Dental, Vision, and Hearing
Original Medicare Coverage-
Medicare Dental Insurance
Unfortunately, a big hole in the Medicare coverage is around Dental, Vision, and Hearing. Medicare Part A and Medicare Part B only cover dental, vision, and hearing for emergency purposes. Medicare does not cover regular checkups or other dental, vision, and hearing procedures. The good news is that we do offer a plan that covers dental, vision, and hearing. It can cover a couple as well. You can choose an annual insurance amount of $1,000, $1,500, or $3,000 and you can use that annual amount toward either Dental, Vision, Hearing or any combinations. Its the most flexible plan we have found. Reach out to use today to find out more and get a quick quote.
Medicare Advantage Plans
Medicare Advantage (which are completely different than Medicare Supplement/Medigap plans) often do include some dental, vision, and hearing in each plan. We don’t recommend choosing a Medicare Advantage plan based on these limited benefits as they can be obtained pretty inexpensively through a stand alone Dental, Vision, and Hearing plan. So while that may look like an attractive perk to choosing an Advantage Plan, you must be careful regarding what you are giving up when enroll in such a plan. See my pages on Medicare Advantage Plans for more detailed information.
Medicare Hearing Insurance
Although Medicare Part B pays a portion of a few hearing tests when they are recommended by your primary physician, Original Medicare is not flexible when it comes to Hearing insurance.
Original Medicare does not cover hearing aids or routine ear checkups. You can only get these benefits and more when you register for a standalone dental, vision, and hearing insurance or enroll in a Medical Advantage plan that offers some coverage.
Medicare Vision Insurance
While Original Medicare does not typically include routine eye checks, glasses, or contact lenses, it does cover a couple of vision medical procedures under Medicare Part B.
These include:
- Intraocular lens implant cataract surgery.
Medicare part B covers corrective lens costs and a set of contact lenses or eyeglasses provided by an ophthalmologist. This is only covered once per lifetime and you will be responsible for the cost of your next eyeglasses, contacts, or upgraded frames.
- Glaucoma screening once every year.
This is covered for high-risk patients with diabetes, glaucoma family history, African Americans who are 50 or older, and Hispanic Americans who are 65 and older.
- Eye prosthesis
They are covered for patients with absence or shrinkage of an eye due to birth defects, surgical removal, or trauma. It also covers eye replacements every five years.
- Diagnostics and treatment
Certain diagnostic tests and eye condition treatments are covered by Medicare Part D.
An alternative to Original Medicare is enrolling in standalone vision plans to get routine eye exams, upgraded or multiple eyeglasses frames, or multiple pairs of contact lenses.
I will review your situation and look at a policy with you we are sure meets your short and long term needs.