Low cost or free cataract surgery.
Low income households can get help paying for cataract surgeries or get free treatment. Several non-profits, foundations and charities offer help to patients to prevent blindness. Most of the beneficiaries of any cataract assistance includes senior citizens, the disabled, and the uninsured. Almost all of the financial help will be targeted at patients that lack health insurance and that also have a limited income. Find how to get help with cataract surgery.
Some of the organizations that offer assistance for people with cataracts provide the money for the surgery while other charities can refer the client to a program that provides free treatment. Or there could be doctors that provide cataract surgery for free. So the type of assistance will vary. However since a cataract could potentially lead to loss of vision, the goal is to help ensure each person that needs the operation can get it.
Below is a list of either charities and/or government programs to try for help. Applicants should bring proof of income, copies of health insurance policies, proof of being uninsured, and other documentation. Also be prepared to bring medical records.
Charities that provide free with cataract surgeries
Mission Cataract will assist patients with a very low income and no other access to financial help. This means that applicants can't have insurance, either government or private plans. So the agency will only coordinate the free surgery if the patient is not on Medicaid or Medicare and lacks a private health insurance plan.
- The organization operates as a non-profit and relies on both donations as well as eye doctors to volunteer to perform the surgery. If it is determined that the vision problem could be corrected uses prescription glasses or some other work-around, then the operation will not take place. They only assist applicants that are at risk of vision loss due to the cataracts. Mission only operates in several parts of the country, so their resources are limited. For details call 559-797-1629.
American Society of Cataract and Refractive Surgery (ASCRS) Foundation has a program known as Operation Sight. Volunteer ophthalmologist, surgeons and eye doctors help the low-income get the care they need. Operation Sight helps people get a free cataract surgery or pay for treatment based on their income. Learn more on the foundation here. https://ascrs.org/foundation/operation-sight.
Community clinics may have optometrists or surgeons on site that can provide free cataract surgery. This tends to be more of a specialty service and will not be available at all health care centers. But they can be an option for patients.
- Free cataract surgery from a clinic will only be for very low income families that lack insurance or whose policy does not cover eye care. Many of the recipients will be close to, or living in poverty. Other patients may be elderly that are living on a fixed income. So while eye surgery may be offered from some select medical centers, it is not as common. Find a listing of free community clinics.
Since an untreated cataract could lead to loss of vision if left untreated, a national non-profit known as Prevent Blindness America is a source of referrals. The staff can direct a low income household to either a financial assistance programs or a clinic that provides free or low cost cataract surgery's. Call 800-331-2020 for information.
Lions Clubs International has a variety of eye care assistance programs, including for people with cataracts. The main program is known as SightFirst. Local clubs often partner with ophthalmologists, eye surgeons, eyecare chains and hospitals to provide care for the low-income and uninsured. They give free surgery’s to those who are out of options. More on help with eyecare from Lions Club.
There are a few other organizations to try for information on financial assistance to pay for cataract surgery. Each may be a source of referrals. They include Knights Templar (call 214-888-0220 or 847-490-3838) as well as USA Vision (phone 1-800-766-4466 or 800-877-7195). Or just try asking your doctor or medical professional for a resource, as they can also be helpful.
Government programs that help pay for a cataract surgery
Some public assistance programs help pay for cataract surgeries. The programs include Medicaid, Medicare and Children’s Health Insurance Program (CHIP). There will almost always be a co-pay required by the patient. But the government benefits can help offset some of the expense involved. These benefits can be much more effective at paying for the cataract surgery if the patient is disabled or over the age of 65.
There are a number of other government-non-profit partnerships for free health care available. While they do not necessarily focus on eye surgery, some may help pay for a portion of the cataract operation. Or they can direct the individual to some form of insurance policy. The national organizations as well as non-profits may have suggestions for the person that is seeking help. When out of options it can be beneficial to try one of these groups, and find more details on free health insurance.
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