HOW MUCH DOES CATARACT SURGERY COST?
Clearing Up Confusion Around Cost and Insurance Coverage
There isn't a fixed price for cataract surgery or a one-size-fits-all cataract lens. The cost of cataract surgery differs for everyone and depends on your Medicare or private insurance coverage.
Medicare coverage for cataract surgery usually includes:1
• Removal of the cataract
• Standard lens implant
Is a standard lens right for me?
While Medicare covers standard lens implants, if you have astigmatism or presbyopia, your doctor may suggest an advanced lens implant.
With an advanced lens implant, you may no longer need glasses or contact lenses. Since Medicare does not cover advanced technology lens implants, you may have to pay some or all of the additional costs for the lens implant and doctor services.1
Why should I consider an advanced lens implant?
If you’ve been wearing glasses or contact lenses for astigmatism or presbyopia correction, with a single procedure, that can all change.
An advanced lens implant gives you the opportunity to enhance the quality and range of your vision:2,3
• Can help free you from glasses and contacts2-4
• Can provide full clarity, near through far, without blurry zones2,3
• Can help you fully embrace and immerse yourself in life
Studies have shown that if astigmatism is left uncorrected during cataract surgery, it will continue to affect your visual function and quality of life. It may mean you need to always wear your glasses or contact lenses.5,6
How much does an advanced lens implant cost?
When you choose to have an advanced lens implant, you need to be aware of the additional costs you are financially responsible for, including:
• Special tests (scans of your eye)
• Advanced lens implant (astigmatism and/or presbyopia-correcting)
• Advanced eye scans during cataract surgery
• Additional doctor/surgeon time (before surgery work-up and operating time)
Medicare considers these non-covered services.1 Your doctor will provide you with details on any non-covered services and costs. The charges for an advanced lens implant will vary based on type of implant selected and additional tests or care provided.
Did you know?5-7
• The long-term cost of astigmatism when left uncorrected during cataract surgery can range from $2,150 to $3,440 for the cost of eyeglasses or contact lenses
• If your vision worsens, you will need a prescription for new glasses or contact lenses. This requires a visit to the doctor for a vision exam that is not covered by Medicare
• If you lose or damage your glasses, Medicare will not cover the cost of a replacement pair or repairs to the existing glasses
STANDARD VS. ADVANCED TECHNOLOGY INTRAOCULAR LENSES
The standard lens used during cataract surgery is called a monofocal lens. It provides exceptional clarity for distance vision.8,9 You may be able to see with clarity far away, but you will likely still need glasses to see up close and at arm’s length. If you have astigmatism, you will likely need glasses at all distances.
If you want to reduce your dependency on glasses, your doctor may recommend an advanced technology lens like a trifocal or extended depth-of-focus (EDOF) lens. When you invest in your vision with advanced technology lenses, you have the opportunity to see effortlessly, from near to far, while reducing your need to wear glasses.2-4
When is it time to consider cataract surgery?
If you are considering cataract surgery, it’s important to discuss your vision goals with your doctor.
CONSIDER THE FOLLOWING:
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Does your vision currently affect your level of independence? |
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Can you safely drive during the day and at night? |
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Do you have difficulty reading or watching television, or looking at a computer? |
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Is it difficult to cook, do yard work, or perform daily tasks? |
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Do bright lights affect your ability to see clearly? |
The answers to these questions and more will help you and your doctor decide when it's time to consider cataract surgery, and the best treatment options available to you to meet your vision goals.
THE NEXT STEPS:
Consult with Your Doctor
The best way to examine all potential costs of cataract surgery is to have a consultation with your doctor. They will take you through each step of the process and explain every option to determine the best lens that will meet your specific needs and goals to restore your vision.
Find a cataract surgeon near you
Use our Cataract Surgeon Finder tool to locate a surgeon near you who offers a range of IOL options
IMPORTANT PRODUCT INFORMATION - CLAREON® FAMILY OF IOLS
CAUTION: Restricted by law to sale by or on the order of a physician.
