Cataract surgery cost without insurance
The median cash price for Cataract surgery is $3,652.77 across 392 US hospitals that publish a self-pay price. Most hospitals (the middle 80%) charge between $927.96 and $9,706.62.
Cataract surgery replaces the clouded lens of the eye with a clear implant. It is a short outpatient operation, done one eye at a time. The standard lens is included in the price, while premium lenses that also correct astigmatism or reading vision cost extra and are usually not covered by insurance.
Collected Sep 25, 2026 One price per hospital, from each hospital's own price file
Cataract surgery prices by type
66984 is standard cataract surgery with a lens implant and is used in the state table; 66982 is complex cataract surgery; and 66821 is the laser treatment for clouding that can develop months or years later.
| Procedure | Hospitals | Most charge | Median | Medicare |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Cataract surgery Cataract surgery with lens implant · code 66984 | 392 | $927.96–$9,706.62 | $3,652.77 | — |
| Complex cataract surgery Complex cataract surgery with lens implant · code 66982 | 330 | $1,137.12–$10,740.80 | $2,988.24 | — |
| YAG laser capsulotomy Laser treatment of clouding after cataract surgery (YAG) · code 66821 | 485 | $353.22–$2,266.58 | $1,028.30 | $561.91median 1.8× |
“Most charge” is the middle 80% of hospitals (10th to 90th percentile), so one mistyped line in a hospital file cannot stretch it. Each hospital counts once, at its lowest outpatient cash price for the code. “Medicare” is Medicare's 2026 national base rate for the same service outside a hospital stay, including the patient's share (the hospital outpatient, lab or hospital clinic rate); “median 3×” means the median cash price is three times that rate.
Cataract surgery: median by state
States with at least two hospitals, cheapest median first. Pick a state for its cataract surgery prices and cheapest hospitals.
- Arizona$628.55
- West Virginia$690.65
- Arkansas$1,123.50
- Louisiana$1,192.96
- Indiana$1,344.35
- Kentucky$1,344.35
- Iowa$1,357.60
- Maine$1,391.15
- Michigan$1,398.70
- Pennsylvania$1,825.15
- Tennessee$2,094.65
- Ohio$2,102.10
- Vermont$2,242.00
- Texas$2,351.77
- Oregon$2,478.00
- Nebraska$2,552.86
- South Carolina$2,565.00
- New Jersey$2,685.92
- New York$2,698.92
- Washington$2,952.39
- Oklahoma$3,024.92
- Minnesota$3,577.93
- Kansas$3,890.25
- North Dakota$4,160.80
- Wisconsin$4,623.45
- Massachusetts$5,245.91
- California$5,562.21
- Idaho$5,599.00
- Missouri$5,615.21
- Colorado$6,293.91
- Illinois$6,585.35
- Connecticut$7,028.19
- North Carolina$8,033.00
- Florida$9,892.00
- Georgia$10,558.00
- Virginia$12,409.54
Paying cash: what to do
- Ask for a bundled self-pay price that includes the surgeon, anesthesia, facility and follow-up visits; hospital file prices usually cover only the facility.
- Ask what a premium lens or laser-assisted surgery adds to the price, and whether you need it.
- Eye surgery centers usually charge much less than hospital outpatient departments.
Questions
Is cataract surgery covered by Medicare?
Yes, with a standard lens. Premium lens upgrades are paid by the patient.
How long is recovery?
Vision often improves within days; full healing takes about a month.
Are both eyes done at once?
Usually not; the second eye is often done a few weeks later.