Cataract surgeries cost BC $26M a year on average, analysis finds

Ophthalmologists make the most in earnings

A few months ago, Coastal Front did a report that found the highest earning medical practitioners by MSP billings were Ophthalmologists. This can be quite surprising, given that many would expect other fields, such as heart or neurosurgeons, to earn more money. Coastal Front suggested that the surge was driven by high reimbursement rates and the fact that cataract surgery, once a half-day procedure, can now be completed in just 15–20 minutes.

Coastal Front reached out to the ministry of health to determine the frequency of billing for the two relevant codes for cataract surgery, 2188 and 2190, from 2019 to 2025. The province gave data showing an incremental rise in usage of the billing codes, going from around 66,000 in 2020 to 83,000 in 2025.

Data courtesy of BC Ministry of Health.

Using these figures, as well as the past billing code schedules, an analysis found that the province spent an average of $26.6 million over the last five years.

Estimated cataract surgery costs for British Columbia from 2019 to 2025. The underlined figure represents the multiplier used to calculate the total cost.

Payment schedule is a ‘collaborative process,’ health ministry says

A spokesperson for the health ministry said that “funding for physician services is negotiated through the Physician Master Agreement,” and that “changes to individual fees are made through collaborative processes with Doctors of BC and specialty groups as outlined in the Physician Master Agreement, and consider clinical priorities, sustainability, and equity across specialties.”

While Ophthalmologists do important work for many citizens of BC, whether 19 of the top 20 highest-earning practitioners by gross MSP billings should be Ophthalmologists is up for debate.