A cataract surgery premium lens (iol) is usually defined as a lens that Medicare will allow the patent to pay for separately. Standard monofocal lenses are covered by Medicare (and most insurance plans) and have been used for years in the treatment for cataracts. Cataract surgery involves removing the natural lens in the eye, which has become cloudy because of a cataract, and replacing it with an artificial lens. Cataract surgery is a very quick procedure.

Prior to 2007, if patients used Medicare and wished to have a multifocal lens they could not. Medicare would not cover it, and also would not allow the patient to pay the difference in cost between a multifocal and monofocal lens. A 2007 ruling allowed for surgeons to charge separately for the extra cost of the new lenses being used. This “premium” could be charged and allowed patents that had Medicare and other insurances to pay out of pocket to improve the lens they received. This was a great decision for both doctors and patients alike, and allowed doctors to select the exact lens they felt best for the patient.

Premium lenses, as they are often called in the industry, cover a variety of types of lenses. Any lens, multifocal, accommodating, toric etc would be considered a premium iol.

Premium lenses (iols) have changed he way cataract and refractive surgery is done in America. Today, rather than requiring large glasses to read after cataract surgery, some premium iol’s are allowing patients to be virtually glasses free. Patients should be warned that with any premium iol there is never a 100% guarantee that they will not need glasses. Despite paying up to $5000 (covering both eyes) no surgeon should guarantee an outcome. Everybody is different, and this technology is very new. Often glasses may still be necessary for certain activities, although premium lenses are beginning to help change that.