How to Save Money on Prescription Eyeglasses
What tips can you recommend for finding affordable prescription eyeglasses? I used to have vision insurance through my work but lost it when I turned 65 and signed up for Medicare.
Unfortunately, in 2020 original Medicare does not cover vision services. Routine eye exams and prescriptions are not included, unless you have just had cataract surgery. While there is no single solution to this common need, here are a few tips that can help you save.
Medicare Advantage
While original Medicare does not cover vision services, there are Medicare Advantage plans that do. Medicare Advantage plans are sold through private insurance companies. They cover all the same medical and hospital services included in original Medicare coverage. Many of the plans also provide vision, dental, hearing and prescription drugs coverage.
To locate Advantage plans in your area that provide vision coverage, go to Medicare.gov/plan-compare or call 800-633-4227. Before enrolling in a plan, check the benefit details to ensure the plan’s vision coverage includes routine eye exams, eyeglass frames and lenses.
If you are currently enrolled in original Medicare you can switch to a Medicare Advantage plan during the open enrollment period, which is between October 15 and December 7. If you already have a Medicare Advantage plan that does not provide adequate vision coverage, you can swap to another plan between January 1 and March 31.