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Vision & Dental
Coverage Original Medicare skips
Standalone dental, vision and hearing plans covering routine care that Original Medicare does not.
How Vision & Dental works
Original Medicare does not cover routine dental care, eye exams for glasses, or hearing aids, a gap that surprises many people in their first year on Medicare, particularly when a crown or a pair of hearing aids arrives as a four-figure bill. Standalone dental, vision and hearing plans fill that gap. Dental plans typically cover preventive cleanings and exams at or near 100%, then pay a percentage of basic work like fillings and a smaller percentage of major work such as crowns, bridges and dentures, subject to an annual maximum. Waiting periods for major services are common, so enrolling before you need the work matters. Vision plans generally cover an annual exam plus an allowance toward frames or contact lenses. If you are on a Medicare Advantage plan, check what dental and vision benefits it already includes before buying a separate policy, since you may be paying twice for the same coverage.
Questions
Vision & Dental: common questions
Does Original Medicare cover dental work?
Original Medicare does not cover routine dental care, cleanings, fillings, extractions, dentures or most dental procedures. It only pays in narrow circumstances, such as certain dental services performed as part of a covered hospital procedure.
Are there waiting periods on dental plans?
Frequently, yes. Preventive care is usually available immediately, but major services such as crowns and dentures often carry a waiting period of six to twelve months. Enrolling before you need the work is important.
Not sure which plan is right for you?
That’s the normal starting point. Tell a licensed agent what matters to you (your doctors, your prescriptions, your budget) and they’ll narrow it down. No cost, no obligation.
When we’re available
- Monday – Friday
- 07:00 – 20:00
- Saturday
- 08:00 – 18:00
- Sunday
- 09:00 – 17:00
Outside these hours, submit a quote request and an agent will call you back on the next business day. TTY users dial 711.
Other options
Related coverage you may also need
Most people combine a primary plan with one or two add-ons.
Important information
We do not offer every plan available in your area. Any information we provide is limited to those plans we do offer in your area. Please contact Medicare.gov or 1-800-MEDICARE (TTY users should call 1-877-486-2048), 24 hours a day, 7 days a week, or consult your local State Health Insurance Assistance Program (SHIP) to get information on all of your options.
InsuranceQuoteBase LLC is a private entity and is not affiliated with, endorsed by, or sponsored by the U.S. government, the federal Medicare program, the Centers for Medicare & Medicaid Services (CMS), or the Health Insurance Marketplace.