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Cost of intravitreal injection

The average cash price for intravitreal injection care is $457 at a surgery center versus $773 at an outpatient hospital. While a surgery center may offer fewer complimentary services, and may not have the full range of support services that outpatient hospital provides, it may still be worth the (41%) you'd save when comparing the cost of intravitreal injection performed at an outpatient hospital. Read More

Average cash price in U.S.

A common intravitreal injection at surgery center facility in U.S. includes

  Units Avg Cash price

Provider

Provider fee to inject drug into eye

Standard Standard
1 $126

Facility

Surgery center fee to inject drug into eye

Standard Standard
1 $71

Anesthesia

Anesthesiologist fee to be "put under" for procedure

Level 3 Standard
1 $202

Anesthesiologist time to be "put under" for procedure

Per minute Standard
29 $58
Total average cash price   $456.60

A common intravitreal injection at outpatient hospital facility in U.S. includes

  Units Avg Cash price

Provider

Provider fee to inject drug into eye

Standard Standard
1 $126

Facility

Outpatient Hospital fee to inject drug into eye

level 4 Standard
1 $387

Anesthesia

Anesthesiologist fee to be "put under" for procedure

Level 3 Standard
1 $202

Anesthesiologist time to be "put under" for procedure

Per minute Standard
29 $58
Total average cash price   $772.60

An intravitreal injection is a medical procedure where a healthcare provider injects medication directly into the cavity in the back of your eye. The small space is called the vitreous cavity and is usually filled with a jelly-like fluid called the vitreous humor. Due to the delicate location and distance from the surface of your eye, a trained retina specialist should perform the procedure.

Chronic medical conditions like diabetic retinopathy and age-related macular degeneration are commonly treated with intravitreal injections. Retinal vein occlusion and uveitis are sudden medical conditions that might need to be treated with an intravitreal injection. Without personal health insurance, you may have to pay for intravitreal injections out of pocket.

Other rare problems that affect the retina may also require treatment via an intravitreal injection. Antibiotics, antifungals, and antivirals can be given by intravitreal injection for localized eye infections.

The frequency of intravitreal injections depends on the condition being treated. For chronic conditions such as age-related macular degeneration, intravitreal injections are given every month until your doctor sees that treatment has resolved enough of your disease symptoms. Then, injections can be given less frequently, with 12 weeks being the longest interval between injections

For infections and other short-term medical conditions of the eye, your doctor will follow up with you a few weeks after the injection. If everything has healed appropriately, then no more intravitreal injections are necessary.

After your intravitreal injection, there are very few restrictions. Your eye is at increased risk of infection right after your procedure, so you should avoid activities that could introduce contaminants to your eye.

You might feel some eye irritation or like something is stuck in your eye. This is a side-effect of the cleaning solution used during the procedure. Artificial tears can ease some of this discomfort.

Intravitreal injections start working right away. For some conditions, like infections or inflammation, you may notice an improvement in your symptoms in a few hours. However, it may take 7-10 days to experience the maximum benefits of the medication.

Chronic conditions treated with intravitreal injections will take longer to see results. After four weeks, you may notice some changes. However, it may take up to 6 months before the medication reaches its maximum effect.

It’s not recommended to drive after intravitreal injection. The eye receiving the injection will need to be dilated and numbed for the procedure. This can cause blurry vision for up to 6 hours after treatment. Before your intravitreal injection, plan to have someone available to drive you home or check if your health insurance provides transportation assistance.

Yes, intravitreal injections can improve vision. For chronic conditions like age-related macular degeneration, treatment with intravitreal medications slows the progression of the disease and can even reverse some of the effects. However, the extent of results is different for everyone, and only your doctor can discuss what results to expect from treatment.

About the intravitreal injection Average Cash Prices

This procedure is most commonly performed at either a surgery center or an outpatient hospital.

Surgery centers, also known as ambulatory surgery centers (ASCs), are independent, licensed medical facilities that are governed by distinct regulatory requirements compared with a hospital. Procedures performed at an ASCs are often less expensive than when they are performed at an outpatient hospital, but they typically offer fewer complimentary services, and may not have the full-range of support services that a hospital provides.

Outpatient facilities are outpatient departments or clinics that may be within or next to a hospital, but is owned and run by the affiliated hospital. These facilities can perform surgical treatments and procedures that do not require an overnight stay. Procedures performed at an outpatient hospital are often more expensive than when they are performed in an ambulatory surgery center, but outpatient hospitals may offer more complimentary and support services for patients because they are connected to the hospital system.

* Savings estimate based on a study of more than 1 billion claims comparing self-pay (or cash pay) prices of a frequency-weighted market basket of procedures to insurer-negotiated rates for the same. Claims were collected between July 2017 and July 2019. R.Lawrence Van Horn, Arthur Laffer, Robert L.Metcalf. 2019. The Transformative Potential for Price Transparency in Healthcare: Benefits for Consumers and Providers. Health Management Policy and Innovation, Volume 4, Issue 3.

Sidecar Health offers and administers a variety of plans including ACA compliant and excepted benefit plans. Coverage and plan options may vary or may not be available in all states.

Your actual costs may be higher or lower than these cost estimates. Check with your provider and health plan details to confirm the costs that you may be charged for a service or procedure.You are responsible for costs that are not covered and for getting any pre-authorizations or referrals required by your health plan. Neither payments nor benefits are guaranteed. Provider data, including price data, provided in part by Turquoise Health.

The site is not a substitute for medical or healthcare advice and does not serve as a recommendation for a particular provider or type of medical or healthcare.