Wellcare Medicare Vision Coverage
- Wellcare Medicare Advantage plans can include vision coverage. Learn more about Wellcare Medicare plans and the eye care benefits they can include, such as glasses, contacts, eye exams and more.
Vision coverage is included as an added benefit of some Wellcare Medicare Advantage (Medicare Part C) plans.
In this review of Wellcare Medicare vision benefits, we explain how the plans work, the vision care services they may cover and more.
Wellcare Medicare Advantage Vision Benefits Review
Original Medicare (which is administered by the federal government) consists of Medicare Part A and Part B. Medicare Advantage, or Medicare Part C, are private Medicare health plans sold by insurance companies.
Medicare Advantage plans include all of the same benefits found in Original Medicare, and they can include some coverage for things not covered by Original Medicare such as vision, dental, hearing or prescription drugs.
Wellcare offers a few different types Medicare Advantage plans in certain parts of the country, and Wellcare plans with vision coverage may not be available in all areas.
Some Medicare Advantage plans also cover prescription medications and may cover any drugs prescribed by an eye doctor. In addition, Wellcare Medicare Advantage plans provide all of the vision benefits covered by Original Medicare, which includes screenings for glaucoma, diabetic retinopathy and macular degeneration, along with cataract surgery and corrective lenses following cataract surgery.
Types of Wellcare Medicare Plans with Vision Coverage
Wellcare Medicare Advantage plans that include vision coverage may come in one of the following forms.
- HMO (Health Maintenance Organization). Members of these plans utilize a primary care doctor who coordinates their care among the plan’s participating providers and issues referrals to see specialists. HMO members must usually see providers within the plan’s network in order to receive coverage for services and items.
- PPO (Preferred Provider Organization). PPO members have the freedom to seek vision and other care outside of the plan’s network and still receive coverage, although their savings will be maximized by staying within the network. PPO members do not have to go through a primary care doctor first in order to see specialists.
- C-SNP (Chronic Special Needs Plans). These plans are custom-built for beneficiaries with specific health conditions and feature a benefits package that is tailored to those needs.
- D-SNP (Dual-eligible Special Needs Plans). These plans are designed to meet the needs of people who are dual-eligible beneficiaries (people who are eligible for both Medicare and Medicaid).
Enrolling in a Wellcare Medicare Plan with Vision Coverage
In order to apply for a Medicare Advantage plan, you must first be enrolled in both Medicare Part A and Part B. You must also reside in the area in which your desired plan is sold.
You must also enroll in Medicare Advantage during certain times of the year, such as when you first become enrolled in Original Medicare or during the Medicare Annual Enrollment Period that takes place each fall.
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