Cataract Surgery Cost in Wisconsin (2026)
Close to the national average · RPP 99.8 · WI
What Drives Pricing Here
Three factors explain most of why cataract surgery costs what it does in Wisconsin.
Regional Price Parity
Wisconsin's cost-of-living index sits at 99.8 — near the national benchmark (100). This directly scales facility and staffing overhead, which flow through to every procedure price.
Specialist Availability
62 facilities perform this procedure in Wisconsin — competition keeps pricing honest and gives you real leverage to shop quotes.
Vs. National Benchmark
Wisconsin tracks within 0.2% of the national average ($5,000) — a typical mid-market pricing environment with wide provider variance.
Cataract Surgery in Wisconsin: What to Know
Cataract surgery in Wisconsin offers numerous trusted options. Valley Eye Associates in Appleton and Green Bay boasts surgeons with over 55,000 combined procedures, making them a top choice. For those traveling, Tower Clock Eye Center in Green Bay provides same-day surgery for eligible patients from over two hours away, with optometrist referral. UW Health performs thousands of procedures annually and actively contributes to advancing eye care through clinical trials.
Consider Ambulatory Surgical Centers (ASCs) like the Independent Surgery Center in Chippewa Valley for a more cost-effective alternative to hospital outpatient surgery. Many facilities, including Valley Eye Associates and Milwaukee Eye Surgeons, offer advanced High Definition Laser Cataract Surgery for greater precision and faster recovery. Verify current pricing directly with providers.
Estimated Cost Breakdown in Wisconsin
Pricing for cataract surgery in Wisconsin 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
Wisconsin all-in range
Financing Options
Many Wisconsin clinics partner with CareCredit or Alphaeon. A typical 24-month, 0% APR term on $4,990 looks like:
- Soft credit check — no hard pull
- Instant approval decisions
- HSA/FSA eligible for qualifying cases
Cost estimates are adjusted for regional pricing. See how we calculate state-level costs →
Ranges adjusted for Wisconsin's regional price parity (99.8). See the national percentage breakdown →
Facility Costs in Wisconsin
Below are the top facilities performing cataract surgery in Wisconsin, ranked by volume. Rates shown are negotiated amounts from CMS Medicare data.
| Facility | City | Negotiated Rate | Medicare | Volume |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Gundersen Lutheran Medical Center | La Crosse | $1,980 | $1,571 | 1,464 |
| Aurora Baycare Medical Ctr | Green Bay | $2,024 | $1,606 | 884 |
| Aurora Medical Center Burlington | Burlington | $2,134 | $1,693 | 718 |
| Ascension Columbia St Mary's Hospital Milwaukee Ca | Milwaukee | $2,196 | $1,745 | 442 |
| Oakleaf Surgical Hospital | Altoona | $2,074 | $1,651 | 420 |
| Mercy Health System Corp | Janesville | $2,054 | $1,632 | 412 |
| Froedtert South - Froedtert Pleasant Prairie | Pleasant Prairie | $2,148 | $1,706 | 381 |
| Ssm Health Monroe Hospital | Monroe | $2,168 | $1,721 | 356 |
| Ssm Health St Agnes Hospital-Fond Du Lac | Fond Du Lac | $2,265 | $1,798 | 315 |
| Watertown Regional Medical Center | Watertown | $2,078 | $1,655 | 288 |
Cataract Surgery Cost in Nearby States
Cataract Surgery pricing varies across the region. Here's how Wisconsin stacks up against its neighbors.
Expert Answers for Wisconsin Patients
Local regulations, insurance nuance, and surgical standards specific to Wisconsin.
Compare Wisconsin 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 guideHow much does cataract surgery cost in Wisconsin?
Can I use insurance for cataract surgery in Wisconsin?
How do I compare cataract surgery facilities in Wisconsin?
Is it worth traveling to another state for cataract surgery?
How quickly can I recover from cataract surgery?
Is cataract surgery covered under Wisconsin's Medicaid program?
Can I use my HSA or FSA for cataract surgery?
How we calculate cataract surgery costs in Wisconsin
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 Wisconsin'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.