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- Vision Insurance
- Andrea Feucht, 14 Nov 2024
Does Medicare Cover Dental and Vision Care?
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If you’re covered by Medicare or soon will be, you probably know most Medicare plans only cover vision and dental emergencies, such as being admitted to a hospital with injuries to your face. Plan benefits such as annual eye exams, eyeglasses, dental exams, dental fillings, and more aren’t typically covered by Original Medicare.
Knowing this, you might already have vision and dental insurance through Medicare Part C, also known as Medicare Advantage. But is Medicare Part C coverage the right fit for your vision and dental needs? It’s possible that individual dental and vision insurance purchased through VSP® Individual Plans and Guardian Direct Dental Insurance may provide the coverage you need. To help you make sure you have the best vision insurance and dental coverage, we’ll take you through some key considerations.
Vision health is so important, especially as we enter retirement age because over time, changes in your vision can impact daily life. A good vision insurance plan for retirees will make it easy to get annual eye exams with a large network of eye doctors. VSP, for example, has the nation’s largest network of eye doctors — more than 38,000 network providers nationwide — making it very likely that your current eye doctor is already in VSP network or a new provider is conveniently nearby.
Not only do annual eye exams keep your vision correction up to date, but also includes screenings for eye problems like cataracts, macular degeneration and glaucoma. Eye exams can also detect signs of high blood pressure and the early signs of diabetes.
For those with Medicare who also need vision correction, a high-quality vision insurance plan will help to cover the cost of eyewear, lens enhancements, or contact lenses — without requiring a high premium. VSP Individual Vision Insurance Plans offers insurance plans, for example, starting as low as just $13 a month for a full-service plan.
But even if your prescription hasn’t changed, you may want to dabble in new frames and styles to freshen up your look. Vision insurance can help you reduce the cost of new frames, whatever the reason.
Like vision benefits, Medicare doesn’t not provide dental benefits except in emergency situations. And many add-on dental plans through Medicare Part C may not cover enough to really save you money for the services you use.
Individual dental insurance through our partner, Guardian, has a variety of plans that save you money on preventative, basic and advanced dental services starting as low as $20 a month in most states. And with more than 138,000 dentists nationwide, it’s likely your dentist is already in Guardian’s network.
Too often we think of dental care as nothing more than a cosmetic concern. The truth is that taking care of your teeth has much more of an effect on your overall health than you might think. This is especially true for seniors. As you get older, it is important to ensure that you have dental insurance and dental coverage to help protect yourself from diseases and ailments that can affect your mouth’s health.
Here are five dental issues covered by dental insurance that may not be covered by Medicare:
As you age, your teeth begin to lose an important defense layer known as dentin. Without this layer, your teeth are much more vulnerable to darkening and discoloration. And at first glance, most people would believe that brushing alone could solve this. The reality, however, is that you may need a dentist to help bring your teeth back to your white smile. Having the right dental coverage can help you pay for these visits and treatments.
One of the most common side effects to prescription medication is dry mouth. While dry mouth is not only uncomfortable, it’s also dangerous. A dry mouth is the perfect condition for gingivitis, tooth decay, and oral infections.
Without healthy roots, it can be almost impossible to keep your teeth healthy. Unfortunately, tooth decay can begin without causing any pain, which often leaves it unnoticed. It is important to receive regular dental checkups to catch these symptoms before any irreversible damage is caused. Dental insurance can help make this not only easy, but also affordable.
Gum disease has many causes, such as poor dental hygiene, poor diet, smoking, or even poorly fitting dentures. Because there are many different causes, gum disease can be hard to fight alone. Regular flossing and brushing are not always enough to protect from diseases such as gingivitis or periodontitis. However, with the right dental coverage, you can get regular dental cleanings that can help you keep your gums healthy.
Seniors often take several prescription medications. Some of these medications can interfere with your immune system, increasing the possibility of infections including thrush. Thrush is a fungal infection that causes white coating or patches on the tongue, mouth, inner cheek, and back of the throat. These white patches can be sore and cause significant pain.
As seen above, there are many different dental issues to protect yourself from, especially as a senior. So, it is important to make sure you have dental insurance to not only keep your smile, teeth, gums healthy, but also your wallet.
If you have Medicare and need vision or dental insurance, VSP can help. We’ve partnered with Guardian Dental so you can get dental insurance plan in minutes. And it’s easy to get vision coverage through VSP Individual Vision Plans. Learn more about vision insurance and dental insurance plans.
Disclaimer: Check your Medicare Plan to see if your vision care needs are covered. And/or if a VSP Individual Vision Plan is right for you. VSP Vision Care does not coordinate benefits with Medicare.
Information received through VSP Individual Vision Plans’ social media channels is for informational purposes only and does not constitute medical advice, medical recommendations, diagnosis, or treatment. Always seek the advice of your physician or other qualified health provider with any questions you may have regarding a medical condition.
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Some plans can only be accessed through membership in the Healthy Vision Association (HVA), which helps its members see well and stay healthy.
For $1.50/mo, your membership will give you access to exclusive discount programs* on everyday goods and services including:
Plus, your membership supports vision-related charities too.
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*All rebates and special offers are subject to change