1 Freed M, et al. (Nov. 15, 2023). Medicare Advantage 2024 Spotlight: First Look. Kaiser Family Foundation. https://www.kff.org/medicare/issue-brief/medicare-advantage-2024-spotlight-first-look.
Coverage
Does Medicare Cover LASIK Eye Surgery?
- January 12, 2024
- Reviewed by John Krahnert
Original Medicare (Part A and Part B) does not cover LASIK eye surgery. Medicare Advantage (Part C) plans can include routine vision coverage, but plans with vision benefits may not be available where you live, and LASIK eye surgery may not be included in plan coverage. Learn more about your coverage options.
Original Medicare (Part A and Part B) does not cover LASIK eye surgery, because it's considered an elective surgery and not medically necessary. Part A and Part B also do not cover routine vision coverage.
Medicare Advantage plans (Medicare Part C) can include vision coverage, but LASIK eye surgery may or may not be included in those benefits. Medicare Advantage plans with vision benefits and/or plans that cover LASIK surgery may not be available where you live.
According to the Kaiser Family Foundation, 99% of 2024 Medicare Advantage plans offer vision benefits not covered by Original Medicare.1
Request a free plan quote online or call to speak with a licensed insurance agent to find out if plans where you live cover vision benefits and if any of those plans cover LASIK surgery.
We represent carriers such as Humana, UnitedHealthcare®, Anthem Blue Cross and Blue Shield, Aetna, Cigna Healthcare, Wellcare, or Kaiser Permanente.
Will Medicare pay for LASIK surgery?
Medicare Advantage plans can provide additional benefits, such as vision care. Vision benefits and/or plans that offer any coverage for LASIK surgery might not be available in your area.
A Medicare Advantage plan that offers vision benefits can cover routine vision care, such as one or more of the following services:
- Corrective glasses lenses
- Frames
- Contact lenses
- Routine eye exams
Not all Medicare Advantage plans offer vision benefits, and the vision benefits included in your plan may not include coverage for LASIK surgery. Check with your Medicare Advantage plan provider for more information.
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Original Medicare may cover vision care
Although Original Medicare does not cover routine vision care, it may cover some vision care that is considered medically necessary, such as:
- Cataract surgery, if ordered by a doctor
- An annual vision exam, if you have diabetes
- Eyeglasses or contacts, if you’ve had cataracts surgery
- An annual vision exam, if you are at high risk of glaucoma
If you require any of the above vision care, speak with your doctor to find out if Medicare will help cover some of the costs.
If you have a Medicare Advantage plan, it will cover the same eligible services listed above if they are qualified to be covered by Medicare Part A or Part B.
Compare Medicare Advantage plans
If you decide you want a Medicare Advantage plan, a licensed insurance agent can help you compare Medicare Advantage plans in your area and the benefits they offer. You can also compare plans online for free, with no obligation to enroll.
About the author
Christian Worstell is a senior Medicare and health insurance writer with MedicareAdvantage.com. He is also a licensed health insurance agent. Christian is well-known in the insurance industry for the thousands of educational articles he’s written, helping Americans better understand their health insurance and Medicare coverage.
Christian’s work as a Medicare expert has appeared in several top-tier and trade news outlets including Forbes, MarketWatch, WebMD and Yahoo! Finance.
Christian has written hundreds of articles for MedicareAvantage.com that teach Medicare beneficiaries the best practices for navigating Medicare. His articles are read by thousands of older Americans each month. By better understanding their health care coverage, readers may hopefully learn how to limit their out-of-pocket Medicare spending and access quality medical care.
Christian’s passion for his role stems from his desire to make a difference in the senior community. He strongly believes that the more beneficiaries know about their Medicare coverage, the better their overall health and wellness is as a result.
A current resident of Raleigh, Christian is a graduate of Shippensburg University with a bachelor’s degree in journalism.
If you’re a member of the media looking to connect with Christian, please don’t hesitate to email our public relations team at Mike@tzhealthmedia.com.
