Issue Brief 16: Lack of coverage for vision, hearing, and dental care presents challenges for Medicare beneficiaries

Access to medically necessary healthcare is critical for successful patient outcomes.

Unfortunately, access to care and treatment is often limited due to out-of-pocket costs, including high premiums, deductibles, coinsurance, and co-pays for services covered by health insurance. These high out-of-pocket costs also occur when patients require treatments that are not covered by their health plans.

This issue brief discusses how the lack of coverage for three specific services: vision, hearing, and dental care, presents challenges for Medicare beneficiaries.