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Social Security & Medicare Questions Q: Does Medicare cover eye exams for new glasses or after cataract surgery? A: Medicare does not cover most eye exams, unless the exam is needed as a result of certain diseases or surgery such as glaucoma or cataracts. Should you require eyeglasses for certain eye disease, one pair would be covered. On the other hand, while routine eye exams and new eyeglasses are not covered under the original fee-for-service Medicare program, they may be offered as an additional benefit available through a Medicare Health Maintenance Organization (HMO). Beware of a common coverage pitfall. Medicare coverage of the services of an ophthalmologist is dependent on the purpose of the eye exam, determined by symptoms of eye disease or injury. In other words, if you go to the ophthalmologist for a routine eye exam, expenses that should be covered by Medicare would not be covered if you were diagnosed with a pathological condition during that exam or diagnosed later as a result of that same exam. When making your eye appointment make sure you discuss any symptoms you may have with the doctor's staff prior to your visit. Source: Medicare Explained, 1998, CCH Law Publishers, Chicago, IL. This article first appeared in Volume 4, Issue 7 of "The Social Security and Medicare Advisor" newsletter (June/1999). To receive future editions of "The Advisor" in its special, free e-mail version, please click here. | ||||||||
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