Cataract surgery cost: reimbursement and out-of-pocket expenses
What French national health insurance (Assurance Maladie) reimburses, what your complementary health insurance (mutuelle) may pay and what remains for you to pay, eye by eye, depending on the implant chosen. Surgery performed at the Clinique Sainte-Geneviève (Paris 14th).
Updated: October 2026 · Written and reviewed by Dr Moïse Tourabaly, ophthalmologist, Former Chef de Clinique at the Hôpital National des Quinze-Vingts (Sorbonne Université)
No French health insurance? If you are a foreign patient or your entitlement is not open, the clinic stay costs are payable by you and the amounts on this page do not apply. See eye surgery without a carte Vitale.
How much does cataract surgery cost? The three cost items
Cataract surgery breaks down into three independent cost items. Each item has its own reimbursement rules.
Procedure and clinic costs
Surgical procedure on the Sécurité sociale (French statutory health insurance) base rate, operating theatre, consumables and day-case stay at the clinic.
Fee supplement
Surgeon’s free-rate fees (Secteur 2 OPTAM): consultation, surgical procedure, personalised follow-up, medical liability.
Intraocular implant
Choice of an implant suited to your life: monofocal, extended depth of focus (EDOF) or multifocal. See what each type of implant lets you see.
Sécurité sociale + complementary plan coverage: what is covered
The surgical procedure (CCAM code BFGA427: removal of the lens with implantation) is reimbursed at 100% of its base rate, €271.70 per eye, and Assurance Maladie pays the clinic directly for the day-case stay. A flat-rate contribution, in an amount set by Assurance Maladie for procedures of €120 or more, remains payable by the insured person once per procedure; your complementary plan may cover it. Assurance Maladie also reimburses €95 for any intraocular implant listed in the LPPR (Liste des Produits et Prestations Remboursables, the official list of reimbursable products and services). This reimbursement assumes open entitlement; failing that, cover for cataract surgery without a carte Vitale follows different rules.
The bills you will receive, for each eye:
- The clinic: the day-case stay costs, in the form of a flat fee called “GHS” (groupe homogène de séjour, a hospital stay package), are paid directly by Assurance Maladie. You pay only the flat-rate contribution and, if you requested one, the private room.
- The surgeon: the procedure, reimbursed on its base rate of €271.70, and the fee supplement of €500 to €1,000 shown on the quote.
- The anaesthetist: their share covered by Sécurité sociale and their fee supplement, which they bill to you directly; your complementary plan may reimburse it in the same way as the surgeon’s, depending on your contract.
What remains for you to pay: the flat-rate contribution, the surgeon’s fee supplement (Secteur 2 OPTAM) and any supplement linked to the choice of a premium implant. Where applicable, add a private room if you request one (billed by the clinic, sometimes covered by the complementary plan) and the anaesthetist’s fee supplement: the anaesthetist gives you the amount personally, bills it to you directly, and your complementary plan may reimburse it depending on your contract.
What will you pay, depending on your complementary plan?
The amount you pay depends above all on how your complementary plan reimburses fee supplements. It expresses this as a percentage of the Sécurité sociale base rate (“BR”, base de remboursement), with the Sécurité sociale share included: a 200% plan reimburses twice the base rate in total, i.e. €271.70 of fee supplement on top of the €271.70 from Sécurité sociale.
| Your complementary plan reimburses fee supplements at | €500 fee supplement | €1,000 fee supplement |
|---|---|---|
| No complementary plan | €500 + flat-rate contribution | €1,000 + flat-rate contribution |
| 100% BR | €500 | €1,000 |
| 200% BR | €228.30 | €728.30 |
| 300% BR | €0 | €456.60 |
| 400% BR or more | €0 | €184.90 |
Amounts per eye, to be doubled if both eyes are operated on. Monofocal implant (no supplement). For an EDOF or multifocal implant, add its supplement (table of ranges below). Assumptions: flat-rate contribution covered by the complementary plan whenever there is one; anaesthetist’s fee supplement excluded (it too may be reimbursed by the complementary plan, depending on the contract); no private room and no implant allowance from the complementary plan. Your personal quote is the reference.
