Does Medicare Cover Vision Care?

Category: Medicare
Dane Carlson, 11/16/2023 12:00 am

Americans over the age of 65 often consider Medicare to be the only solution necessary to cover their healthcare 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 is to have regular eye exams so you can spot problems early. Supplementing your Medicare insurance with a VSP vision insurance 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. Here’s what’s provided:

Medicare Part A Coverage

Medicare Part A covers mostly preventative and emergency 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.

Medicare Part B Coverage

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 and contacts (unless you get necessary cataract surgery) is 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.

Medicare Part C Coverage

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.

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 Insurance 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.

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Not covered for vision? Get an individual plan, customized for you – including where you want to use it: at the doctor, in a retail location, or even online.

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