Does Medicare Cover Contact Lenses? 

If you’ve experienced decline or loss of vision, you may understand the important role good eyesight plays in our lives. It’s even more vital for us to protect our vision as we get older. After a certain age, it’s more common to experience the following vision problems: 

• Presbyopia – inability to see close objects or fine print clearly
• Dry eyes due to less tear production
• Floaters
• Changes in color perception
• Problems with changing light levels, like going from bright sunlight to a dark room
• Cataracts
• Glaucoma
• Macular degeneration
• The weakening of eyelid elasticity which can lead to inadequate blinking and dry eyes

If your physician or ophthalmologist has diagnosed any of these vision issues, he might have also suggested that you wear eyeglasses or contact lenses. And while you might be thinking that contact lenses are more popular for younger people, here’s a look at some reasons why they’re also a good option for seniors:

• They create a protective barrier over the eye that seals in moisture and helps you avoid dry eyes.
• You won’t have to wear bulky eyeglasses. 
• They can enhance your vision better than eyeglasses.

These days there are different types of contact lenses – gas permeable or hard lenses, soft lenses, and hybrid lenses that are rigid in the center and soft around the edges. If you need corrective lenses and prefer wearing contact lenses to eyeglasses, you might have some coverage from your Medicare plan, but it depends on the type of coverage you have. 

Does Medicare cover contact lenses? 

Original MedicareParts A (hospital insurance) and B (medical insurance) does not offer routine vision care coverage. Medicare Part B may off limited coverage for vision care, eyeglasses, and contact lenses in specific cases.

Medicare Part B only covers eyeglasses or contact lenses after you undergo medically necessary cataract surgery with an intraocular lens implantation. In this case, you pay 20 percent of the final cost for your contact lenses when you purchase them from a supplier who accepts Medicare assignment, and after meeting your annual Part B deductible. 

If you’re enrolled in a Medicare Advantage (MA)plan, you may have coverage for routine vision care that can include the following benefits:

• Routine eye exams
• Prescription glasses and contact lenses
• Screenings for glaucoma, macular degeneration, retinopathy, and other eye conditions
• Treatment for medical eye or vision conditions 

Depending on the type of Medicare Advantage plan you have, you may be limited to a certain number of vision check-ups per year, and you may need to use network health care providers and medical suppliers to qualify for coverage. Coinsurance costs also vary from plan to plan, so check your policy or ask a representative of your provider for information if you don’t know what benefits or restrictions your MA coverage includes. 

How much do contact lenses cost without Medicare coverage? 

How much you pay for your contact lenses depends on where you purchase them and the type you get. For example:

• Daily disposable lenses cost between $17 and $45 per box of 30 lenses
• Monthly lenses cost between $18 and $40 for a box of six lenses
• Yearly lenses cost between $50 and $80 per pair 
• Tinted lenses cost between $45 and $90 for a month’s supply
• Toric lenses that treat astigmatism, myopia, and hyperopia range between $45 and $85 per box of six lenses
• Multifocal lenses that treat presbyopia cost between $35 and $50 per box of 30 lenses

Before you can purchase your contact lenses, you must get a prescription from a licensed optometrist or ophthalmologist. Without vision coverage, you’d have to pay for your visit to an optometrist or ophthalmologist and any diagnostic exams.