Braces, Invisalign, and LASIK: what your plan actually pays in 2026

Two procedures — orthodontics and LASIK — get lumped together in conversations about "elective" dental and vision costs. They shouldn't be. One comes with real insurance coverage and verified 2026 benefit caps. The other is a discount network wearing an insurance costume. Knowing which is which changes how you shop, negotiate, and schedule.

This issue breaks down both, drawing on confirmed 2026 numbers from federal FEDVIP (Federal Employees Vision and Dental Insurance Program) plan brochures — which serve as a public, verifiable benchmark for what PPO plans can offer — and from major carrier websites, plus the specific action steps that follow from them.

Orthodontic coverage: what your dental plan actually pays

The two-number rule for ortho coverage

Every major dental PPO that covers orthodontics uses the same basic structure: 50% coinsurance, $0 deductible, up to a lifetime maximum. The insurer pays half of the orthodontist's negotiated fee until the lifetime cap is exhausted. After that, the policyholder pays 100%.

The lifetime cap is where plans diverge — and where the difference actually matters. For the 2026 plan year, here's the confirmed picture from the two largest federal FEDVIP dental plans:

Plan	Option	Dependent/child lifetime max	Adult (enrollee/spouse) lifetime max
Delta Dental FEDVIP	High Option	$3,500	$2,000
Delta Dental FEDVIP	Standard Option	$2,000	(no separate limit; subject to annual cap)
MetLife FEDVIP	High Option	$3,500	$3,000
MetLife FEDVIP	Standard Option	$1,500 per person	$1,500 per person

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The headline finding: MetLife High Option pays $1,000 more toward adult orthodontic treatment than Delta Dental High Option ($3,000 vs. $2,000). For a child or dependent, the two are identical at $3,500. Neither plan imposes a waiting period on orthodontics.

On annual caps — which determine how much your insurer will pay for all dental work combined in a given year — the plans differ too:

Plan	Option	Annual maximum
Delta Dental FEDVIP	High Option	Unlimited (in-network); $3,000 (out-of-network)
Delta Dental FEDVIP	Standard Option	$1,500 (in-network); $1,000 (out-of-network)
MetLife FEDVIP	High Option	Unlimited
MetLife FEDVIP	Standard Option	$2,000 (combined in- and out-of-network)

1 2

One important MetLife-specific rule: if your orthodontic treatment started before your MetLife coverage began, the plan treats the initial appliance placement as 25% of the total course of treatment — and that 25% is considered outside the coverage period. The remaining 75% is reimbursed proportionally across covered months. 3 Delta Dental's 2026 brochure does not include an equivalent proration clause.

How this translates to out-of-pocket math

A comprehensive orthodontic case — traditional braces or a full Invisalign course — typically costs somewhere in the $4,000–$8,000 range in total provider fees depending on case complexity, practice location, and whether you're working with an orthodontist vs. a general dentist. The Delta Dental and MetLife figures above are what the insurer pays; you pay the other 50% up to the cap, then 100% beyond it.

Example for an adult with High Option coverage needing a $6,000 treatment:

MetLife: pays $3,000 (50% up to $3,000 cap). Patient owes $3,000.
Delta Dental: pays $2,000 (50% up to $2,000 cap). Patient owes $4,000.

The $1,000 difference in plan benefit translates directly to $1,000 in patient savings — which is real money over the life of treatment.

Hands holding a clear dental aligner in a modern dental clinic — Clear aligner (Invisalign-style) held in a dental clinic — insurance covers the treatment, not the appliance type 4

Employer-group commercial PPOs (not FEDVIP) vary widely. Most offer orthodontic lifetime maxes in the $1,000–$2,000 range for adults, sometimes only for dependents under 18. Before assuming your commercial plan matches FEDVIP generosity, confirm the specific lifetime ortho maximum in your plan's Summary of Benefits and Coverage document, or call your insurer and ask directly: "What is my plan's lifetime maximum for orthodontic treatment — for adults and for dependents?"

