Medicare's paying less for cataract surgery. Eye doctors are turning to moneymaking lasers.

Medicare is paying less for cataract surgery, and that shift is pushing some patients toward more expensive “laser-assisted” procedures. A retired New York patient, Tammy Chalala, paid nearly $4,000 out of pocket for two surgeries last year after choosing laser assistance instead of the traditional scalpel. The article notes Medicare pays about $520 for a standard procedure—down roughly 20% over the past decade—and that doctors can charge extra for the laser only in limited cases tied to vision correction, such as premium lenses or astigmatism fixes. Doctors typically bill $1,000 to $3,000 per eye for the laser. Research cited by the American Academy of Ophthalmology says studies haven’t shown better outcomes for standard cases.