GA Medicare Digest

Published: Wed, 07/01/20

Does Medicare Pay for Vision Care?

Most folks who have made it to age 65 have some kind of eye issues. The majority wear corrective lenses . . . “spectacles” or contacts. Some use glasses only for reading. Others for far away vision such as driving or people watching on the beach.

Let’s drill down through this popular topic.

Does Medicare Pay for Routine Eye Exams?

The short answer is no.

However there are some medical conditions that require routine exams and those are generally covered by Medicare.

Medicare does not cover refractive vision testing to determine if you need glasses or a change in prescription.

But a portion of your exam may be paid by Medicare if you are diabetic, have glaucoma or cataracts.

In some cases, Medicare will pay for corrective lenses.

What if I Have Glaucoma or Cataracts?

This includes individuals who:

Have diabetes
Have glaucoma in their family history
Are 50 years old or older and are African American
Are 65 years old or older and are Hispanic

Aging in Place

What is Glaucoma?

Increased pressure inside the eye can damage the optic nerve, leading to a condition called Glaucoma.

There are different types of Glaucoma including: open-angle, angle-closure and congenital glaucoma.

Glaucoma can be treated in different ways including eye drops, surgery and medication.

Prescription eye drops are usually affordable, costing around $10. In some cases you save by paying cash vs using your Part D plan.

Medicare and Cataracts

Cataracts generally develop over time.

Some inherited genetic disorders that cause other health problems can increase your risk of cataracts. Cataracts can also be caused by other eye conditions, past eye surgery or medical conditions such as diabetes. Long-term use of steroid medications, too, can cause cataracts to develop.

Trauma induced cataracts can occur in a relatively short time following an injury to the eye.

Take a look at how a cataract forms.

Medical Vision

Medicare Vision - GA Medicare Plans

Vision Insurance

Along with DENTAL, one of the most common questions I get include “Which VISION plan do you suggest?”.

My response is . . . CASH.

In 45 years of working with all forms of health insurance, VISION plans offer very little value.

Before you buy a vision plan, get answers to these questions.

Is it insurance or a discount plan
Am I required to use specific providers or can I use it anywhere
What is the annual maximum benefit
Is there a waiting period for vision CARE (medical treatment)
Is treatment for cataracts included

If you are satisfied with the answers and you REALLY want the plan, go for it.

As with almost anything these days, there are sources where you can get good information about a topic, and sites that are worthless.

All About Vision seems to be a very credible site. You will get a “soft” sales pitch for eye care professionals, insurance and a host of other things. The vendors pay to have articles written about them and posted on the site.

As long as you are aware this is a marketing site you should be OK. They probably use cookies to track you so you may see product ads after leaving the site. But the medical advice is very good and written in a way that most folks can understand.

Feel free to forward this newsletter to your friends.

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