Fading vision is a natural occurrence for most older adults. However, the cost of vision care has skyrocketed in recent years. To make matters worse, many private insurance plans don’t cover vision. Even Medicare doesn’t cover a lot of the vision treatments that people need. So, what exactly does Medicare vision coverage look like? More importantly, how can you get the best possible vision coverage through Medicare?
We will answer all of these questions and more, but first, let’s look at what Medicare Parts A, B, and C provide in terms of vision coverage:
Medicare Part A is often referred to as “hospital insurance” or “inpatient insurance.” This is due to the fact that Part A is primarily dedicated to covering inpatient treatments. In other words, Part A won’t pay for the treatment unless it’s medically necessary and requires you to be formally admitted into a medical facility overnight. Thus, Part A offers very little vision coverage. Unless something happens to your eye(s) that requires you to be checked into the hospital, Part A won’t cover it.
Much like Part A, Part B coverage through Original Medicare offers very few vision benefits. You can get Medicare Part B to pay for one pair of glasses or contact lenses following cataract surgery. Additionally, if you’re at high risk of glaucoma, Part B will cover one annual vision screening. Finally, since cataract surgery is typically treated as an outpatient procedure, it can be covered by Part B. Other than that, Part B offers very little vision coverage.
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Medicare Part C, also known as Medicare Advantage, offers vision coverage for a wider range of treatments. For example, some Medicare Advantage plans cover routine eye exams, glasses, contact lenses, and some other vision-related procedures. Thus, Medicare Advantage is often the best way to go if you anticipate a lot of vision healthcare costs.
However, no two Medicare Advantage plans are the same. While all Medicare Advantage plans offer the same benefits as Original Medicare (Part A and Part B), they often differ in their additional coverages. For example, certain Medicare Advantage plans cover dental, vision, hearing, and even annual wellness checkups. You’ll need to talk to one of Time for 65’s partnered licensed agents to learn more about getting Medicare vision coverage with a Medicare Advantage plan.
If you currently have Original Medicare and would like to get better vision coverage, you should consider switching to a Medicare Advantage plan.
If you’d like to learn more about Medicare vision coverage or your Medicare coverage options, feel free to fill out this form or give us a call anytime. Time for 65’s partnered licensed agents are focused on giving you the information you need, with zero pressure to enroll in a plan.
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