Cost analysis for CPT 66821 — Removal of recurring cataract in lens capsule using a laser
Average Medicare Payment
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Total Payments (Latest)
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Services (Latest)
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Price Change (–)
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The most expensive state pays 4.5x more than the cheapest for this procedure. GU averages $313.73 vs IL at $69.40.
| State | Avg Payment | Total Payments | Services | Providers |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| GU | $313.73 | $38.9K | 124 | 3 |
| DC | $287.89 | $210.4K | 731 | 22 |
| AK | $280.81 | $402.4K | 1.4K | 29 |
| CA | $270.82 | $17.5M | 64.7K | 954 |
| CT | $269.85 | $1.3M | 4.9K | 113 |
| NY | $267.90 | $7.4M | 27.5K | 515 |
| RI | $266.84 | $369.8K | 1.4K | 25 |
| NJ | $265.24 | $4.9M | 18.3K | 290 |
| HI | $255.97 | $547.3K | 2.1K | 47 |
| PR | $252.83 | $41.7K | 165 | 8 |
| MD | $251.27 | $3.7M | 14.6K | 219 |
| VT | $250.84 | $210.5K | 839 | 16 |
| NH | $245.32 | $833.1K | 3.4K | 43 |
| CO | $239.51 | $2.7M | 11.5K | 177 |
| NM | $238.35 | $810.4K | 3.4K | 38 |
| NV | $236.44 | $1.9M | 7.9K | 72 |
| UT | $235.20 | $1.3M | 5.5K | 99 |
| DE | $233.85 | $1.1M | 4.8K | 30 |
| PA | $233.12 | $7.7M | 32.8K | 417 |
| TX | $232.94 | $13.9M | 59.6K | 695 |
| MI | $231.45 | $4.2M | 18.0K | 311 |
| SD | $231.17 | $1.2M | 5.2K | 34 |
| WA | $230.28 | $5.3M | 23.1K | 261 |
| OR | $228.64 | $2.5M | 11.0K | 163 |
| ND | $228.36 | $791.5K | 3.5K | 29 |
| FL | $227.49 | $17.8M | 78.3K | 738 |
| AZ | $222.62 | $5.5M | 24.9K | 209 |
| MT | $220.57 | $1.2M | 5.4K | 65 |
| LA | $219.14 | $2.7M | 12.5K | 166 |
| WY | $215.31 | $387.8K | 1.8K | 26 |
| MO | $212.26 | $4.6M | 21.8K | 219 |
| OK | $211.42 | $3.3M | 15.8K | 219 |
| NE | $210.43 | $1.8M | 8.6K | 79 |
| VA | $210.42 | $5.4M | 25.6K | 234 |
| MA | $209.75 | $4.2M | 19.9K | 240 |
| GA | $206.72 | $5.6M | 27.1K | 268 |
| IA | $206.18 | $1.9M | 9.3K | 133 |
| KS | $205.92 | $2.8M | 13.4K | 111 |
| ME | $204.72 | $612.3K | 3.0K | 41 |
| AR | $204.44 | $2.8M | 13.5K | 122 |
| MS | $203.46 | $2.7M | 13.4K | 155 |
| ID | $198.22 | $1.1M | 5.6K | 61 |
| IN | $197.51 | $5.6M | 28.5K | 243 |
| WV | $191.31 | $762.9K | 4.0K | 47 |
| OH | $185.02 | $5.8M | 31.2K | 364 |
| TN | $118.47 | $4.7M | 39.9K | 228 |
| MN | $112.39 | $2.4M | 21.2K | 172 |
| KY | $111.35 | $2.6M | 23.6K | 163 |
| AL | $107.23 | $2.5M | 23.3K | 145 |
| NC | $105.06 | $5.1M | 48.1K | 307 |
| SC | $103.33 | $4.4M | 42.6K | 174 |
| Provider | Specialty | State | Payments | Services | Avg/Service |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Laser & Surgical Services At Center For Sight Llc | Ambulatory Surgical Center | FL | $329.6K | 2.0K | $163.34 |
| Surgery Center Of Eye Specialists Of Indiana, Pc | Ambulatory Surgical Center | IN | $273.5K | 1.4K | $198.07 |
| Island Eye Surgicenter Llc | Ambulatory Surgical Center | NY | $271.1K | 1.1K | $238.82 |
| Eye Surgery Center Of Augusta, Llc | Ambulatory Surgical Center | GA | $260.5K | 1.3K | $195.39 |
| William Shultz | Ophthalmology | IN | $257.6K | 1.4K | $189.93 |
| Sight Partners, Llc | Ambulatory Surgical Center | WA | $252.2K | 1.3K | $198.72 |
| Seymour Operations Llc | Ambulatory Surgical Center | AR | $245.6K | 1.3K | $185.76 |
| Roanoke Valley Center For Sight Llc | Ambulatory Surgical Center | VA | $236.6K | 1.4K | $163.15 |
| Randal Hughes | Ophthalmology | IN | $232.1K | 1.1K | $217.96 |
| Nathaniel Ruttig | Ophthalmology | FL | $229.6K | 918 | $250.13 |
| Columbia Eye Surg Center Inc | Ambulatory Surgical Center | SC | $216.9K | 1.2K | $179.87 |
| Physicians Eye Surgery Center Llc | Ambulatory Surgical Center | SC | $214.3K | 1.1K | $203.71 |
| Virginia Eye Institute Inc | Ambulatory Surgical Center | VA | $213.4K | 1.1K | $197.98 |
| Eye Surgery Centers Of Arizona, Llc | Ambulatory Surgical Center | AZ | $209.8K | 1.0K | $201.52 |
| Andrew Rabinowitz | Ophthalmology | AZ | $204.0K | 843 | $241.99 |
| Doctors Outpatient Surgery Center, Llc | Ambulatory Surgical Center | FL | $202.2K | 1.0K | $194.82 |
| Carolina Specialty Eye Surgery, Llc | Ambulatory Surgical Center | SC | $190.1K | 946 | $200.99 |
| Amarillo Cataract And Eye Surgery | Ambulatory Surgical Center | TX | $187.3K | 1.0K | $186.02 |
| John Gooch | Ophthalmology | FL | $185.4K | 632 | $293.37 |
| St Marks Surgical Center Llc | Ambulatory Surgical Center | FL | $185.1K | 940 | $196.94 |
The data suggests significant pricing inconsistencies for CPT 66821. With a 4.5x price gap between the most and least expensive states, geography plays an outsized role in what Medicare pays for this procedure.
Costs have remained relatively stable over time, but the geographic variation suggests Medicare's geographic adjustment factors may not fully capture the true cost differences across states.
This analysis is based on publicly available CMS data and does not account for patient complexity, comorbidities, or facility-specific factors that may justify pricing differences.
Note: All data is from publicly available Medicare records. OpenMedicare is an independent journalism project not affiliated with CMS.