Los Angeles Cataract Surgery Costs

Eye surgery centers in Los Angeles can help patients requiring cataract removal achieve better vision. Understandably, the cost associated with these procedures is a chief concern to many prospective patients. While more and more health insurance providers are recognizing the need to cover cataract removal surgeries, individuals must educate themselves on the fine print that governs many of these policies.

Insurance Coverage and Cataract Removal

Medicare and HMOs now typically cover the cost of surgical procedures that target the intraocular lens of the human eye. Because cataracts are extremely common, occurring in virtually every individual who lives long enough to develop them, their removal is the number one surgery performed in the United States, and it's considered a vital item for insurance coverage purposes. However, patients should be aware that their insurance coverage might only be valid for basic surgeries and replacement lens implants. If a patient chooses an eye surgery center that uses advanced, modern cataract removal techniques and enhanced lens implants, costs rise. Depending on the specifics of the patient's insurance plan, a portion of the higher cost may or may not be covered. It depends on whether the insurance company considers the advanced technique medically necessary.

Cataract removal can be performed using one of three techniques:

  • Extracapsular surgery (the oldest and most basic technique)
  • Phacoemulsification
  • Clear-cornea phacoemulsification (the newest and most advanced technique)

In Los Angeles, the Maloney Vision Institute enjoys a solid reputation founded on professional excellence and decades of experience. The clinic uses state-of-the-art equipment to maximize patient comfort and safety and offers award-winning vision correction services to patients of all ages.