Figuring out how much cataract surgery costs in Australia can be difficult, especially if you haven’t spoken to your local eye doctor yet. The cost of surgery can be quite high, especially if you decide to use a well-known doctor with a lot of experience in the region.

Additionally, it’s important to understand things like Medicare, private health insurance, and their relationship with cataract surgery and its costs. In the rest of this article we’re going to cover these topics and more, providing you with the information to make an informed estimate of how much you can expect to spend for your surgery.

How Much Does Cataract Surgery Cost?

For starters, we think it’s important to look closely at how much cataract surgery costs and how much you can expect to spend. In general, there are a few things that will affect the cost of your cataract surgery, including:

• The doctor you use and their experience.
• The hospital costs.
• Whether or not you’re covered by Medicare and/or private health insurance.

In general, cataract surgery in a private hospital without any insurance cover will cost you around $2500 per eye, but this can increase dramatically in some circumstances.

Does Medicare Cover Cataract Surgery?

In short, yes, Medicare does cover cataract surgery. However, there are a few things you should consider before deciding to go through the public system for your surgery.

For starters, any surgery that is covered by the public health system in Australia is going to come with a long waiting list. In some states, you can expect your surgery to go ahead within about three months. However, other states have significantly longer waiting times stretching to 12 months or more.

Along with this, you should be aware that Medicare only covers basic cataract surgery. If you want special lenses, to be able to choose your own surgeon or anything else the public system doesn’t offer, you will have to pay for it.

Will My Private Health Insurance Cover Cataract Surgery?

Cataract surgery is covered by some private health insurance policies, but certainly not all. In general, you will have cover if you purchase a gold tier hospital policy, which usually costs approximately $35 to $40 per week. However, some silver tier policies also include it.

Since every private health insurer is different, the best thing to do is speak with your company to find out exactly what you’re covered for. Ask about the amount of excess you will have to pay and the waiting period before you can make your first claim.

All things considered, the price of cataract surgery varies immensely according to the service you require. If you go through the public health system, you will have to wait, but your surgery should be free.

However, cataract surgery in private hospitals can cost upwards of $2,500 per eye. In some cases you will be covered with a private health insurance policy, but it’s important to do your research to find this out for sure.