to prosper: financing medical as well as cosmetic surgery!

Cosmetic surgery like LASIK, which is used to get rid of glasses at about a rate of 1.5 million a year is increasingly being financed, sometimes at no interest penalty at all. Lasik is not covered by medical insurance so it demands a certain amount of discretionary income. Depending on a person’s credit rating, one may have lasik with Dr. Dello Russo of New York and New Jersey and not pay a penny for 12 months at which time the loan comes due and may to be paid without any interest at all. 

DR Dello Russo says that the patient arranges with the credit company to pay him and will then repay the lender according to their agreement either with no interest or heavy interest. The doctor himself plays no part in this arrangement, except to make the introduction of the patient to the lender and then allow them to work out their own particular agreement if any. 

Dr. Dello Russo says that  financing has allowed those who cannot pay in full at the time of surgery an opportunity to pay over a period of time. It has encouraged patients to undergo LASIK and all seem to benefit. Dello Russo says that it took him a while to get used to accepting independent financing in his office, but then again it took him longer to adapt to accepting checks and later longer yet to accept credit cards way back when.