Topic: Cataract surgery
started by: Liberal
Posted by Liberal on Aug. 22 2014,7:58 pm
At the end of July I had the lens in my right eye replaced because of cataracts from prednisone. Then last week I had my left lens replaced but I went with a reading lens in that eye. I had my one week checkup and I've got 20/20 vision for distance and reading so I don't have to wear glasses at all.I also got the bill for the right eye and the pre surgery physical today and it was a little over $1000 for the physical and lab tests and just over $14,000 for the eye surgery. I'd guess the left eye will be a similar price so the cataract repair costs over $29,000
I really don't see how anyone could think insurance is the problem.
Posted by Self-Banished on Aug. 22 2014,8:24 pm
The $29000 will be out of your pocket?
Posted by Liberal on Aug. 22 2014,9:11 pm
No, I had surgery earlier in the year in Rochester on an amputation neuroma that was on the greater auricular nerve in my face. That surgery was over $50,000 so I hit my max out of pocket then. I have some chronic health problems so I have 2 health insurance policies and I usually hit my max out of pocket early in the year, so I'm not complaining. I just wonder how older people on a fix income and medicare can afford things like that.
Posted by MADDOG on Aug. 22 2014,9:39 pm
WOW!! You have to be really happy to gain so much vision back. I'm glad for you. As my eyesight starts to fade with age, you've been given back some youth. 
Posted by Liberal on Aug. 22 2014,10:42 pm
Thanks, I am really happy considering I've worn glasses for 40 years, I had to give up some depth perception because I have monocular vision now but it's worth it. It's amazing how fast our brain learns to ignore the blurry eye but if I get tired I tend to close my distance eye to read because my vision gets a little blurry. I was a little worried because they had to kind of guestimate the exact lens but I think they got it just right.The surgery was pretty amazing, I did the second one without anesthesia and it took about 10 minutes. They just put a small hole at the top of my cornea and then disintegrated the old lens with sound while suctioning it out. Then they stuck a foldable lens through that small incision to take it's place and I could instantly see again. My eye felt like I had something in it for a couple days but after a week the incision is completely healed.
Posted by Expatriate on Aug. 23 2014,4:51 am
(Liberal @ Aug. 22 2014,9:11 pm)
QUOTE
I just wonder how older people on a fix income and medicare can afford things like that.
My Mother had cataracts, Medicare and her Blue Cross supplement paid the bill, she still needed reading glasses
Medicare & Blue Cross paid for those too.
Posted by Liberal on Aug. 23 2014,7:35 am
Without a supplemental policy would a person on medicare have to pay 20% of it?My eye surgeon mentioned that I should call my insurance company because most of them pay for new glasses after cataract surgery. I'd be okay if they just paid for new lenses since my frames are still perfectly good.
Posted by Common Citizen on Aug. 23 2014,10:22 am
(Liberal @ Aug. 22 2014,7:58 pm)
QUOTE
At the end of July I had the lens in my right eye replaced because of cataracts from prednisone. Then last week I had my left lens replaced but I went with a reading lens in that eye. I had my one week checkup and I've got 20/20 vision for distance and reading so I don't have to wear glasses at all.
I also got the bill for the right eye and the pre surgery physical today and it was a little over $1000 for the physical and lab tests and just over $14,000 for the eye surgery. I'd guess the left eye will be a similar price so the cataract repair costs over $29,000
I really don't see how anyone could think insurance is the problem.
I also got the bill for the right eye and the pre surgery physical today and it was a little over $1000 for the physical and lab tests and just over $14,000 for the eye surgery. I'd guess the left eye will be a similar price so the cataract repair costs over $29,000
I really don't see how anyone could think insurance is the problem.
The cost of health care affects the cost of insurance and can lead people to exhausting their insurance coverage much quicker than in decades past. This is why I called the lawmakers supporting Obamacare amateurs. They diagnosed the problem wrong.
Glad to hear your surgery turned out.
Posted by Expatriate on Aug. 23 2014,2:10 pm
(Liberal @ Aug. 23 2014,7:35 am)
QUOTE
Without a supplemental policy would a person on medicare have to pay 20% of it?
My eye surgeon mentioned that I should call my insurance company because most of them pay for new glasses after cataract surgery. I'd be okay if they just paid for new lenses since my frames are still perfectly good.
My eye surgeon mentioned that I should call my insurance company because most of them pay for new glasses after cataract surgery. I'd be okay if they just paid for new lenses since my frames are still perfectly good.
That’s a question I can’t answer off hand, it’s been too many years.
The 80/20 rule doesn’t apply to everything but enough to make a supplement a wise investment. IMO