US Health Care Costs

Cataract surgery, complex

CPT 66982 · Surgery · hospital facility charge

At the 144 hospitals whose price files we have read so far, the typical cash price is $3,940, and most charge between $1,819 and $10,779 (the middle 80%; price files contain errors, so the extremes are left out). Pick a state to compare its hospitals.

Estimate what you would pay

$3,940typical cash price
$5,105typical commercial insurer rate
$7,447typical list price
144hospitals in 34 states so far
Typical cash price by state
AKMEWIVTNHWAID$5.6kMTNDMN$1.0kIL$14kMI$3.2kNY$6.9kMAORNVWYSDIAINOH$1.8kPA$4.9kNJ$3.2kCT$7.6kRICA$1.9kUTCO$2.3kNE$1.6kMO$8.2kKYWVVAMDDEAZNMKSARTN$4.1kNCSCDCOKLAMSALGA$11kHITXFLPR

Every state

StateHospitalsTypical cash priceLowest cashHighest cashTypical insurer price
Alabama1––––
Arizona1–––$3,743
California13$1,862$1,862$1,862$7,693
Colorado1$2,298$2,298$2,298$3,856
Connecticut1$7,577$7,577$7,577–
Delaware1–––$10,717
Florida16–––$5,611
Georgia4$10,558$10,558$10,558$5,462
Iowa1–––$5,881
Idaho2$5,599$5,599$5,599$6,719
Illinois7$14,400$12,275$16,525$3,515
Indiana2–––$5,259
Kansas2–––$2,861
Kentucky2–––$4,354
Michigan3$3,173$3,173$3,173$2,932
Minnesota1$1,042$1,042$1,042$3,007
Missouri3$8,234$6,536$9,932$3,234
Mississippi1–––$5,105
North Carolina5–––$2,803
Nebraska1$1,591$1,591$1,591$4,401
New Jersey7$3,236$2,524$6,839$5,752
Nevada1–––$3,652
New York3$6,870$2,739$11,000$5,036
Ohio9$1,776$1,776$1,776$6,522
Oklahoma1–––$5,105
Pennsylvania9$4,912$4,912$4,912$7,917
South Carolina4–––$4,749
South Dakota1–––$736
Tennessee3$4,093$4,093$4,093$3,864
Texas26–––$4,802
Utah2–––$4,182
Virginia7–––$7,874
Washington2–––$7,143
Wisconsin1–––$3,346
144 hospitals so far: only hospitals whose price files we've read are listed, and more are added every night. The price is the hospital's part; the doctor usually bills separately.

Common questions

How much does cataract surgery, complex cost at a hospital?

At 26 hospitals that publish a cash price, the typical price for cataract surgery, complex is $3,940, and most charge between $1,819 and $10,779. The typical rate commercial insurers have negotiated is $5,105. These are hospital prices; independent clinics, imaging centers and labs often charge less.

Is it cheaper to pay cash or use insurance for cataract surgery, complex?

At 12 of the 25 hospitals that publish both, the cash price is lower than the typical insurer rate. Remember that with insurance you pay only your share of that rate once your deductible is met, and that cash payments usually don't count toward your deductible.

Does the price include the doctor?

No. These are the hospital's own charges, often called the facility fee. The doctors involved, such as the surgeon, the anesthesiologist or the radiologist who reads a scan, usually send a separate bill.

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