LASIK: discount programs, not insurance

Why LASIK "coverage" is a different category

No major vision plan — VSP, EyeMed, or Davis Vision — actually insures LASIK the way dental insurance covers ortho. LASIK is an elective procedure; vision plans negotiate fixed-dollar or percentage discounts with specific surgical chains, then market those arrangements as benefits. The distinction matters because:

There is no reimbursement claim to file. You pay the discounted fee directly to the surgeon.
The discount only applies at specific participating providers.
Stacking multiple discounts is often prohibited.

EyeMed: $1,200 off through June 30, 2026

EyeMed's current LASIK discount is the most quantifiable offer in the market right now: $1,200 off ($600 per eye) on Custom Wavelight Treatment with Lifetime Advantage Plan, booked and completed before June 30, 2026. 5

The three preferred providers through EyeMed's U.S. Laser Network (approximately 600 locations nationally) are LasikPlus, TLC Laser Eye Centers, and The LASIK Vision Institute. 5 Free pre-op consultations are available at all three.

eyemedlasik.com

EyeMed LASIK — Save $1,200

$600 off per eye on Custom Wavelight Treatment with Lifetime Advantage Plan. Must be completed by June 30, 2026. Three preferred provider chains: LasikPlus, TLC Laser Eye Centers, The LASIK Vision Institute.

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The catch: the offer cannot be combined with other discounts or coupons. If LasikPlus is running a separate seasonal promotion, EyeMed's $1,200 off and the LasikPlus coupon are generally mutually exclusive — you pick one.

VSP: unverifiable from public sources

VSP's LASIK arrangement cannot be confirmed from VSP's public-facing website. The URL vspdirect.com/lasik returns a 404 error. 6 Neither the VSP Direct plan details page nor the benefits page lists a specific LASIK discount percentage. 7 8

LasikPlus confirms VSP is a partner vision plan, and lists typical vision plan discounts in the 10–20% range. 9 If you have VSP, the practical path is to call VSP member services or request a free consultation at LasikPlus to get a VSP-specific quote.

LasikPlus all-in pricing and seasonal coupons

LasikPlus publishes pricing directly. Standard all-inclusive pricing (which covers the pre-op exam, the procedure, follow-up care, and an enhancement guarantee) runs $2,495–$2,895 per eye before any discounts. 10

Seasonal coupons — typically available in spring and fall — reduce that by $500 per eye ($1,000 for both). 11 With a vision plan discount stacked on top (10–20%), some patients reach the $1,999-per-eye range.

Financing is available through CareCredit (a healthcare-specific credit card offering 12-month no-interest promotional financing on purchases over $200) or LasikPlus's internal PremierPay plan with monthly payments starting around $158. 12 FSA and HSA funds can also be used for LASIK — a meaningful advantage since the IRS treats laser vision correction as a qualified medical expense.

QualSight: a third option for larger networks

QualSight administers a separate LASIK network of over 800 credentialed surgeons and claims savings of 20–35% versus the national average based on Market Scope 2023 pricing data. 13 Unlike EyeMed's fixed-dollar discount, QualSight negotiates procedure-specific rates with each surgeon — meaning the actual savings figure varies by provider and location. Free pre-op exams and 0% no-interest financing are available through QualSight as well.

QualSight is worth checking if neither EyeMed nor VSP is your vision plan, or if you want broader surgeon selection than the three LasikPlus chains.

LASIK discount comparison

Program	Discount type	Amount	Expiration	Stacks with other discounts?	Network size
EyeMed	Fixed dollar	$1,200 off ($600/eye)	June 30, 2026	No	~600 locations
VSP	Percentage (unverified)	Likely 10–20% via LasikPlus	No announced deadline	Unknown	LasikPlus + others
LasikPlus coupon	Fixed dollar	$500/eye ($1,000 both)	Seasonal	Yes (with vision plan %)	LasikPlus only
QualSight	Negotiated rate	20–35% off national average	No announced deadline	N/A	800+ surgeons

5 7 11 13

The action steps

For orthodontics

1. Get the pre-authorization form filed before treatment starts. Ask your orthodontist to submit a pre-determination of benefits (also called a pre-treatment estimate) to your insurer before placing any appliances. Your insurer will confirm the lifetime ortho maximum, the applicable coinsurance percentage, whether in-network rates apply, and the estimated patient share. This isn't a guarantee of payment, but it prevents surprises — and lets you verify whether your plan's adult lifetime max is $1,000 (some employer plans), $2,000 (Delta FEDVIP Standard), or $3,000 (MetLife High Option).

