Original Medicare doesn’t pay for routine eye exams unless you’re known to be in a high-risk group for eye disease — although some Medicare Advantage plans do include vision coverage.
Because some potentially serious eye conditions aren’t apparent to the patient in their early stages, when treatment could prevent or reduce loss of vision, it makes sense for anyone eligible for Medicare to find a way to get periodic eye exams.
Most Americans ages 60 and up should have an eye exam every year or two, as should people in high-risk groups, such as 40-and-older African Americans and individuals with high blood pressure, diabetes or a family history of glaucoma, according to the National Eye Institute.
