What does cataract surgery cost?

The good news first: basic care is free of charge for everyone insured with the ÖGK (Österreichische Gesundheitskasse, Austria’s largest public health insurer). Surgery, anaesthesia and a monofocal standard lens are all paid for by public health insurance. You only pay extra for premium lenses or additional services.

An ophthalmologist discusses lens options and the costs of cataract surgery with a patient

Public patient or private patient?

Choose your situation:

Important: Exactly which services are covered varies between hospitals and federal provinces. Your doctor or the treating institution will confirm what is covered in your specific case, ideally in writing before surgery.

What the ÖGK typically covers

✓Cataract surgery with phacoemulsification (the surgeon uses ultrasound to break up the clouded lens)
✓Anaesthetic eye drops (local anaesthesia)
✓Monofocal standard lens (IOL)
✓Monovision: two monofocal lenses, one eye set for distance, one for near (after a trial)
✓Preliminary examination and biometry (measuring the eye)
✓Inpatient or outpatient stay in a contracted hospital
✓Follow-up appointments with a contracted doctor (treatment billed directly to public insurance)
✓YAG laser capsulotomy for later posterior capsule opacification (PCO, often called “secondary cataract”)

Possible out-of-pocket costs as a public patient:

Service	Surcharge (per eye)
Toric lens (corneal astigmatism)	€400–800
Enhanced Range IOL (monofocal plus)	€400–700
EDOF lens (extended depth of focus)	€700–1,200
Trifocal lens (glasses-free vision)	€1,000–1,500
Femtosecond laser (FLACS)	€500–1,000
Daily hospital contribution (inpatient)	approx. €13 / day

Guide values as of 2025. Your surcharge depends on the clinic and the surgeon. Always ask for a written cost estimate beforehand.

Typical costs as a private patient (Austria, 2025)

Service	Costs (per eye)
Operating theatre & anaesthesia	€500–1,000
Surgeon’s fee	€1,000–1,500
Monofocal standard lens (included)	included in the fee
Premium lens surcharge (EDOF, trifocal, toric)	€1,000–1,500
Total with standard lens (per eye)	€2,500–3,000
Total with premium lens (per eye)	€3,500–4,500

All amounts are approximate guide values, not fixed prices. The actual price depends on the clinic, the surgeon and the lens type. Always ask for a written cost estimate.

Does public insurance contribute?

Your public health insurer may cover part of the costs, roughly at the level of the comparable public benefit. Whether and to what extent this applies in your case cannot be answered in general terms. Clarify this individually with your own insurer before surgery.

Does private supplementary insurance help?

In most cases, yes. A private supplementary or Sonderklasse policy (special-class cover for private treatment in Austrian hospitals) usually pays the majority of the costs of cataract surgery. You are then treated like a private patient, and practically everything is included, from free choice of doctor to the premium lens and a single room.

This matters especially for policies that cover inpatient stays: cataract surgery is nowadays usually performed as a day case (outpatient procedure), yet many of these policies still pay for it. Whether your specific policy applies is best clarified directly with the surgeon. Surgeons usually know the common insurers well and know what to look out for.

What supplementary policies often cover

Wahlarzt fees, in full or in part (Wahlarzt: elective doctor, you pay upfront and claim partial reimbursement from your insurer)
Single or twin room
Treatment by the head of department (Chefarzt)
Shorter waiting time

What varies from policy to policy

Premium IOL surcharges (sometimes up to a set amount)
FLACS costs
Outpatient procedures (not all policies cover these)

An important rule

Always obtain a written cost commitment from your insurer before surgery
Never rely on verbal promises
Request a cost estimate from the surgeon and submit it to your insurer

Tax deductibility

In Austria, the costs of medically necessary cataract surgery, including surcharges for premium lenses, can be claimed in your tax return as an extraordinary expense (außergewöhnliche Belastung), provided they exceed the income-dependent retention threshold (Selbstbehalt).

Recommendation: Keep all invoices and hand them to your tax adviser with your next tax return. Especially with both eyes and premium lenses, considerable amounts can add up.

Waiting times: public vs. private

Public insurance surgery

6–12 months

Typical waiting time, depending on the clinic and the federal province. In some regions it can be quicker, in urban centres often longer.

Private patient / supplementary insurance

1–4 weeks

Considerably shorter waiting times, free choice of surgeon and of the date of surgery.

Please note: a cataract is in most cases not a medical emergency. If your visual acuity is severely reduced (e.g. below 0.3) or your safety in everyday life suffers, however, you should talk to your doctor about an earlier date.