How Much Do Scleral Lenses Cost?
Scleral lenses for keratoconus run $2,500–$8,000 per eye, covering fitting, trial lenses, the final custom lenses, and follow-ups. Here is what moves that number — and why your medical insurance may apply even when your vision plan does not.
Medically Reviewed by Dr. Alexander Bonakdar, O.D.
Scleral lenses for keratoconus start at $2,500 per eye and range up to $8,000 per eye at Keratoconus Vision Center in Santa Ana, Orange County — one global fee covering the fitting, corneal imaging, trial lenses, your final custom lenses, and all follow-up visits. It covers the trial lenses we use to dial in the fit and every follow-up visit until you are seeing comfortably. You will not get a separate bill for each appointment along the way.
Pricing is per eye, because each eye is mapped and fit individually — and some patients only need one. Because keratoconus is a medical condition, scleral lenses are billed to your medical insurance, not a vision plan, when they are medically necessary. What your plan pays varies, and we check your benefits before you commit to anything.
Where the range comes from
- A straightforward fitfrom $2,500 per eye
Earlier or milder keratoconus, where a standard scleral design fits well without extensive customization.
- A typical keratoconus fitwhere most patients land
A moderately irregular cornea that needs a more customized lens and a few extra refinement visits to get the fit exactly right. This is where most of the keratoconus patients we see fall.
- A complex or post-surgical fitup to $8,000 per eye
Advanced keratoconus, corneas that have had a transplant or other surgery, or eyes needing a fully custom lens built from a precise impression of the eye surface.
You will not have to guess which one you are. After your evaluation, Dr. Bonakdar tells you exactly where your eyes fall and quotes a firm number — before you commit to anything.
Why the range is wide
$2,500 to $8,000 per eye is a big spread, so here is what actually moves the number. The fee is global — it covers the fitting process, trial lenses, the final custom lenses, and your follow-up visits, not just the lens itself.
The upper end applies to advanced or post-surgical corneas needing highly customized designs. We give you a written estimate for your own eyes before you commit to anything.
Why Scleral Lenses Cost More Than Regular Contacts
Standard soft contacts are mass-produced — millions of identical lenses stamped from the same mold for $200–$500 per year. Scleral lenses are the opposite: each lens is custom-manufactured for your specific eye based on micron-level corneal topography measurements.
Fitting a scleral lens well is a subspecialty — it is not part of a routine contact lens exam. Dr. Bonakdar has 35+ years of experience and has fitted 2,000+ keratoconus patients — the precision required to vault a scleral lens over an irregular cornea while maintaining comfort for 14+ hours of daily wear demands this level of specialization.
Scleral lenses are not priced like eyewear, and they are not eyewear. Each lens is manufactured for one specific eye from its own corneal map, and the fee covers the clinical work of getting that fit right — which is what makes vision possible that glasses cannot achieve for a keratoconic cornea.
What you’re actually paying for
What patients tell us they got back isn’t “lenses.” It’s driving at night again. Reading a menu without holding it at arm’s length. Recognizing a face across a room. Keratoconus takes those gradually — often so gradually you stop noticing what you have been living without.
- Visiona smooth optical surface over an irregular cornea — correction glasses and soft lenses cannot provide
- All daymost patients wear sclerals comfortably through a full day, because the lens rests on the white of the eye rather than the sensitive cornea
- Non-surgicalmany patients told a transplant was their only option are fitted successfully with sclerals instead
- 1–2 yrstypical lens lifespan before replacement is needed
Cost Comparison: Treatment Options
| Treatment | Cost | Vision Quality | Customization | Lifespan |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Standard Soft Contacts | $200–$500 per year | Cannot correct keratoconus | No | Daily–Monthly |
| RGP (Hard) Contacts | $300–$600 per year | Moderate correction | Semi-custom | 1–2 years |
| Scleral LensesRecommended | $2,500–$8,000 per eye | Can correct irregular corneas glasses cannot | Fully custom per eye | 1–2 years |
| Corneal Transplant | $13,000–$27,000 per eye (surgery) | Variable, may still need lenses | Surgical | 15–20 years |
Insurance & Payment Options
Medical Insurance (Use This)
Scleral lenses for keratoconus are classified as medically necessary under ICD-10 code H18.6. File under your medical insurance, not vision plan.
- ✓ Blue Cross / Blue Shield
- ✓ Aetna
- ✓ Cigna
- ✓ United Healthcare
- ✓ Anthem
- ✓ Medicare (with documentation)
Additional Payment Options
- HSA / FSA: A qualified medical expense — pre-tax dollars toward something you rely on every waking hour
- CareCredit: 6- and 12-month no-interest financing available
- Credit Cards: Visa, Mastercard, Amex, Discover accepted
Important: Vision insurance (VSP, EyeMed) does NOT cover scleral lenses for keratoconus. Always use your medical insurance. We verify benefits and obtain pre-authorization before starting.
See our complete insurance coverage guide →|Compare scleral lens brands →
Insurance Plans We Accept
We work with most major vision and medical insurance providers to maximize your benefits.
Vision Plans
- VSP (Vision Service Plan)
- EyeMed
- Davis Vision
- Spectera
- Superior Vision
- Avesis
Medical Plans
- Medicare
- Blue Shield of California
- Anthem Blue Cross
- United Healthcare
- Cigna
- Aetna
- Tricare
*Medical insurance is often used for medically necessary contact lenses.
CareCredit Financing
Make keratoconus treatment affordable with CareCredit. We offer 0% interest financing for 6- and 12-month plans on scleral lens fittings and other treatments. Apply in minutes — no impact to your credit score to check eligibility.
If the cost feels out of reach right now
This is real money, and we would rather tell you the truth than lose you to a scary number. A few honest things to know.
Start with the evaluation, not the lenses
The evaluation costs a fraction of a fitting, and you leave with three things: an exact quote for your eyes rather than a range, a check of your medical insurance benefits, and the experience of looking through a trial lens. You get to decide with real information instead of a worst-case number from the internet.
Insurance may change the math
Scleral lenses for keratoconus bill to medical insurance as medically necessary. Coverage varies by plan and we cannot promise an amount — but we verify your benefits before you commit, so you are working from your real out-of-pocket cost rather than the sticker price.
And if now truly isn’t the time, don’t disappear
Keratoconus needs monitoring whether or not you are wearing lenses. Keep the exam. Your corneal maps stay on file, and when you are ready, the work is already started.
Get Your Insurance Verified
We check your medical insurance benefits for scleral lens coverage before your first visit — no surprises.
Or call: (949) 693-4900
Schedule Your Expert Consultation
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Lost or Broken Scleral Lens? Same-Day Help Available
Emergency scleral lens dispensing for keratoconus patients
If your scleral lens is lost, cracked, or damaged, you may be functionally unable to see. We understand the urgency. Dr. Alexander Bonakdar keeps diagnostic and loaner scleral lenses on-site and can often restore functional vision the same day while your custom replacement is being fabricated.
Emergency Scleral Lens Pricing
- $250 flat fee + insurance (during office hours)
- $500 flat fee + insurance (after-hours care)
If your lens is cracked but still wearable, stop wearing it — a damaged edge can scratch the cornea and turn a lens replacement into a corneal injury.
Call Now: (949) 693-4900