Vision practices are built on precision. Clinical decisions and patient guidance are grounded in diagnostics and data, continually refined across industry advancements and cases.

So, why should the way practices approach patient concerns and the payment experience be any different?

New research from CareCredit, a Synchrony solution, suggests that the gap between vision patients’ interest in treatments and their decision to move forward with care – across procedures from LASIK to routine care – isn’t a clinical problem but a cost problem.

The VisionIQ study, which surveyed 2,000 US consumers, reveals that cost concerns may be influencing decisions that vision providers may never know about (1).

Cost barriers to care may be leading patients away from practices before they experience a provider's expertise, reputation, or clinical recommendations.

The pre-appointment financial filter

Nearly two-thirds (64%) of consumers say cost impacts how often they seek vision care. For Gen Z, that number climbs to 78% (1).

These aren't patients who reviewed their options and decided to pursue care elsewhere – they're patients who’ve removed themselves from your potential patient pool entirely. And, as younger generations like Gen Z are visiting optometrists at higher rates than the general population (1), that loss for patients and providers underscores a pressing need to provide actionable solutions.

Insurance coverage doesn't close this gap. Despite 65% of consumers having vision coverage, more than half (54%) still face an out-of-pocket balance (1). In fact, 26% of consumers report choosing a primary care physician over a vision specialist simply because insurance covers more — redirecting their care for financial reasons, not clinical ones.

The financing side of the patient journey is one of the clearest examples of a blind spot in vision practices, and, unlike a missed diagnosis, providers would have no way of knowing which patients walked away.

LASIK's conversion problem is measurable

For ophthalmology practices, the LASIK findings in our research may reflect the most pressing blind spot in understanding how patient cost concerns drive behavior.

Despite 50% of Gen Z respondents expressing genuine interest in LASIK, they account for just 5% of actual LASIK patients (1). The data shows that cost is the leading barrier to moving forward with LASIK services for interested and qualified patients — ahead of fear of surgical complications (34%) and concern about outcomes (34%) (1).

For practice leaders, this data shows that cost outranks fear. Optimizing services and expanding clinical confidence alone may not be sufficient to close this gap, and that’s where financing can play a vital role in practice success.

The gap between willingness and action

Although 43% of consumers say they're comfortable using a healthcare credit card to finance vision expenses, only 7% have actually used one (1).

That reflects a significant gap between patients' openness to financing and their actual use of it. The challenge isn’t patient reluctance; it’s clear financial pathways. Nearly eight in ten consumers say they'd seriously consider financing once out-of-pocket costs reach a certain threshold, and 43% say they would be more likely to pursue care if they could pay in installments (1).

Troy Cole, a coach and advisor in the refractive surgery space, captured this well: “Access to vision care shouldn’t be something patients have to overthink. But the reality is financial hurdles are still one of the biggest barriers,” he said. “When practices can offer clear, flexible payment options, it changes the conversation. They give patients confidence to move forward and ultimately support better long-term eye health and overall lifestyle."

Yet 37% of patients say no financing options have ever been presented by their eye care provider (1). Building consumer confidence to pursue desired vision care services isn’t passive – it demands deliberate systems and processes that foster an environment capable of initiating it. That’s where a strong financial partner can help bridge this gap.

The role of financial experience in practice selection

The patient's financial experience is becoming a variable in provider selection, one that most practices aren't actively designing or measuring.

More than half of consumers (55%) say they're more likely to choose a vision care provider that offers a variety of payment options, and 44% say they would switch providers to access more convenient payment options (1).

The practices integrating financing as part of the standard patient experience aren't just seeking to better accommodate their patients – they’re creating a competitive advantage for themselves within the industry. By providing patients with a variety of financing options to make their vision care goals a reality, practices may be able to foster return visits and retain their patient pool.

The operational shift: making the invisible visible

Closing the gap between patient interest and vision care services requires extending the same rigor and standard of clinical decision-making to the financial side of the patient journey. The VisionIQ data highlights a gap between patients' desire for vision care and their ability to pursue it, revealing a critical need for clear financial pathways.

The patients are there and their interest and demand is real. Practices that can help to remove barriers to care won’t just improve access; they’ll be better positioned to grow in an increasingly competitive landscape.