Because Dr Tourabaly is a member of OPTAM, so-called “responsible” contracts (contrats responsables) may reimburse his fee supplement with no regulatory ceiling; for a secteur 2 doctor who is not a member, they can reimburse no more than the equivalent of 100% of the base rate. To find your own contract’s rate, look up your complementary plan in our tool (in French): for a cataract, it shows what the published table of benefits provides.
Public hospital or private clinic: what changes
The price of cataract surgery depends less on the facility than on the surgeon’s status. At a public hospital (outside private consultations), as with a secteur 1 (fixed-fee) surgeon, there is no fee supplement: what remains is the flat-rate contribution and, if the facility offers one, the supplement for a premium implant. In a private clinic, most surgeons practise in secteur 2, with a fee supplement that must be announced in writing before the procedure. Waiting times and the choice of implants vary from one facility to another.
Which implant to choose: three families, three uses
The choice of implant depends on your lifestyle, your visual expectations and anatomical features (astigmatism, axial length, etc.). An optical trial and a simulation are carried out before surgery.
A single plane of focus
Corrects one distance (most often far vision). Glasses needed for near vision.
- No supplement: the implant is covered by Sécurité sociale
- Sharp vision at one distance, most often far
- Toric version (astigmatism): ≈ €75 to €115 / eye
Extended depth of focus
Continuous vision from far to intermediate (screen, dashboard). Glasses still useful for small print.
- A compromise between depth of focus and quality of vision
- Night-time halos generally less marked than with a multifocal
- Suited to driving and screen work
Near + far + intermediate vision
Aims to reduce the need for glasses, including for reading.
- Glasses needed less often, depending on the patient
- Neuro-visual adaptation phase of a few weeks
- May cause mild halos at night
Implant supplement: ranges by family
Amounts net of the €95 covered by Sécurité sociale for any implant: this is what you pay for the “implant” item, per eye. The exact price of the chosen model appears on the implant quote given at the consultation.
| Implant family | Target vision | Spherical | Toric (astigmatism) |
|---|---|---|---|
| Monofocal | One distance, most often far | €0 | ≈ €75 to €115 |
| EDOF (extended depth of focus) | Far and intermediate | ≈ €310 to €406 | ≈ €365 to €406 |
| Multifocal (trifocal) | Far, intermediate and near | ≈ €230 to €455 | ≈ €350 to €605 |
Ranges calculated from the suppliers’ price list as of 1 October 2026. Some models are priced on quotation; prices may change with manufacturers’ rates.
What does a complementary plan reimburse for cataract surgery?
Several lines of your contract may apply. Here is how to find your way around them.
📄 Fee supplement
Check the “surgical hospitalisation” or “surgeon’s fee supplement” line (sometimes labelled “excess fees”, dépassement d’honoraires, on older contracts). Typical coverage: 100% to 300% of the Sécu base rate.
👁️ Premium implant
Some contracts provide an allowance for the supplement on premium implants (EDOF, multifocal), which Sécurité sociale does not reimburse beyond its €95. This allowance rarely appears on the first page of the table of benefits: ask your complementary plan about it explicitly, with your quote in hand.
📞 Prior quote
We give you a detailed quote after the pre-operative consultation, to send to your complementary plan so that it can give you a written estimate of its coverage.
🔎 Your contract made clear
Can’t find your rate? Our tool (in French) searches by insurer, occupation or employer and shows what the published table of benefits provides for a cataract.
Frequently asked questions about cataract surgery pricing
How much will I pay in total for both eyes?
The total depends on the implant chosen and on your complementary plan. With a monofocal implant and a complementary plan that reimburses only the Sécurité sociale base rate (100% BR): €1,000 to €2,000 for both eyes, i.e. the fee supplement, excluding the flat-rate contribution and the anaesthetist’s fee supplement. The higher your contract’s rate, the more of this supplement is covered: at 400% BR, it is fully covered for a €500 supplement, and €184.90 per eye remains for a €1,000 supplement. The table of examples above details the intermediate cases; a written quote is given to you at the consultation.
How much does cataract surgery cost without a complementary plan?
Without a complementary plan, with a monofocal implant, expect €500 to €1,000 per eye in fee supplement (exact amount on the quote), plus the flat-rate contribution. The surgical procedure, the clinic stay costs and the monofocal implant remain covered by Assurance Maladie. A premium implant adds its supplement (about €230 to €455 depending on the model, more for the toric version), and a private room, if you request one, is billed separately. On top of this comes the anaesthetist’s fee supplement, whose amount the anaesthetist gives you; with a complementary plan, it may be reimbursed depending on your contract.
