Lasik Eye Correction

What type of (oddball) health benefits are offered in the military?

Does the military offer any benefits to its personnel such as laser eye correction and braces? Are they difficult to get?

Public Comments

1. I was lucky enough to get lasik surgery while serving in the navy, braces on the other hand is another concern.
2. NO, but you can still have work done outside of the military or VA Mary: was that done at a military installation?
3. They offer pretty much anything you want as long as it can be justified. Its not difficult to get its just how long you might have to wait.
4. Pretty much anything that is medically necessary. Corrective eye surgery is not unusual, as it helps you perform your mission. There are restrictions to every thing. But heck, spouses can get boob jobs if they buy the implants. Surgeons need to keep up their skills.
5. for us, braces are covered (with applicable copays) for dependents via tricare but not for AD (obviously, b/c you cant get regular orthodontic appts in iraq). depending on your job you may or may not get laser eye surgery covered... (i've never heard of the military covering lasik, or even allowing it for certain MOS, they really much rather perfer PRK but there are lots of types of restorative eye surgeries) every hospital is different and each seems to offer (through long wait lists) different things to train the staff.
6. You can apply for laser eye correction at government expense - it's not just an aesthetic thing, glasses are a nuisance to clean, and contact lenses are an absolute pain - not to mention the restrictions associated with wearing them. Not sure about braces... straightening your teeth is mostly cosmetic, but there are more practical problems with having jagged teeth. In any case, you need to prove you genuinely need them. --- Just as a bonus, there was an incident in Australia when it was found female soldiers were abusing the medical benefits to score breast implants and facelifts, citing that they needed the cosmetic surgery to boost their morale, else they wouldn't be able to do their job. Pfff, doesn't happen anymore, I'm afraid.
7. If you are in the US Military on ACTIVE Duty... 100% of all your Medical is covered... If it is really needed..you will get it... They may not give you Lasik but they will give you the correct glasses... Yeppers...sounds like a real good reason to enlist... It seems like it is what can I get for Free... Rather than wanting to Serve...
8. lasik surgery can be done but priority goes to combat arms mos, and you must have some retention left in the military, same goes for braces, it depends on what mos you have, most combat arms mos you cant have braces but if you do get braces then you still need retention time in the military and you need to see the same dentist for your braces follow ups, its a pain besides the braces you will get is the metal ones, yeah, the metal ones.