Why does cataract surgery cost so much

Yes, cataract surgery is covered by Medicare and commercial insurance as a medically necessary procedure, granted that the patient meets certain criteria. While requirements vary, a patient needs to be symptomatic and express difficulty performing any number of activities of daily living. The most common symptoms from cataracts are constantly blurry or hazy vision, trouble driving at night from increased glare, and difficulty seeing in low light.

Additionally, some insurances mandate that a cataract cause vision loss of a certain level to consider the surgery medically necessary. No, Medicare and commercial insurance only cover what are called monofocal intraocular lenses IOLs for cataract surgery. Premium upgrades to advanced technology lenses must be paid for out-of-pocket by the patient, these include toric lenses astigmatism-correcting and multifocal and extended depth-of-focus EDOF, the Symfony lens lenses.

Health Questionnaire. Cataracts are becoming more prevalent with every passing year, which means the need for cataract surgery is increasing, too. With this need comes the call for advancements in technologies used for cataract surgery. Advancements in technology enable treatment options that are progressively effective and efficient. A variance in treatment options means a variance in treatment costs.

There is no fixed cost of cataract surgery. A cataract is essentially a clouded area on the natural eye lens. This condition is an eye disease that progresses gradually over time. Policies vary widely from one insurance provider to the next. Here are some questions you should ask your health care representative regarding cataract surgery:.

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Written by. Michael Bayba. In this article. Related Pages. Centers for Medicare and Medicaid Services. The cost estimate reflects a standard cataract surgery procedure not covered by private insurance or Medicare, both of which could offset the out-of-pocket expense significantly.

However, depending on the exact type of treatment received, the location in which it is received, and the provider performing the surgery, this per eye cost could increase substantially. Most cataract patients in the U. Medicare may cover upwards of 80 percent of the treatment cost.

Consult our example pricing guide below to get a better sense of price variance. The cost of cataract surgery can also be influenced by which technologies and techniques are used. The type of lens implant IOL chosen also influences the cost. These high-tech lenses are different than the standard monofocal IOL used in basic cataract surgery, which corrects vision for only one distance, and does not correct astigmatism.

These factors can impact the on-paper cost of treatment, but the biggest factor impacting your true cost is the type of insurance coverage you have.