Cataract surgery cost is often an important deciding factor when people are determining whether or not to have cataract surgery. Often, even when the decision to have cataract surgery is made, other factors such as the type of lens and cost can considerably increase the overall cataract surgery cost. Many new cataract surgery lens types are not covered by insurance. When the cost of a lens is not covered by insurance, the cataract surgery patient pays portions of the cataract surgery cost and the full cost of the lens.

Cataract surgery is often recommended when the cataract begins to cause a noticeable decrease in the patient’s vision. It is often left up to the patient to decide whether or not to have the cataract surgery. Often, when patients think of cataract surgery, among their first thoughts are “what will the cataract surgery cost?” To understand what factors contribute to cataract surgery cost, patients should take into account three factors: insurance, cataract surgeon and lens type (cost).

The cataract surgery cost is most often covered by insurance. Always consult your plan for specific details, but in general the standard cataract surgery cost is covered. The cost of the standard IOL, or intra-ocular lens, is also typically covered. Cataract surgery involves removing they eye’s natural lens and replacing it with an artificial lens. The cataract surgery cost overall is usually covered by insurance.

Some cataract surgery patients will be candidates to purchase a premium IOL. Unlike a standard IOL, which requires glasses after cataract surgery, premium IOL’s seek to reduce the dependence on glasses after cataract surgery. The cost of these lenses are typically not covered by insurance. Not only will the patient usually be responsible for the cataract surgery lens cost, but they will also typically be responsible for the cost of the surgeon’s fee to implant the lens. Again, always check with your surgeon and insurance plan for specific cost details, but as a guide, the cost of these new lenses is not covered by insurance. Patients can expect to pay the full cost for these premium lenses out of pocket.

As discussed, the final cataract surgery cost depends on many factors. Depending on specific insurance details and the choice of lens type, cataract surgery cost can vary widely. Patients should always discuss all payment information with their surgeon prior to the surgery to minimize misunderstandings and problems after the cataract surgery.