Cataract Surgery and Lens Replacement Fees
Standard cataract surgery, where the cloudy lens of the eye is removed and replaced with a single-focus (monofocal) IOL, is usually covered by insurance. Coverage does vary, as does any annual deductible, co-pay, etc. If you have primary insurance with Medicare, they will cover 80% of approved charges, and if you have supplemental insurance, that usually covers the remaining 20%. If you do not have supplemental insurance, then you would be responsible for the 20% after Medicare pays its 80%.
Should you choose to enhance your treatment with Refractive Services (treats astigmatism, guarantees a targeted outcome) a Lifestyle Lens (to eliminate need for distance and reading glasses), or Laser-Assisted Cataract Care, there are additional expenses not covered by your insurance.
We will explain all your treatment options, and any additional costs of the various IOLs and associated services as appropriate during your initial consultation.
Insurance for Cataract Surgery
If you have a PPO health plan, most of the cost of our care should be covered by insurance. Chances are that we already contract with your insurance carrier and are listed in your provider directory. Annual deductibles, co-insurance and co-payments may apply.
We contract with most major Preferred Provider Organizations offered by health insurance carriers including Anthem Blue Cross, Blue Shield, Aetna, Cigna, United Healthcare and others.
If you have Medicare, Dr. Moarefi is a Medicare participating provider. Insurance will cover the basic costs of cataract surgery including the surgeon fee, facility fee, and anesthesiologist fees. Costs for Lifestyle Lenses are and Refractive Services not covered by insurance and are the responsibility of the patient.
We do not contract with HMO plans. If you have HMO coverage, costs for our care are not covered by your insurance. You may have the option of dis-enrolling from an HMO (such as Kaiser, PacifiCare, etc.) and if you are over 65 years of age this will allow you to regain standard Medicare coverage, which pays 80% of approved charges.
If you do not have health insurance coverage of any kind, we offer reasonable rates for care. For standard IOL care (conventional implant) cataract surgery costs are in the range of $4,600 per eye. This includes our preliminary testing, facility fee, surgeon fee and anesthesia fees. Cataract urgery costs for Lifestyle IOLs and Refractive Services, and Laser-Assisted Cataract Care, if desired, are additional.
Lifestyle Lens & Laser Cataract Surgery Fees
There exist several high-quality Lifestyle IOLs (Toric, Multifocal, Aspheric), each designed to reduce your dependence on glasses at a variety of distances, and customized for your unique visual needs.
Additionally, breakthrough Laser-Assisted Cataract Care can improve the accuracy and precision of several key steps of cataract surgery, while additionally treating small amounts of astigmatism.
It is difficult to quote exact fees for premium IOL treatment because cataract surgery costs can vary depending upon your particular desires or needs, and due to product differences. We therefore prefer not to quote fees over the phone or on the Internet. We understand that this can be somewhat frustrating to someone trying to shop by price alone online, and frankly we don’t condone that approach.
There are so many differences between surgeons, surgical technique, lens implants and follow-up care. You need to visit with each surgeon before you make your selection, and base your decision on personal experience obtained at each center.
Refractive Services and Our Vision Guarantee Plan
At LA Sight, when someone opts for Refractive Services care with us, we virtually guarantee that you will achieve a desired visual target or objective. The cost of care to substantially reduce or completely eliminate astigmatism by one of several methods is included, as is any touch-up or fine-tuning care by laser. Other centers charge up to $5,000 extra for these services. We understand that if a ‘perfect’ outcome is desired, we should do whatever is necessary to achieve that result, without adding hidden extra fees. Other practices may not embrace that approach.
The good news is that compared to most other centers, our fees for advanced lens implants are among the most affordable in Southern California.
Payment Options
Our patients are always excited to find that IOL care is affordable. In fact, there are multiple payment options as well. You won’t have to pay cash if you don’t want to!
- Affordable Financing with Alphaeon Credit. Alphaeon Credit is specifically tailored to help finance elective lifestyle care including vision correction, cosmetic/aesthetic care, and cosmetic dental care.
- We also work with CareCredit, a division of GE Capital, one of the largest lending organizations to specialize in health care financing. They offer a variety of financing programs to make vision-correction care affordable. Plans can include the following options:
- No initial payment (“Zero-down” plans);
- Zero-Interest for 6, 12, 18 and 24-month financing periods;
- Low, fixed-interest options for financing longer than 24 months, and
- No prepayment penalty.
If you have more specific questions about the costs of cataract, lens implant, refractive services or laser-assisted cataract care, or insurance coverage, please call us directly at (877) 828-2020.
