Does Medicare Cover Vision Care?

Category: Medicare
Dane Carlson, 11/17/2025 12:00 am

Americans over the age of 65 often consider Medicare to be the only solution necessary to cover their healthcare and medical insurance needs. However, if you’re over 65 years old, it’s important to know that most Medicare plans do not provide coverage for everything. There are some coverage gaps left by Medicare that can be filled with an individual vision insurance plan, such as VSP®.

According to the National Institute on Aging, age can bring changes that affect your eyesight. Some changes are more serious than others, but for many problems, there are things you can do to protect your vision. The key to maintaining healthy vision is to have regular eye exams so you can spot problems early. Supplementing your Medicare insurance with a VSP Individual Vision Plan can help you get the eye care you need and help you save money.

Why do I need vision insurance?

You are at a greater risk of suffering from vision impairment as you age. While this fact may not be surprising, the list of vision benefits included in Original Medicare might be. See below to see what Medicare offers for vision coverage:

What does Medicare Part A cover?

Medicare Part A covers emergency and inpatient eye care. This means that you will be paying for routine eye exams, eyeglasses, and contact lenses out of pocket. As your vision continues to decrease with age, these costs can quickly add up over the years. One of the best ways to avoid those high costs is by getting individual vision insurance.

What does Medicare Part B cover?

Medicare Part B only covers specific medical conditions that involve your eyes or vision. While things like screenings for macular degeneration, cataract surgery, etc., are covered by Medicare Part B, your routine annual eye exam and new eyeglasses or contacts (unless you get necessary cataract surgery) are not. And even in the cases new eyeglasses and contacts are covered by Medicare Part B, you’re still responsible for 20% of the cost and only if you get them from a supplier enrolled in Medicare.

What does Medicare Part C cover?

Many Medicare Part C plans include routine vision benefits, but not all. And the cost for these benefits can be higher per month but are easy to overlook because they are included in your total health insurance costs. If you are considering a Medicare Part C plan, make sure it includes routine vision benefits and that the cost of this coverage is not more than an individual vision insurance plan.

Medicare Coverage Frequenly Asked Questions

Question: Are eyeglasses and contact lenses covered by Medicare?

Medicare generally does not cover eyeglasses or contact lenses unless you’ve had cataract surgery. After cataract surgery, Medicare Part B helps pay for one pair of glasses or contact lenses, but you are responsible for 20% of the cost.

Question: Does Medicare cover routine eye exams?

Original Medicare (Parts A and B) does not cover routine eye exams for eyeglasses or contact lenses. You’ll need supplemental vision insurance or a Medicare Advantage plan that includes vision benefits for routine eye care.

Question: How does a VSP Individual Vision Plan supplement Medicare coverage?

VSP Individual Vision Plans can help fill gaps left by Medicare by covering routine eye exams, glasses, and contacts. This supplemental vision coverage can help you save money and maintain your eye health as you age.

Why does supplemental vision insurance matter for seniors?

While Medicare does provide some vision benefits, that coverage is not always complete, convenient or cost-effective. This is why purchasing individual vision insurance is so important. With the nation’s largest network of independent doctors, and plans to fit your needs, a VSP Individual Vision Plan can help you fill the gaps from Medicare*.

*Check your Medicare Plan to see if your vision care needs are covered. And/or if a VSP Individual Vision Plan is right for you. VSP Vision Care does not coordinate benefits with Medicare.

Information received through VSP Individual Vision Plans’ social media channels is for informational purposes only and does not constitute medical advice, medical recommendations, diagnosis, or treatment. Always seek the advice of your physician or other qualified health provider with any questions you may have regarding a medical condition.

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