Does Medicare cover eye exams and glasses?
Original Medicare does not cover routine eye exams or the cost of glasses and contact lenses, except for specific situations like diabetic eye exams or a pair of glasses after cataract surgery.
What flips the answer
- Covered when
You've had cataract surgery with an intraocular lens implant — Medicare covers one pair of glasses or contacts afterward from a Medicare-enrolled supplier.
- Covered when
You have diabetes (annual diabetic eye exam) or are high-risk for glaucoma (annual glaucoma test) — these specific screenings are covered.
- Covered when
You're enrolled in a Medicare Advantage plan that includes routine vision benefits — check the plan's allowance and frequency limits.
- Not covered when
You have Original Medicare only and want a routine eye exam or new glasses unrelated to diabetes, glaucoma risk, or cataract surgery.
Original Medicare (Part B) does not pay for routine vision exams to check your prescription for glasses or contacts, and it does not pay for the glasses or contacts themselves. This is one of the most common coverage gaps people run into with Original Medicare.
There are specific, medically-driven exceptions. Medicare covers an annual diabetic eye exam (diabetic retinopathy screening) for people with diabetes, and it covers glaucoma tests once a year for people considered high-risk. These are treated as preventive medical services, not routine vision care.
The clearest exception involving glasses: after cataract surgery that implants an intraocular lens, Medicare Part B covers one pair of eyeglasses or one set of contact lenses from a supplier enrolled in Medicare.
Medicare Advantage plans commonly add routine vision benefits — an annual eye exam and an allowance toward frames or contacts — that Original Medicare doesn't offer.
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