Original Medicare (Parts A and B) does not cover routine dental or vision care. To get these benefits, you typically need a Medicare Advantage plan (Part C), which bundles hospital and medical coverage with extras like dental exams, cleanings, eye exams, and glasses. In 2026, 98% of Medicare Advantage plans offer dental benefits and 99% offer vision benefits, though the scope and dollar limits of that coverage vary widely from plan to plan.
What Original Medicare Leaves Out
Medicare Part A (hospital insurance) and Part B (medical insurance) were designed decades ago without dental or vision built in. Part B covers doctor visits, lab work, and preventive screenings, but routine cleanings, fillings, extractions, dentures, implants, eye exams for glasses, and eyewear are all explicitly excluded.
There are narrow medical exceptions. Part A may cover dental services when you’re admitted to a hospital as an inpatient and the procedure is necessary because of an underlying medical condition. Part B can cover dental work that’s directly tied to the success of another covered treatment. Examples include an oral exam and dental treatment before a heart valve replacement, organ transplant, or bone marrow transplant; a tooth extraction to clear a mouth infection before chemotherapy; treatment for complications during head and neck cancer therapy; and dental exams or infection treatment before or during dialysis for end-stage renal disease. Outside those situations, Original Medicare pays nothing for dental care.
Vision follows a similar pattern. Part B covers diagnostic eye exams for conditions like glaucoma or macular degeneration, and it pays for one pair of glasses or contacts after cataract surgery. But routine eye exams for a prescription, frames, and contact lenses are not covered.
How Medicare Advantage Covers Both
Medicare Advantage plans are offered by private insurers as an alternative to Original Medicare. They must cover everything Parts A and B cover, but most add dental, vision, and hearing benefits on top. Nearly all individual Medicare Advantage plans now include some level of dental (98%) and vision (99%) coverage.
The word “some” matters, though. Dental benefits in Medicare Advantage fall into two broad tiers. Preventive-only plans cover cleanings, X-rays, and basic exams but nothing more. Comprehensive plans add fillings, extractions, crowns, root canals, and sometimes dentures or implants, but they almost always come with an annual dollar cap. According to KFF’s analysis, the average annual maximum for plans offering more extensive dental benefits is roughly $1,300, and more than half of enrollees in those plans are capped at $1,000 or less. About 16% of enrollees have a cap of just $500, while 22% are in plans allowing up to $2,000, and only 8% have a limit between $2,000 and $5,000. If you need a major procedure like implants or multiple crowns, you could hit that ceiling quickly.
Vision benefits in Medicare Advantage typically cover a routine eye exam each year and provide an allowance for frames, lenses, or contacts. The dollar amount for eyewear varies by plan, commonly ranging from $100 to $300 per year. Some plans offer higher allowances, and a few cover upgraded lens options like progressives or anti-glare coatings at reduced cost sharing. You’ll want to check whether your preferred eye doctor is in the plan’s network, since out-of-network visits often aren’t covered or cost significantly more.
Medigap Does Not Add Dental or Vision
Medigap (Medicare Supplement) plans are sometimes confused with Medicare Advantage, but they work differently. Medigap policies supplement Original Medicare by helping pay your share of Part A and Part B costs, like deductibles and coinsurance. They do not add new categories of coverage. That means a Medigap plan won’t cover dental cleanings, fillings, routine eye exams, or glasses. If you’re on Original Medicare with a Medigap policy and want dental and vision, you’d need to buy a separate standalone dental or vision insurance plan.
Special Needs Plans for Dual-Eligible Enrollees
If you qualify for both Medicare and Medicaid, you may be eligible for a Dual Eligible Special Needs Plan (D-SNP). These are a type of Medicare Advantage plan specifically designed for people with both programs. D-SNPs often include dental, vision, hearing, transportation, and flexible spending cards as supplemental benefits. In many cases, Medicaid already covers dental and vision services on its own, so a D-SNP may layer additional benefits on top of what your state Medicaid program provides. The combination can be significantly more generous than a standard Medicare Advantage plan.
Choosing a Plan With the Right Coverage
When comparing Medicare Advantage plans for dental and vision, look beyond whether the benefit exists and focus on the details. For dental, check whether the plan covers only preventive care or includes comprehensive services. Find the annual maximum and compare it against any work you expect to need. A plan with a $500 cap and a $1,200 crown means you’re paying $700 out of pocket for that single procedure. Also look at cost sharing: some plans charge copays for each visit, while others use coinsurance percentages that climb for more complex work.
For vision, compare the annual eyewear allowance, whether routine exams require a copay, and which optical retailers or providers are in network. If you wear contacts or need specialty lenses, verify that those are included in the allowance rather than excluded.
Plans can change their benefit structure every year, adjusting annual maximums, cost sharing, and covered services. What a plan offered this year may look different next year, so it’s worth reviewing your coverage during the annual enrollment period each fall, which runs from October 15 through December 7. You can compare plans side by side on Medicare.gov or call 1-800-MEDICARE to get help sorting through options in your area.