According to a report in 2019, if you do not have medical insurance the cost of cataract surgery is approximately $3,783 to $6,898. The expenses to be paid for cataract surgery depends on factors including the type of intraocular lens (IOL) to be implanted, the type of technology used, and the surgeon’s skill and experience.
In the United States, most cataract surgery procedures are performed with the help of Medicare and private medical insurance. The expenses of cataract surgery are either fully or partially covered by health insurance.
Standard cataract surgery with a standard monofocal intraocular lens can be performed with no out-of-pocket expenses excluding the deductibles and the copayment that is required by the policy of insurance.
A laser cataract surgery with a premium toric intraocular lens for presbyopia or astigmatism requires you to pay additional fees associated with the advanced techniques and lenses.
How Much Will My Cataract Surgery Cost Without Insurance?
In the United States, most people undergo cataract surgery with insurance because the cost of a cataract procedure is challenging without insurance.
Refractive lens exchange (RLE), an elective vision correction procedure charges the same fees as cataract surgery. It is a similar procedure but they have one difference, which is that the natural lens of the eye is not clouded by a cataract. Nearsightedness or farsightedness can be corrected with the replacement of a natural lens with an IOL.
If refractive lens exchange is done with a standard monofocal IOL implant, the average cost is $3,783 per eye. If it is done with toric IOL, the average cost per eye ranges from $4,704 to $6,898 per eye.
How Much Will My Cataract Surgery Cost With Insurance?
Certain procedures are labeled as medically necessary by insurance carriers. In a cataract surgery with standard monofocal IOL is considered medically necessary because artificial lenses are needed to restore sight. The cost of this procedure is usually covered by Medicare and private medical insurance.
The advances of surgical technology and intraocular lenses made it possible for people who had cataract surgery to reduce the need to use glasses after the procedure. Added technology means additional fees. Medical insurances do not cover premium procedures including laser-assisted cataract surgery, limbal relaxing incisions, laser arcuate incisions, and products such as presbyopia-correcting IOLs and toric IOLs.
Speak with the insurance provider before undergoing cataract surgery to be able to know the expenses and how much money do you need to prepare to avoid financial problems later on.