DESCRIPTION: DESCRIPTION: The Clareon® Family of Lenses are artificial lenses implanted in the eye of adult patients following cataract surgery. The Clareon® Aspheric Hydrophobic Acrylic IOLs are designed to allow for clear distance vision. However, you will likely still need glasses for reading and for distance vision particularly if you already have astigmatism. The Clareon® PanOptix® Trifocal Hydrophobic IOL is a type of multifocal lens (sometimes called “presbyopia-correcting IOL”) designed to allow for clear distance, intermediate, and near vision with the potential to be more independent of the need to use glasses for daily tasks. The Clareon® Vivity® Extended Vision Hydrophobic Posterior Chamber IOL provides clear distance vision, and better intermediate and some near vision compared to a monofocal IOL. The Clareon® Aspheric Toric, Clareon® PanOptix® Toric, and Clareon® Vivity® Toric IOLs are also designed to correct pre-existing corneal astigmatism, which is the inability of the eye to focus clearly at any distance because of difference curvatures on the cornea, and provide distance vision.
WARNINGS / PRECAUTIONS: You may experience and need to contact your eye doctor immediately if you have any of the following symptoms after cataract surgery: itching, redness, watering of your eye, sensitivity to light. The safety and effectiveness of these IOLs have not been established in patients with eye conditions, such as an increase in eye pressure (glaucoma) or complications of diabetes in the eye (diabetic retinopathy). As with any surgical procedure, there are risks involved. These risks may include but are not limited to infection, damage to the lining of the cornea, the retinal layer which lines the inside back wall of your eye may become separated from the tissue next to it (retinal detachment), inflammation or swelling inside or outside the eye, damage to the iris (the colored diaphragm around the pupil), or an increase in eye pressure that cannot be controlled by medicine and secondary surgical procedure. There is a possibility that the IOL may be placed incorrectly or could move within the eye. This may result in less improvement or a reduction in vision, or it may cause visual symptoms. The Clareon® Aspheric Toric, Clareon® PanOptix® Toric, and Clareon® Vivity® Toric IOLs correct astigmatism only when placed in the correct position in the eye. There is a possibility that these Toric IOLs could be placed incorrectly or could move within the eye. This may result in less improvement or a reduction in vision because your astigmatism has not been fully corrected, or it may cause visual symptoms. With the Clareon® PanOptix® and Clareon® Vivity® IOLs, there may be a loss of sharpness of your vision that may become worse in dim light or in foggy conditions. There is also a possibility that you may have some visual effects such as rings or circles (halos) around lights at night. You may also have trouble seeing street signs due to bright lights or glare from oncoming headlights.
ATTENTION: As with any surgical procedure, there are risks involved. Prior to surgery, ask your eye doctor to provide you with the Patient Information Brochure for the lens to be implanted. This Brochure which will inform you of the risks and benefits associated with the IOL. Discuss any questions about possible risks and benefits associated with your eye doctor.
REFERENCES
1. Centers for Medicare & Medicaid Services. Medical Learning Network Fact Sheet. Medicare Vision Services. February 2023. https://www.cms.gov/outreach-and-education/medicare-learning-network-mln/mlnproducts/downloads/visionservices_factsheet_icn907165.pdf. Accessed April 12, 2023.
2. Clareon® PanOptix® Trifocal Hydrophobic Acrylic IOL Model CNWTT0 2021 Directions for Use.
3. Clareon® Vivity® Extended Vision Hydrophobic IOL (CNWET0) Directions for Use – USA.
4. Zhu D, Ren S, Mills K, Hull J, Dhariwal M. Rate of Complete Spectacle Independence with a Trifocal Intraocular Lens: A Systematic Literature Review and Meta-Analysis. Ophthalmol Ther. 2023;12(2):1157-1171.
5. Anderson DF, Dhariwal M, Bouchet C, Keith MS. Global prevalence and economic and humanistic burden of astigmatism in cataract patients: a systematic literature review. Clin Ophthalmol. 2018;12:439-452.
6. Day AC, Dhariwal M, Keith MS, et al. Distribution of preoperative and postoperative astigmatism in a large population of patients undergoing cataract surgery in the UK. Br J Ophthalmol. 2019;103(7):993-1000.
7. Centers for Medicare & Medicaid Services. Eye exams (routine). 2020. https://www.medicare.gov/coverage/eye-exams-routine. Accessed April 12, 2023.
8. Werner L, Thatthamla I, Ong M, et al. Evaluation of clarity characteristics in a new hydrophobic acrylic IOL. J Cataract Refract Surg. 2019;45:1490-1497.
9. Lehmann R, Maxwell A, Lubeck DM, Fong R, Walters TR, Fakadej A. Effectiveness and Safety of the Clareon Monofocal Intraocular Lens: Outcomes from a 12-Month Single-Arm Clinical Study in a Large Sample. Clin Ophthalmol. 2021;15:1647-1657. Published 2021 Apr 20.