Cataract Surgery Cost in Ohio (2026): Average Prices & What You'll Pay

What does a cataract surgery cost in Ohio?

Where you have a cataract surgery done in Ohio swings the bill from $1,093 to $2,225 for identical care. The median cash price across 65 reporting hospitals is $1,419. The numbers are pulled directly from federally mandated hospital price transparency files.

Even within Ohio, Cleveland ($1,021) and Columbus ($1,740) are 1.7× apart on the median price. Across 65 Ohio hospitals that publish prices, a cataract surgery runs from as little as $478 (Wood County Hospital Association in Bowling Green) to $13,044 (Nationwide Children's Hospital) — a 27.3× spread for the same procedure. Half of Ohio facilities price it at or below $1,419, with most clustered between $1,050 and $2,225. There's a gap between the sticker and the real price here: a median cash quote of $1,419 sits above the $1,846 insurers negotiate.

Where cataract surgery costs vary in Ohio

Pins show hospitals with price-transparency data (colored by vs. state average) and nearby ambulatory surgery centers, imaging centers, and other facilities (colored by type). Click any pin for facility name and estimated cost range.

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The facility you choose matters more than almost anything else — the same procedure, same quality, same state can cost 5× more at one hospital versus the one down the road.

→ Compare all procedure costs   → Cataract Surgery costs nationwide

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Lower-cost options in Ohio start around $1,050 or below. Most hospitals cluster between $1,050 and $2,230. A smaller group reports prices above that — often academic medical centers or high-cost markets.

If you're comparing specific hospitals, the lowest self-pay rates reported in this dataset include: Trinity Hospital Twin City in Dennison (cash price from $526); Metrohealth System in Cleveland (cash price from $533); Wood County Hospital Association in Bowling Green (cash price from $550). These are declared cash prices — contact each facility for a formal quote before scheduling.

Ohio Cataract Surgery prices by facility

All prices below come from hospital chargemasters — the official price lists each hospital must publish under federal law. Gross charge is the undiscounted list price; cash price is the self-pay rate; negotiated range covers the spread across insurance contracts.

Source: CMS hospital price transparency machine-readable files. vs Median = savings or premium relative to the state median price. Gross Charge = undiscounted list price for reference.

Received a bill? Check it for errors → Estimate YOUR cost before you go →

Compare other procedures in Ohio:

• Appendectomy Cost in Ohio
• Childbirth Cost in Ohio

Where you can save the most on cataract surgery in Ohio

These facilities have the lowest declared prices relative to the state median — they represent the best opportunities to reduce your out-of-pocket cost for this procedure.

Most expensive cataract surgery providers in Ohio

These facilities report the highest prices for this procedure. Academic medical centers and specialty hospitals often top this list — their gross charges rarely reflect what anyone actually pays, but understanding the spread helps you negotiate.

Why prices vary this much

A small number of hospitals (1) report very high prices above $4,000, which drives much of the overall price range. Excluding these, most facilities cluster in a significantly tighter band.

Setting drives much of the gap in Ohio: the median outpatient price is $1,419 versus $862 inpatient, so where a procedure is performed often matters more than which hospital you choose. Of the Ohio facilities reporting prices, 17 fall in a low-cost tier (up to $1,050) while 17 sit in a high-cost tier ($2,230 and up) — a lower-priced option almost always exists within the same state.

Among the cities with the most reporting hospitals, Columbus has a median reported price of $1,740 across 6 facilities, while facilities in Cleveland tend to report lower prices (median: $1,021). City-level variation within a state often reflects local market structure, not procedure complexity.

The spread comes from how each hospital sets its chargemaster (the undiscounted list price), what cash discounts it applies, and what rates it negotiates with each insurer. Facility classification matters too — a hospital-owned outpatient center adds a facility fee that a freestanding clinic does not. Understanding these mechanics is the first step to paying less.

Learn more:
→ Allowed amount vs negotiated rate — what your EOB is really saying
→ How to read your medical bill
→ Why hospital prices are so hard to find — and what to do about it

How insurance changes what you actually pay

Hospital list prices are only part of the picture. What you pay out of pocket depends on your deductible, your plan's out-of-pocket maximum, whether the facility is in-network, and whether your plan classifies the visit as outpatient or inpatient. A lower gross charge doesn't guarantee a lower bill if the facility is out-of-network or adds facility fees your plan doesn't cover.

Understand your cost before you go:
→ Deductible vs out-of-pocket max
→ EOB vs medical bill — complete guide
→ How to stop medical bill problems before they start (in-network vs out-of-network)

Compare cataract surgery costs in nearby states

• Pennsylvania
• Michigan
• Indiana
• Kentucky

Frequently asked questions: cataract surgery costs in Ohio

How much does a cataract surgery cost in Ohio?

Across 65 Ohio hospitals that publish prices, a cataract surgery ranges from $478 to $13,044, with a median of $1,419. Most facilities fall between $1,050 and $2,225. What you pay depends on the facility, your insurance, and whether you have met your deductible.

Where is the cheapest place to get a cataract surgery in Ohio?

Based on declared prices, the lowest-cost facility in our Ohio data is Trinity West in Steubenville at about $525. By metro, Cleveland has the lowest median ($1,021). Freestanding ambulatory surgery and imaging centers are often cheaper still and may not appear in hospital price data — ask your doctor whether one is an option.

Why is a cataract surgery so much cheaper at some Ohio hospitals?

Prices vary up to 27.3× because each hospital sets its own list price, cash discount, and insurer-negotiated rates. In Ohio, the median cash (self-pay) price is $1,419 versus a median negotiated rate of $1,846 — about 0.8× higher. Asking for the cash price or your insurer's negotiated rate is often the single biggest lever on what you pay.

How much will I actually pay out of pocket for a cataract surgery in Ohio?

Your out-of-pocket cost depends on your deductible, coinsurance, out-of-pocket maximum, and whether the facility is in-network — not just the sticker price. If you have not met your deductible, you will typically pay the negotiated rate in full until you do. Use the CostKits cost forecaster to estimate your specific out-of-pocket amount before you go.

Explore all cataract surgery cost data

→ See cataract surgery costs across all states