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$761: The Threshold That Can Make Patients Hesitate

When care reaches a certain dollar amount, patients can stall. Talking about financing can keep them moving forward.

Ophthalmology Management September 15, 2026

Every practice knows this moment: A patient is on board with a recommendation right up until they hear the cost. Then they say, “Let me think about it.”

 

What they’re really saying is, “Let me do some math.” A key number: $761.

 

The CareCredit VisionIQ Study, conducted by Ipsos on behalf of Synchrony, surveyed 2,000 US consumers. Results show that $761 is the average out-of-pocket threshold at which nearly 8 in 10 consumers say they'd seriously consider financing. For Gen Z and Millennials, the amount is even lower. 

 

This financing threshold applies across all the services you offer. It’s true whether patients are considering an elective procedure, a premium lens upgrade, a longer treatment plan, or even glasses or contacts.

 

$761 is the average out-of-pocket threshold at which nearly 8 in 10 consumers say they'd seriously consider financing.

 WHY COST KEEPS QUALIFIED LASIK PATIENTS WAITING

 LASIK illustrates this tendency. Among consumers who qualify but haven’t had the procedure, 59% point to cost as their concern—ahead of both fear of surgery going wrong and worry about negative results. The interest is there. The cost question is what stalls it.

 

This trend sharpens when you consider how patients pay for LASIK: 64% of LASIK patients paid out of pocket. Only 9% used a healthcare credit card. This means most are absorbing the full cost themselves.

 

Sure, LASIK isn’t always covered by insurance. But think about all the products and services you offer that can add up to an out-of-pocket amount beyond $761, even with insurance. 

 

59% of consumers who qualify for LASIK but haven’t had it cite cost as their concern.

 DISCUSS FINANCING BEFORE COST BECOMES A BARRIER

The patient who hesitates on care to “think about it” is often considering the numbers alone, without the one piece of information that could change the answer. They may not know financing is an option, or that a lump sum they can’t picture paying could break into monthly payments they can manage.

 

Raising the option of financing early in the care journey can help patients avoid this hesitation moment. Bring it up during the consultation, and you remove the barrier before the patient ever gets to “let me think about it.” A patient who hears about payment options up front may be more likely to schedule the next step in their vision care.

 

 

 

MAKE FINANCING PART OF EVERY VISIT

 

Don’t try to guess which patients want to hear about financing. Remember, the $761 is an average based on a wide range of consumers. There's no way to tell just by looking at patients which ones will start doing the math. And your team shouldn’t have to do any math either.

 

Front-desk staff, opticians, and techs all interact with patients at moments where cost surfaces. Get them involved in raising awareness. All they need to do is let patients know the practice offers a financing option, such as the CareCredit health and wellness credit card.

 

The approach is simple: Mention financing to every patient at every visit. 

 

SIMPLE TOOLS FOR THE COST CONVERSATION

 

The practice’s website, social media presence, and even your waiting room can do some of the work for you. CareCredit provides customizable tools to make it easier for your team to talk about financing: 

 

  • Payment Calculator: Interactive digital tool that you can add to your website so patients can figure out their estimated monthly payment from your consultation room—or even their kitchen table.              
  • Social Media Calendar: Ready-made monthly posts for your practice’s feed to show patients your practice offers financing.
  •  LASIK Myths Video: A video you can loop on a waiting room monitor to proactively address the top 3 concerns facing prospective LASIK patients.
  • Cost Talk Toolkit: Scripts and conversation starters for raising cost during live conversations, from scheduling a consultation through follow-up.

 

Used together, these resources help turn “let me think about it” into a conversation that gives patients a path forward.

 

The real lesson of $761 is timing. Cost steers patient decisions long before it shows up on an invoice, and it works that way across your procedure mix. Bring financing into the conversation early, and you may lower the barriers between a patient and the care they really want.

 

Want more insights into what drives patient behaviors? The complete CareCredit VisionIQ Study lays out more data—and more resources to help you act on it.

 

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