Does Medicare cover vision? Medicare Part A and B will cover eye care, but not in the way you might think. Medicare views eye care in two ways, either it’s medically necessary, or it’s not.
Medicare will cover conditions and diseases of the eye like Glaucoma or Cataracts. They will even pay for glasses if you need them as a result of cataracts surgery, Glaucoma, or after an event that causes you to need eyeglasses, like a change in vision after being diagnosed with diabetes.
Medicare will not cover supplemental routine eye exams or the glasses that will probably follow said eye exam. A routine eye exam is the yearly eye checkup you get to check your vision. They might dilate your pupils and test for glaucoma, but these kinds of eye exams are mainly to see if you need eyeglasses, or if you need a stronger prescription. Unfortunately, Medicare will not cover these checkups.
Is it possible to get coverage for routine eye exams?
The short answer is yes. Many Medicare Advantage Plans offer routine eye exams as a supplemental health benefit. Medicare Advantage Plans (Medicare Part C) are special health insurance plans designed to give you Medicare benefits through a private insurance company. The private insurance company must be contracted with Medicare in order to offer these types of insurance plans. Medicare Advantage Plans are usually affordable with premiums as low as $0 is some states because they receive payments from the federal government. To get a Part C plan, you must have Medicare Part A and B and continue to pay your Medicare premiums. Part C plans come in a variety of configurations, but most of them can provide you with your health, and prescription drug coverage in one plan. Many Medicare Advantage Plans offer supplemental health benefits like dental, vision, hearing aids, and even free gym memberships.
Thank you for reading, and if you need help, or if you have any questions about Medicare, please feel free to contact us.