Is cataract surgery cheaper at a hospital?
At a public hospital (outside private consultations), as with a secteur 1 surgeon, there is no fee supplement. What remains is the flat-rate contribution and, if the facility offers one, the supplement for a premium implant. Waiting times and the choice of implants vary between facilities.
What is the flat-rate contribution (participation forfaitaire)?
It is a fixed amount, set by Assurance Maladie, payable by the insured person for medical procedures whose tariff is €120 or more, such as cataract surgery. It applies once per procedure, so twice if both eyes are operated on at different dates. Its amount appears on the clinic’s bill, and your complementary plan may reimburse it.
What does a latest-generation multifocal implant cost?
The supplement for a multifocal implant is about €230 to €455 per eye depending on the model (more for the toric version), to which the fee supplement of €500 to €1,000 per eye is added. The surgical procedure, the stay costs and a monofocal implant remain covered by Assurance Maladie. The differences between EDOF, multifocal and toric implants are explained on the dedicated page; the written quote is given at the consultation.
Why is there a fee supplement if the surgery is reimbursed?
Dr Tourabaly is contracted under Secteur 2 OPTAM (free-rate fees with a commitment to fee moderation, allowing better reimbursement by Assurance Maladie and most complementary plans). Sécurité sociale reimburses the procedure on the basis of the Secteur 1 rate (about €271 for a cataract). The fee supplement, from €500 to €1,000 per eye depending on the quote, pays for the personalised examination, close follow-up, expertise and medical liability of the surgeon. This calculation assumes open entitlement; without a carte Vitale, cover for cataract surgery follows different rules, set out on a dedicated page. This supplement complies with Article 53 of the French Code of Medical Ethics: displayed transparently, “with tact and moderation”.
Is a monofocal implant enough?
For many patients, yes. A modern monofocal implant gives sharp distance vision, with no supplement. Glasses are still needed for fine reading. If you wish to be free of glasses for most of your activities (reading, screens, driving), an EDOF or multifocal implant will be more suitable: but the decision is made at the consultation, after analysing your eye and your lifestyle.
The €95 reimbursed by Sécu for the implant: how does it work?
Any intraocular implant listed in the LPPR (Liste des Produits et Prestations Remboursables) qualifies for a flat-rate reimbursement of €95 from Sécurité sociale. The ranges shown on this page are already net of this reimbursement: they correspond to what you pay for the implant item.
Can the quote change between the consultation and the surgery?
No. The written quote given at the pre-operative consultation is firm for its period of validity, six months. Only a change on your part (for example, if you finally choose a different implant) can alter the price. In that case, a new quote is drawn up.
Can both eyes be operated on the same day?
The rule is to operate on each eye separately, one or two weeks apart, to check that the first eye is progressing well before operating on the second; operating on both eyes on the same day remains exceptional, in selected cases. The price applies per eye for the fee supplement and the implant, and the flat-rate contribution applies to each procedure.
What if I have astigmatism as well as a cataract?
A so-called “toric” implant, placed during the cataract operation, also corrects astigmatism. Toric models are available in every category (monofocal, EDOF, multifocal). The extra cost compared with a spherical implant is shown in the table of ranges above.
Official sources
- French Social Security Code (Code de la sécurité sociale), articles L160-13 to L160-16, “Participation de l’assuré social” (contribution of the insured person), Légifrance. View
- Common Classification of Medical Procedures (CCAM), procedure BFGA427 “Extraction extracapsulaire du cristallin par phakoémulsification, avec implantation de cristallin artificiel dans la chambre postérieure de l’œil” (extracapsular extraction of the lens by phacoemulsification, with implantation of an artificial lens in the posterior chamber of the eye), reimbursement base rate €271.70. View
Let’s discuss your plans
A full pre-operative consultation makes it possible to confirm the indication, choose the right implant and give you a personalised written quote.
What does your complementary plan reimburse? Search by insurer, occupation or employer: the tool shows what your contract provides (in French) for a cataract, laser surgery or an ICL implant, based on published tables of benefits.