Health Care & Medicare Help › Guide
Does Medicare Cover Dental, Vision, or Hearing Aids?
In most cases, no. Original Medicare (Part A and Part B) does not pay for routine dental care, dentures, routine eye exams, glasses, or hearing aids. It does cover some related care, like hearing tests your doctor orders. It may also cover cataract surgery.
Some Medicare Advantage plans add dental, vision, or hearing benefits. Each plan sets its own rules and limits. You can join or switch plans from October 15 to December 7, 2026.
Does Medicare cover dental?
Most of the time, no. Medicare does not usually pay for cleanings, fillings, pulling teeth, or implants.
Medicare may pay for some dental care that is needed for a covered medical treatment. Examples include:
- A mouth exam and dental care before a heart valve replacement or an organ transplant
- Pulling a tooth to treat a mouth infection before cancer care, like chemo
- Care for a problem caused by head and neck cancer treatment
- Mouth exams before and during dialysis for kidney failure (End-Stage Renal Disease, or ESRD)
Medicare may also cover some dental care during a hospital stay. This can happen when your health or the type of procedure means you must be admitted.
For dental care that Part B covers, you pay 20% of the Medicare-approved amount. That starts after you meet the Part B deductible. In 2026, the deductible is $283. At a hospital clinic, you also pay the facility a copay. If you stay in the hospital, Part A costs apply instead. The 2026 Part A deductible is $1,736.
Does Medicare cover dentures?
No. In most cases, Original Medicare does not pay for dentures. You pay the full cost.
Some Medicare Advantage plans offer extra dental benefits. Ask the plan if dentures count, what it pays, and if there is a yearly limit.
Does Medicare cover eye exams?
Not routine ones. Medicare does not pay for an eye exam to get glasses or contacts. This exam is sometimes called a refraction.
Part B does cover some eye tests that look for disease:
- Diabetes eye exam: once a year if you have diabetes. It checks for eye damage from diabetes.
- Glaucoma test: once every 12 months if you are at high risk.
High risk means at least one of these is true. You have diabetes. Glaucoma runs in your family. You are African American and 50 or older. You are Hispanic and 65 or older.
For these tests, you pay 20% of the Medicare-approved amount after the Part B deductible. At a hospital clinic, you also pay a copay. Medicare does not usually pay for glasses or contacts. The main exception comes after cataract surgery.
Does Medicare cover cataract surgery?
It can. Part B may cover cataract surgery that puts in a standard lens implant. Medicare.gov says this can depend on where you live.
You pay 20% of the Medicare-approved amount after the deductible. At a hospital outpatient clinic or surgery center, you pay it to both the doctor and the facility.
After each cataract surgery with a lens implant, Part B covers one pair of glasses with standard frames. Or it covers one set of contact lenses. You pay 20% of the approved amount after the deductible. Fancier frames cost extra. Buy from a supplier that takes Medicare, or Medicare will not pay.
Does Medicare cover hearing aids?
No. Original Medicare does not pay for hearing aids. It also does not pay for exams to fit hearing aids.
Part B does cover hearing and balance exams that your doctor orders. These exams help find out if you need medical care. You pay 20% of the Medicare-approved amount after the deductible. At a hospital clinic, you also pay the hospital a copay.
You can also see a hearing specialist (audiologist) once every 12 months with no doctor's order. This is only for some cases, like hearing loss that came on over many years.
Does any part of Medicare cover hearing aids?
Part A and Part B do not. Some Medicare Advantage plans (Part C) offer hearing benefits as an extra.
So can Medicare cover hearing aids? Only through a plan that adds them. Plans set their own rules. Call the plan to see what it covers.
Does Medicare cover hearing aids at Costco?
Original Medicare does not pay for hearing aids at any store. That includes big warehouse stores like Costco.
Do you have a Medicare Advantage plan with a hearing benefit? Then the plan's rules decide where you can buy. A plan may make you use providers in its network. Call your plan before you buy. Ask which sellers count and what you will owe.
What do Medicare Advantage plans add?
These plans must cover all medically needed services that Original Medicare covers. They may also offer extras, like some dental, vision, and hearing care.
