Wellcare Medicare Vision Coverage

Vision coverage is included as an added benefit of many 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 funded and 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. These plans include all of the same benefits found in Original Medicare, and most Medicare Advantage plans include some coverage for things not covered by Original Medicare such as vision, dental, hearing, prescription drugs and more.

Wellcare offers a few different Medicare Advantage plans, and vision coverage may vary slightly between policies. But to give you an idea of the vision benefits in a Wellcare Medicare Advantage plan, let’s look at one Wellcare plan sold in Los Angeles, California.

Please note the information below is an example of one specific Wellcare Medicare Advantage plan. Plan availability, costs, benefits and other details can vary from one plan to the next. A licensed insurance agent can help you compare Wellcare Medicare plans that may be available where you live.

Monthly premium = $0

Annual deductible = $0

Maximum out-of-pocket limit (in-network) = $1,000

• Routine eye exams – One exam per year is covered, with no copayment required when performed by an in-network doctor.
• Eyeglasses (frames and lenses) and contact lenses – The plan includes an allowance of up to $200 per year for frames and prescription lenses or contact lenses.

This particular plan also covers prescription medications and may cover any drugs prescribed by an eye doctor.  

In addition, each Wellcare plan provides 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).  

Visa Flex Card

Wellcare may provide some of their Medicare Advantage policyholders a way to enhance their vision benefits even further with a Visa Flex Card.

The card may be pre-loaded with anywhere between $200 and $2,500, depending on the plan and service area and may be used for eyeglasses and other vision services along with dental and hearing care. 

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. Wellcare sells Medicare Advantage plans in the following states:

• Alabama
• