Complex cataract surgery cost in Chicago, IL
In Chicago-Naperville-Elgin, IL-IN, 8 hospitals list a cash price for complex cataract surgery with lens implant: from $561.68 to $21,606.07, with a median of $16,123.95. The lowest listed price is at Humboldt Park Health — $15,562.27 less than the median here. Across Illinois, the median is $7,367.55 at 12 hospitals.
Cash prices at 8 facilities across 8 cities for code 66982, as an outpatient — the setting a self-pay patient normally buys. Collected Sep 23, 2026; the hospital files themselves were last updated between Apr 1, 2026 and Sep 1, 2026.
Where each hospital's price falls
Each dot is one hospital's cash price on a scale from the lowest to the highest in Chicago-Naperville-Elgin, IL-IN.
Hospitals, cheapest first
| Hospital | Cash price | List price | Insurers pay | Off list | File date |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Humboldt Park Health lowest Chicago, IL · (773) 292-8200 Complex removal of cataract with insertion of prosthetic lens | $561.68 | $2,006.00 | $2,006.00 | 72% | Aug 24, 2026 source file |
| Mercy Medical Center Aurora, IL · (630) 859-2222 Xcapsl ctrc rmvl cplx wo ecp | $2,460.00 | $16,088.00 | $660.62–$16,088.00 | 85% | Sep 1, 2026 source file |
| Northwestern Medicine McHenry Hospital McHenry, IL · (815) 344-5000 HB Complex Extracapsular Cataract Removal W/O Ecp | $12,275.09 | $17,535.84 | $3,577.00–$9,102.00 | 30% | Apr 1, 2026 source file |
| Northwestern Medicine Kishwaukee Hospital DeKalb, IL · (815) 756-1521 HB Complex Extracapsular Cataract Removal W/O Ecp | $15,722.96 | $22,461.37 | — | 30% | Apr 1, 2026 source file |
| Northwestern Medicine Delnor Hospital Geneva, IL · (630) 208-3000 HB Complex Extracapsular Cataract Removal W/O Ecp | $16,524.93 | $23,607.04 | $2,325.00–$3,975.00 | 30% | Apr 1, 2026 source file |
| Northwestern Lake Forest Hospital Lake Forest, IL · (847) 234-5600 HB Complex Extracapsular Cataract Removal W/O Ecp | $16,875.76 | $24,108.23 | $3,577.00–$3,975.00 | 30% | Apr 1, 2026 source file |
| Palos Community Hospital Palos Heights, IL · (708) 923-4000 HB Complex Extracapsular Cataract Removal W/O Ecp | $18,135.53 | $25,907.90 | $3,577.00–$3,975.00 | 30% | Apr 1, 2026 source file |
| Northwestern Medicine Central DuPage Hospital Winfield, IL · (630) 682-1600 HB Complex Extracapsular Cataract Removal W/O Ecp | $21,606.07 | $30,865.81 | — | 30% | Apr 1, 2026 source file |
Outpatient: lowest $561.68, median $16,123.95, highest $21,606.07 — a 38.5× difference within the same market.
Cash or insurance?
At 2 of 6 hospitals that publish insurer rates for this code here, the cash price is below the highest rate a health plan has negotiated, and at 1 it is below every plan's rate. If you have insurance but have not met your deductible, you usually pay your plan's negotiated rate, which falls somewhere in the "Insurers pay" column. Paying cash can cost less, but a cash payment usually does not count toward your deductible. Ask the hospital for both numbers before you book.
What it is
Complex cataract surgery removes a cloudy lens and implants an artificial one when extra devices or techniques are needed.
What the price covers
The hospital price usually covers the operating room, recovery and supplies. The surgeon and anesthesia usually bill separately.