2. If you're comparing plans during open enrollment, the adult lifetime max is the number to check. For adults going through orthodontic treatment, MetLife FEDVIP High Option's $3,000 adult cap is a confirmed advantage over Delta Dental's $2,000. For families with dependent children in treatment, both plans are equivalent at $3,500. The MetLife Standard Option pays $1,500 per person — adequate for shorter or lower-cost treatment courses, but limiting on a full-arch case.

3. Invisalign vs. traditional braces: coverage is the same. Both plans cover orthodontics regardless of appliance type. The insurance doesn't care whether your orthodontist uses brackets and wires or clear aligners — coinsurance and lifetime caps apply identically. Your out-of-pocket share depends on what the orthodontist charges, not on which appliance you choose.

4. If treatment was already in progress when you enrolled in MetLife, ask about the proration rule. The 25% pre-enrollment exclusion applies to the initial bonding appointment. Get your orthodontist to specify the payment schedule in the treatment contract and submit it with your pre-authorization so MetLife can calculate the covered months correctly from the start.

For LASIK

Eye surgery being performed in a hospital operating room — Surgeons performing eye surgery, Delhi Eye Centre 14

5. EyeMed members: the June 30 deadline is real. If you have EyeMed coverage and have been considering LASIK, the $1,200 discount is the highest confirmed dollar-amount offer currently running at LasikPlus, TLC, or The LASIK Vision Institute. A free consultation requires no commitment. Book one in the next week or two to get a personalized quote before the June 30 cutoff — and clarify at the consultation whether the $1,200 off can be combined with any current LasikPlus seasonal promotions.

6. VSP members: call, don't assume. Don't take the public website's silence as evidence your plan has nothing to offer. Call VSP member services and ask specifically: "What LASIK discount does my plan provide, and at which providers?" The answer will be login-gated and plan-specific.

7. The stacking sequence that works. If you have a vision plan (VSP or EyeMed) and LasikPlus is a preferred provider, your best overall sequence is: (a) start at a free LasikPlus consultation to get an all-in quote under your vision plan; (b) if EyeMed, compare the $1,200 fixed discount against the percentage discount your plan separately offers — take whichever is larger for your specific procedure; (c) if remaining balance is substantial, apply FSA or HSA funds first (pre-tax advantage), then use CareCredit 12-month no-interest financing for any remainder. 12

8. Know the real baseline price before you accept a "discount." For EyeMed's $1,200 off, the eyemedlasik.com page does not disclose what the undiscounted Custom Wavelight Treatment price is at each provider. Ask the surgical center for the full-price quote, the discounted price, and what the Lifetime Advantage Plan's enhancement guarantee actually covers. The $1,200 headline number is accurate; the value relative to what you'd pay elsewhere is something you need to verify for your specific location.

Plan benefit data for Delta Dental and MetLife FEDVIP is sourced from 2026 OPM plan brochures. Commercial PPO orthodontic benefits vary by employer group and state — verify your specific lifetime ortho maximum and waiting period terms in your plan's Summary of Benefits and Coverage. LASIK pricing is subject to change; verify quotes directly with surgical providers before scheduling.

AI-generated cover image.

Braces, Invisalign, and LASIK: what your plan actually pays in 2026

Orthodontic coverage: what your dental plan actually pays

The two-number rule for ortho coverage

How this translates to out-of-pocket math

LASIK: discount programs, not insurance

Why LASIK "coverage" is a different category

EyeMed: $1,200 off through June 30, 2026

EyeMed LASIK — Save $1,200

VSP: unverifiable from public sources

LasikPlus all-in pricing and seasonal coupons

QualSight: a third option for larger networks

LASIK discount comparison

The action steps

For orthodontics

For LASIK

References

EyeMed LASIK — Save $1,200