Does Medicare pay for eye exams?

Routine eye exams, or "eye refractions," for glasses and contact lenses are not covered by Medicare, as stated on the official Medicare website. However, some preventative and diagnostic eye exams, such as tests for glaucoma and macular degeneration, are covered.

Medicare also covers annual eye exams for people with diabetes, since the condition can lead to eye disease. Likewise, individuals are covered by Medicare for eye exams if they have a significant likelihood of developing glaucoma. In addition to diabetics, this includes people with a family history of glaucoma and individuals who are Hispanic or African American and at least 50 years of age, as detailed on the Medicare Interactive website.