Cataract Surgery Cost in Montana (2026)
In line with national pricing · Regional price parity: 97.5 · MT
What Drives Pricing Here
Three factors explain most of why cataract surgery costs what it does in Montana.
Regional Price Parity
Montana's cost-of-living index sits at 97.5 — meaningfully below the national benchmark (100). This directly scales facility and staffing overhead, which flow through to every procedure price.
Specialist Availability
12 facilities perform this procedure in Montana — competition keeps pricing honest and gives you real leverage to shop quotes.
Vs. National Benchmark
At -2.5% below the national average ($5,000), Montana is a discount market. Often driven by lower overhead or less metro concentration — quality can still be excellent.
Cataract Surgery in Montana: What to Know
Considering cataract surgery in Montana? Billings offers specialized care at Vance Thompson Vision, providing same-day or back-to-back surgeries for out-of-town patients, and The Eye Clinic/Surgicenter utilizes advanced phacoemulsification technology. In Bozeman, Medical Eye Specialists offers "Premium Cataract Surgery" with advanced IOLs, including Light Adjustable Lenses for post-surgical vision refinement. Great Falls Clinic Vision Center provides comprehensive eye care, including cataract surgery, utilizing the latest innovations.
To save on costs, explore ambulatory surgery centers (ASCs) like those associated with Vance Thompson Vision or The Eye Clinic in Billings, which offer significant savings compared to outpatient hospitals. While Montana's average costs are slightly below the national average, some rural residents may travel to Wyoming for more timely access to specialized eye care. Verify current pricing directly with providers.
Estimated Cost Breakdown in Montana
Montana sits near the middle of the pack for cataract surgery pricing. The cost components typically split like this.
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
Montana all-in range
Financing Options
Many Montana clinics partner with CareCredit or Alphaeon. A typical 24-month, 0% APR term on $4,875 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 Montana's regional price parity (97.5). See the national percentage breakdown →
Facility Costs in Montana
Here are the highest-volume cataract surgery providers in Montana. All rates come from CMS Medicare claims data — actual payments, not list prices.
| Facility | City | Negotiated Rate | Medicare | Volume |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Great Falls Clinic Hospital | Great Falls | $2,109 | $1,671 | 585 |
| Billings Clinic Hospital | Billings | $1,990 | $1,582 | 310 |
| Northern Montana Hospital | Havre | $2,210 | $1,745 | 271 |
| Benefis Hospitals Inc | Great Falls | $2,125 | $1,688 | 198 |
| St Patrick Hospital | Missoula | $2,106 | $1,674 | 181 |
| Bozeman Health Deaconess Regional Medical Center | Bozeman | $4,137 | $3,282 | 163 |
| Logan Health Medical Center | Kalispell | $2,214 | $1,746 | 139 |
| Billings Clinic Hospital | Billings | $3,882 | $3,087 | 101 |
| Benefis Hospitals Inc | Great Falls | $3,847 | $3,037 | 37 |
| Logan Health Medical Center | Kalispell | $4,211 | $3,324 | 18 |
Cataract Surgery Cost in Nearby States
While Montana's cataract surgery costs are in line with the US average, neighboring states happen to run lower. Here's the comparison.
Expert Answers for Montana Patients
Local regulations, insurance nuance, and surgical standards specific to Montana.
Compare Montana 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 should I expect to pay for cataract surgery in Montana?
Will my health insurance pay for cataract surgery?
What should I look for in a Montana cataract surgery provider?
Should I consider cataract surgery outside Montana?
How soon can I get back to normal after cataract surgery?
Can Medicaid help pay for cataract surgery in Montana?
Can I pay for cataract surgery with pre-tax health savings?
How we calculate cataract surgery costs in Montana
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 Montana'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.