Hearing, Vision & Dental Coverage
The three kinds of care Original Medicare mostly leaves out, what it does pay for, and where to look for the rest.
Hearing aids, eyeglasses and routine dental care are three of the biggest gaps in Original Medicare. All three are excluded as routine care, yet Medicare does pay for related medical care: hearing tests a doctor orders, cochlear implants, glaucoma and diabetic eye exams, glasses after cataract surgery, and dental work that is part of certain covered treatments. These guides show exactly where the line falls and the other ways to pay.
Does Medicare Cover Glasses and Eye Exams? What Vision Care Medicare Pays For
Routine exams and glasses are out, with one exception after cataract surgery. Glaucoma, diabetic eye exams and macular degeneration care are in.
Read more → Health CoverageDoes Medicare Cover Hearing Aids? What Is Covered, What Is Not, and Other Ways to Pay
Hearing tests and implants are covered, hearing aids are not. Medicare Advantage, OTC hearing aids, Medicaid, VA and other ways to pay.
Read more → MedicareDoes Medicare Cover Dental?
Original Medicare excludes routine dental care.
Read more →Where seniors get help with hearing, vision and dental costs
Most people on Medicare end up paying for these services through a mix of sources. A Medicare Advantage plan may include an allowance for hearing aids, glasses or dental work, but the amounts, networks and limits vary from plan to plan, and Medigap does not help because it only pays toward services Original Medicare covers. Medicaid covers some adult hearing, vision and dental care, depending on the state. Veterans enrolled in VA health care can get hearing aids and routine eye exams, and some qualify for glasses. Nonprofit programs, dental schools and local clubs fill in for people with low incomes.
Where to start
- Hearing loss? Use Medicare's covered hearing exam first, then read does Medicare cover hearing aids for the options, including over-the-counter devices.
- Need glasses or an eye exam? Read what vision care Medicare pays for, especially if cataract surgery is coming up.
- Low income? The hearing aid and eyeglass assistance finder checks your income against the limit most national programs use.
- Dental work? Read does Medicare cover dental, then look at dental grant programs for seniors.
- Comparing plans for next year? Compare Medicare Advantage and Original Medicare before open enrollment ends on December 7.