Cataract Surgery in Los Angeles: Lens Options, Medicare Coverage and Choosing a Surgeon

Who decides whether you need surgery

A diagnosis and a recommendation for surgery come from an eye doctor who has examined you. If an optometrist or ophthalmologist has mentioned cataracts, the next step is an evaluation with an ophthalmologist who performs cataract surgery. This site doesn't assess symptoms or tell anyone whether to have surgery. Useful questions for that first surgical visit:

• How are the cataracts affecting my vision now, and what happens if I wait?
• Would you operate on one eye or both, and on what schedule?
• Do I have other eye conditions that change the plan or the expected result?
• Who will perform the surgery, and where?

Choosing where to have surgery in Los Angeles

Your coverage may narrow the field before anything else, so check it early. Within your options, these are the academic and hospital centers we verified.

UCLA Stein Eye Institute and Doheny

UCLA's Stein Eye Institute at 100 Stein Plaza in Westwood was founded in 1966 by Jules Stein, MD, and Bradley R. Straatsma, MD, JD. Its main number is (310) 825-5000. UCLA also runs Stein Eye Center Santa Monica at 1807 Wilshire Blvd., Suite 203, and Stein Eye Center Calabasas, which lists cataract and refractive services. In the San Gabriel Valley, Doheny Eye Center UCLA, part of a nonprofit affiliated with Stein, sees patients at 150 N. Orange Grove Blvd., Suites 1200, 1300 and 1400, in Pasadena (626-817-4747), and at 622 W. Duarte Road, Suite 101, in Arcadia.

USC Roski Eye Institute

Faculty of the USC Roski Eye Institute see patients at Keck Medical Center and in Arcadia, Pasadena and Glendale; appointments are at (323) 442-6335. The Arcadia clinic lists cataract and refractive surgery as well as vitreoretinal surgery, and the Pasadena office is at 625 S. Fair Oaks Ave., Suite 400.

Kaiser Permanente

Kaiser describes the ophthalmology service at its Los Angeles Medical Center, 4867 W. Sunset Blvd., as all-inclusive and covering all major subspecialties. If you're a Kaiser member, ask Kaiser first how referrals to ophthalmology work and where your surgery would take place. Ask before seeking care outside Kaiser, since coverage for outside care depends on your plan.

Cedars-Sinai and private practices

Cedars-Sinai Medical Center, a 919-bed teaching hospital at 8700 Beverly Blvd., lists individual ophthalmologists in its online provider profiles. Beyond the hospitals, private ophthalmology practices and surgery centers across the county perform cataract surgery. We don't rank them; run our surgeon checklist on anyone you're considering.

Lens options: questions that matter more than labels

Cataract surgery includes choosing a lens implant. Practices often sort options into standard and premium, using terms such as toric or multifocal. Those labels don't tell you what daily life will look like or what you'll pay. Ask the surgeon to translate each option into plain answers:

• With this lens, would I likely still need glasses, and for what: reading, computer work or night driving?
• Why do you recommend this option for my eyes specifically?
• Which parts of the cost would my insurance or Medicare plan cover, and which would I pay myself?
• If I'm unhappy with the result, what are the options?
• Can I take time to decide, or must I choose today?

Pressure to upgrade on the spot is a reason to slow down. It's reasonable to take the information home, talk it over with family and get a second opinion if you want one.

Medicare and other coverage: getting a straight answer

Coverage depends on your exact plan, whether that's Original Medicare, a Medicare Advantage plan, Kaiser, Medi-Cal or employer coverage. Rather than relying on general rules, get answers that apply to you.

1. Identify your plan typeFind your member card and note which kind of coverage you have. Write down the member services number.
2. Ask whether you need a referralHMO and medical group members should ask their primary care office how referrals to ophthalmology work before booking with a surgeon.
3. Check the networkConfirm that both the surgeon and the surgery location are in network for your plan.
4. Request a written estimateAsk the surgeon's office for an itemized estimate that separates what your plan is expected to pay from what you would owe, including any lens upgrade.
5. Ask about separate billsAsk whether the surgeon, the facility and anesthesia bill separately, and get an estimate for each.
6. Keep a recordNote names, dates and reference numbers for every call, so you have documentation if an answer changes.

Planning surgery day in Los Angeles

Ask your surgeon's office for written instructions, then handle the practical pieces early:

• Line up a driver, and ask the practice whether you'll be allowed to drive yourself home.
• Ask how long to plan for at the center, and where to park or be dropped off.
• Map the route for follow-up visits too, and ask how many there will be and where.
• If you're helping a parent, ask whether a family member can join the pre-surgery appointment and hear the instructions.
• Ask who to call after hours, and save the number in your phone.