Dental and Vision Insurance

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What it is

Dental and vision plans are supplemental insurance sold by private insurance companies. They are separate from Medicare and are not a substitute for major medical coverage.

Original Medicare does not cover most dental care, or eye exams for eyeglasses or contact lenses. Some people buy a separate dental plan, vision plan, or combined plan for that reason.

How these plans generally work

• Dental plans commonly group services into categories, such as preventive care, basic services and major services, and may treat each category differently.
• Vision plans commonly address eye exams and eyewear such as glasses or contact lenses.
• A plan may use a network of dentists or eye care providers.
• A plan may have a waiting period before some services are covered, and a limit on what it pays in a year.
• You pay a premium to the insurance company. What a plan covers and what it costs vary by plan, carrier and state.

Questions to ask

• Is my dentist or eye doctor in the plan’s network?
• Is there a waiting period for any of the services I expect to need?
• Is there a limit on what the plan pays each year?
• What would I pay for the services I use most often?