The extras are not the same in every plan. Insurance companies set the benefits and costs, and plans can change each year. Before you pick a plan, ask:
- Which services count, such as cleanings or dentures?
- Is there a yearly dollar limit?
- Must you use dentists or eye doctors in the plan's network?
- What will you pay at each visit?
Already in a plan? Read its Annual Notice of Change. Plans send it in September. It lists changes that start in January.
How do you compare plans during open enrollment?
Open enrollment runs from October 15 to December 7, 2026. In that time, you can join, switch, or drop a Medicare Advantage plan. You can also go back to Original Medicare.
A new plan starts January 1, 2027. The plan must get your request by December 7.
- Go to the Medicare.gov Plan Finder.
- Look up plans in your area. Add the drugs you take.
- Open each plan's details. Check the dental, vision, and hearing benefits.
- Ask your dentist and eye doctor if they take the plan.
- Get free help from your State Health Insurance Assistance Program (SHIP).
SHIP counselors give free, personal help. SHIPs are not tied to any insurance company or plan. You can also call 1-800-MEDICARE (1-800-633-4227). CalculateBenefits does not suggest any plan or company.
Are you in a Medicare Advantage plan now? From January 1 to March 31, you can switch to another one. You can also drop it and go back to Original Medicare.
What other help is there for dental, vision, and hearing costs?
Medicaid
If you also have Medicaid, check your state's rules. States must cover dental care for kids. For adults, each state chooses what dental care to cover. There is no set minimum, so what adults get differs a lot by state.
You can apply for Medicaid any time through your state. Our Medicaid guide shows the steps. Do not pay anyone to apply for you.
Other programs can ease your bills. A Medicare Savings Program can lower your Medicare costs. Extra Help can lower what you pay for drugs.
Health centers
Health centers are local clinics that treat medical and dental needs. Their staff can include dentists and eye doctors. They set fees based on your income and family size. They must serve you even if you cannot pay.
Find one near you with the HRSA Find a Health Center tool.
Dental schools
Dental schools often run clinics with lower prices. Students do the work, and licensed dentists watch closely. Dental hygiene schools may offer low-cost care too. You can also call 2-1-1 to find help near you.
Over-the-counter hearing aids
Since October 17, 2022, adults 18 and older can buy some hearing aids without a prescription. These over-the-counter (OTC) aids are for adults who think they have mild to moderate hearing loss. You can buy them in a store or online with no exam first.
OTC aids are not for severe hearing loss. See a doctor first if your hearing changed all of a sudden, your ear hurts, or you feel very dizzy.
VA care for veterans
If you have VA health care, VA covers your routine eye exams. Glasses are covered for some veterans, like former POWs.
You must enroll in VA health care to get hearing aids from VA. If a VA audiologist says you need them, they come at no charge. Repairs and batteries are free too, as long as you stay eligible.
VA dental care depends on your service history and health. Some veterans may get any dental care they need. Others may buy dental insurance at a lower cost through VADIP. VA decides.
Your next step. The free Medicaid screening guide explains which details your state needs and links to its application route. It is not an eligibility decision. All tools →
Sources
- Medicare.gov — Dental services
- Medicare.gov — Eye exams (routine)
- Medicare.gov — Eye exams (for diabetes)
- Medicare.gov — Glaucoma screenings
- Medicare.gov — Cataract surgery
- Medicare.gov — Eyeglasses & contact lenses
- Medicare.gov — Hearing aids
- Medicare.gov — Hearing & balance exams
- Medicare.gov — Compare Original Medicare & Medicare Advantage
- Medicare.gov — Your health plan options
- Medicare.gov — Joining a plan (enrollment periods)
- Medicare.gov — Plan Annual Notice of Change (ANOC)
- Medicare.gov — Talk to someone (SHIP, state help)
- CMS — 2026 Medicare Parts A & B Premiums and Deductibles (fact sheet, Nov 14, 2025)
- Medicaid.gov — Dental care
- NIH NIDCR — Finding dental care
- HRSA — What is a health center?
- FDA — OTC hearing aids: what you should know
- VA — Vision care
- VA — Dental care
- VA Prosthetic & Sensory Aids Service — Hearing aids
- USA.gov — How to apply for Medicaid and CHIP