Skip to main content

Laser treatment after cataract surgery (YAG) in St. Louis, MO-IL costs $297 to $1,923. Here's every hospital's price.

6 hospitals in the St. Louis, MO-IL metro area publish a cash price for laser treatment after cataract surgery (yag) (CPT 66821). We read their files every month so you don't have to.

Across the St. Louis, MO-IL metro area, 6 hospitals list a cash price for laser treatment after cataract surgery (yag) (CPT 66821). The lowest is $297 at Ssm Health Saint Louis University Hospital, the median is $757 and the highest is $1,923 at Ssm St Clare Health Center. The most expensive hospital lists 6.5 times the cheapest for the same code.

The St. Louis, MO-IL median of $757 is 40% below the national median of $1,259 across 172 US hospitals with a cash price for this code.

11 of these hospitals also publish the rates they negotiated with insurers, from $76 to $7,801. With insurance you pay a share of the negotiated rate, which is sometimes higher than the cash price; you may ask for the cash price instead.

The files behind these prices are dated between March 2026 and June 2026. 25 other hospitals in the metro area have no readable price for this code: some publish no file, some block automated reading, some leave the code out. They are listed below so you can call them.

$297
lowest cash price in St. Louis, MO-IL
Ssm Health Saint Louis University Hospital · 10 mi
$460 below the median
$757
median cash price
6 hospitals
6.5×
highest ÷ lowest
same procedure, same metro
6/36
hospitals with a cash price
25 don't · see who

Sorted by cash price

Hospital facility fee only
1
Ssm Health Saint Louis University Hospital

Saint Louis · 10 mi · File Apr 2026

$297
list $540 · lowest of 2 lines
2
Hshs Holy Family Hospital INC

Greenville · 52 mi · File Mar 2026

$520
list $722 · lowest of 2 lines
3
Mercy Hospital Washington

Washington · 38 mi · File Jun 2026

$757
list $1,164 · lowest of 2 lines
4
Mercy Hospital Lincoln

Troy · 38 mi · File Jun 2026

$1,215
list $1,869 · lowest of 2 lines
5
Mercy Hospital South

Saint Louis · 16 mi · File Jun 2026

$1,576
list $2,424
6
Ssm St Clare Health Center

Fenton · 16 mi · File Apr 2026

$1,923
list $3,496
7
OSF Saint Anthony's Health Center

Alton · 15 mi · File Mar 2026

8
Ssm St Joseph Health Center

Saint Charles · 8 mi · File Apr 2026

9
Ssm Health St Mary's Hospital - St Louis

Saint Louis · 8 mi · File Apr 2026

10
Ssm Health Depaul Hospital St Louis

Bridgeton · 5 mi · File Apr 2026

11
Ssm St Joseph Hospital West

Lake Saint Louis · 24 mi · File Apr 2026

1

What's in the price

The hospital facility fee for CPT 66821. The doctor, anesthesia and lab work usually bill separately.

2

Cash vs. insured

Cash is what you pay without insurance. With insurance you pay a share of the negotiated rate, which can be higher than cash. You may ask for the cash price.

3

What to say on the phone

"I'd like the self-pay price for CPT 66821, in writing, and whether it covers facility, physician and anesthesia."

About laser treatment after cataract surgery (yag)

After cataract surgery, the membrane that holds the new lens can cloud over months or years later. CPT 66821 is the fix: a YAG laser opens a small hole in that membrane in a few minutes, in an office or outpatient setting, with no incision and no sedation. Vision usually clears within a day.

What the price covers

The hospital's price is the facility fee for the laser suite and staff. The ophthalmologist bills separately. There is no anesthesia provider; numbing drops are included.

Why prices vary

For a five-minute laser treatment, hospital facility fees vary widely. Many ophthalmologists perform it in their own office, where the total is often far below the hospital's facility fee. If a hospital's price looks high, it is worth asking the surgeon whether the office is an option.

Questions to ask

  • What is the self-pay price for 66821, facility and physician together?
  • Can this be done in the surgeon's office instead of the hospital?
  • Is a follow-up visit included?

Hospitals in St. Louis, MO-IL without a price for this procedure

Listed so you know who to call. The reason is what we found on their website.

Questions people ask