Cataract Surgery Cost in Illinois (2026)
Close to the national average · RPP 101.2 · IL
What Drives Pricing Here
Three factors explain most of why cataract surgery costs what it does in Illinois.
Regional Price Parity
Illinois's cost-of-living index sits at 101.2 — near the national benchmark (100). This directly scales facility and staffing overhead, which flow through to every procedure price.
Specialist Availability
116 facilities perform this procedure in Illinois — competition keeps pricing honest and gives you real leverage to shop quotes.
Vs. National Benchmark
Illinois tracks within 1.2% of the national average ($5,000) — a typical mid-market pricing environment with wide provider variance.
Cataract Surgery in Illinois: What to Know
Cataract surgery in Illinois offers advanced options and varied pricing. Facilities like Northshore University HealthSystem Evanston Hospital perform over 2,500 procedures annually, while Northwestern Memorial Hospital in Chicago handles around 1,500. Illinois also pioneered "dropless" cataract surgery at Loretto Hospital in 2014, and centers like the Illinois Eye Center offer the innovative RxSight™ Light Adjustable Lens. Laser-assisted surgery is available at numerous locations, including Kirk Eye Center.
For cost-conscious patients, Ambulatory Surgery Centers (ASCs) in Illinois typically offer significantly lower prices than hospitals. Springfield’s St. John's Hospital also presents a comparatively lower average charge. You'll find comprehensive care at institutions like the University of Illinois Hospital & Health Sciences System in Chicago, a major referral center. Verify current pricing directly with providers.
Estimated Cost Breakdown in Illinois
Pricing for cataract surgery in Illinois is roughly in line with the rest of the country. Here's the breakdown.
Facility Fee
OR time and hospital staffing
Most significant cost
Surgeon Fee
Expertise and experience level
Implants & Supplies
Post-Op Care
Recovery and aftercare
Anesthesia
Anesthesiologist or CRNA fee
Total Estimated Cost
Illinois all-in range
Financing Options
Many Illinois clinics partner with CareCredit or Alphaeon. A typical 24-month, 0% APR term on $5,060 looks like:
- Soft credit check — no hard pull
- Instant approval decisions
- HSA/FSA eligible for qualifying cases
Prices reflect regional cost-of-living adjustments. How we calculate these numbers →
Ranges adjusted for Illinois's regional price parity (101.2). See the national percentage breakdown →
Facility Costs in Illinois
These Illinois facilities handle the most cataract surgery cases. The negotiated rate reflects what's actually paid after insurer discounts.
| Facility | City | Negotiated Rate | Medicare | Volume |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Northshore University Healthsystem Evanston Hosp | Evanston | $2,153 | $1,712 | 2,508 |
| Northwestern Memorial Hospital | Chicago | $2,193 | $1,745 | 1,514 |
| St Johns Hospital | Springfield | $1,920 | $1,523 | 814 |
| Advocate Good Shepherd Hospital | Barrington | $2,185 | $1,734 | 788 |
| Advocate Condell Medical Center | Libertyville | $2,185 | $1,734 | 740 |
| Sarah Bush Lincoln Health Center | Mattoon | $2,045 | $1,625 | 703 |
| Carle Health Proctor Hospital | Peoria | $1,927 | $1,529 | 613 |
| Advocate Illinois Masonic Medical Center | Chicago | $2,110 | $1,665 | 516 |
| Osf Saint Elizabeth Medical Center | Ottawa | $2,139 | $1,700 | 507 |
| Presence Saint Joseph Hospital - Chicago | Chicago | $2,179 | $1,728 | 474 |
Cataract Surgery Cost in Nearby States
Illinois runs close to the national average for cataract surgery, but it's the pricier option compared to its immediate neighbors.
Expert Answers for Illinois Patients
Local regulations, insurance nuance, and surgical standards specific to Illinois.
Compare Illinois with any other state
See national pricing, all 50 state comparisons, and detailed cost factors in the main cataract surgery cost guide.
View full cataract surgery guideWhat is the average price of cataract surgery in Illinois?
Does insurance cover cataract surgery?
How do I compare cataract surgery facilities in Illinois?
Should I consider cataract surgery outside Illinois?
How soon can I get back to normal after cataract surgery?
Is cataract surgery covered under Illinois's Medicaid program?
Can I pay for cataract surgery with pre-tax health savings?
How we calculate cataract surgery costs in Illinois
Cost estimates combine procedure-specific pricing data with regional cost-of-living and provider-supply adjustments. Primary sources:
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Hospital pricing transparency files — CMS-required machine-readable data published by hospitals under the CMS Hospital Price Transparency rule (effective January 2021). Provides actual negotiated rates between hospitals and insurers.
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HCUP (Healthcare Cost & Utilization Project) — AHRQ's HCUP databases provide nationally-representative procedure cost data by state, payer, and patient demographics.
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Bureau of Labor Statistics — Healthcare Practitioner Occupational Wages — BLS OEWS data on surgeon, anesthesiologist, and surgical staff wages by state, used to model regional labor-cost differences in procedure pricing.
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BEA Regional Price Parities (RPP) — U.S. Bureau of Economic Analysis state-level price-level indices, used to adjust national procedure averages for Illinois's cost-of-living relative to the national mean.
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FAIR Health Consumer Cost Lookup — the FAIR Health database aggregates billed and allowed amounts from over 36 billion claim records, providing a check on procedure-cost ranges by ZIP code.
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Medicare Provider Utilization & Payment Data — CMS public-use files on Medicare-allowed amounts and submitted charges by HCPCS/CPT code and state, used as a baseline for procedure-cost ranges.
Estimates are illustrative and reflect typical pricing ranges; actual costs depend on insurance coverage, surgical complexity, anesthesia type, hospital vs. ambulatory setting, and individual patient factors. Always confirm pricing directly with providers and your insurance carrier. See our methodology page for full calculation details.