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Respected Contributor
Posts: 3,765
Registered: ‎03-13-2010

Medicare doesn't cover Prescription Glasses ..

Do you have a separate plan for glasses or just buy your own from one of the discount stores (i.e., America's Best, Lenscrafters, etc.) ....

I just turned 65 and can't find any eye glass coverage.  Or is that a "Plan X, Y, Z"...?

Anyone know???

I was also shocked to find out we get NO DENTAL Coverage.  That's awful!

Thanks.

 

"The less you respond to negative people, the more peaceful your life will become."
Respected Contributor
Posts: 3,357
Registered: ‎03-23-2010

Re: Medicare doesn't cover Prescription Glasses ..

No hearing aides either. My dad paid 4k last week.

Esteemed Contributor
Posts: 6,800
Registered: ‎03-10-2010

Re: Medicare doesn't cover Prescription Glasses ..

[ Edited ]

You can buy supplemental insurance from a private provider but if you don't need to change your prescription, etc. often, the premiums could easily add up to the cost of a new exam and glasses. I pay out of pocket but Medicare does pay for part of the exam. I've never had insurance that paid for glasses.

 

It is correct that Medicare does not pay for hearing aids. I needed them and checked with various providers which quoted me $5,000  to $6,000 for what I needed. I read that Costco provided the equivalent of the $5,000 under their private label for around $1800 but are manufactured by the same company as the expensive "name brand." The exam was better than what I got from the other providers. I was very surprised. I have had them for one year and have been very satisfied. Costco also does prescription glasses.

**************** "A black cat crossing your path just means that it is going from one place to another." Proud owner of a black cat and a shopper of QVC since the merger with CVN.
Trusted Contributor
Posts: 1,144
Registered: ‎05-16-2015

Re: Medicare doesn't cover Prescription Glasses ..

 

 

 

 

I don't understand the OP's bewilderment at this information. I thought most everyone knew it anyway.

 

Also, as you are approaching the age for Medicare, don't you investigate it to see what it covers, so you can prepare for ancillary expenses?

 

I wouldn't get an insurance policy and have it activated before I had any idea of what it covered or not.

 

As the Scout's motto says:

 

BE PREPARED !

Honored Contributor
Posts: 16,230
Registered: ‎03-09-2010

Re: Medicare doesn't cover Prescription Glasses ..

I've seen eyeglass and dental plans advertised, but have never in my retirement years used them.  I just pay - big for my eyes and eyeglasses counterbalanced by very little for my teeth.

 

Even when I was working and we had some vision and dental converage, it wasn't good coverage and not worth buying in retirement.  Even my dentist recommended I should self insure. (And 15 years later I still never spend as much annually as I used to pay for dental insurance, just my share!)

 

Medicare doesn't pay for everything, doesn't pay all of every bill, but I find it works well, probably better than anything else I might buy and the AFC act has made improvements I have been able to benefit from.

Respected Contributor
Posts: 2,656
Registered: ‎03-13-2010

Re: Medicare doesn't cover Prescription Glasses ..

I looked into this before I retired and the premuims for dental and eye glasses just wasn't worth it to me.  Neither of us wear glasses other than drug store readers.  We do go to the dentist twice a year but pay for the checkups and any work we need to have done out of pocket.  I never thought the dental insurance paid all that great when I had it.  Good luck.

Esteemed Contributor
Posts: 5,018
Registered: ‎09-23-2012

Re: Medicare doesn't cover Prescription Glasses ..


@Gooday wrote:

No hearing aides either. My dad paid 4k last week.



@Gooday wrote:

No hearing aides either. My dad paid 4k last week.


Hi Gooday:  If your dad has Federal Blue Shield he can file a claim to get partly reimbursed for hearing aids.  We had a patient come in our office that administers hearing aids to patients and she said that Federal Blue Cross reimburses partly on the cost.  

 

I relayed this info to one of my patients that just recently purchased hearing aids.  He sent in a claim and he got back 2,000 dollars!!  The patient called me up to thank me for like a half hour after I told him that info and he got a lot of money back.  

Honored Contributor
Posts: 25,929
Registered: ‎03-09-2010

Re: Medicare doesn't cover Prescription Glasses ..

our advantage plan covers our dental exam but we have dental insurance for anything else, and our advantage plan covers our eye exam but we have to pay for the glasses out of pocket, same with hearing aides - pays for the exam but only a small amount for the hearing aides.

Esteemed Contributor
Posts: 5,462
Registered: ‎07-20-2014

Re: Medicare doesn't cover Prescription Glasses ..

My senior advantage plan covers $150 towards the cost of glasses, and it also includes dental insurance at no additional cost. It covers $150 every two years for glasses.

Honored Contributor
Posts: 18,182
Registered: ‎07-26-2014

Re: Medicare doesn't cover Prescription Glasses ..

Medicare does cover certain types of eye & dental exams

Medicare Eye Exams

 

Medicare Dental Exams

 

 

"Never argue with a fool. Onlookers may not be able to tell the difference."


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