Insurance Coverage
As cataracts can be a debilitating visual disease, almost all insurance plans regularly cover cataract surgery. Also, the Medicare program, which provides the vast majority of insurance coverage to seniors in the US, regularly covers cataract surgery.
However, the cost of cataract surgery can vary considerably. The main factor in adding extra, out-of-pocket costs to cataract surgery is a patient’s desire to concurrently achieve decreased dependence on glasses and/or contact lenses. In these cases extra surgical procedures, such as astigmatism correction incisions, may be performed during the cataract surgery, but are not covered by insurance. Also, if a patient desires decreased dependence on glasses or contacts and chooses multifocal or accommodating lens implants, the patient will usually owe the difference above the cost of implanting a traditional monofocal lens.
Prior to cataract surgery, it is helpful to fully discuss your goals for postoperative vision and the type of lens to be implanted with the surgeon. Additionally, calling your insurance company before the surgery may help you better understand the extent of your coverage for cataract surgery.
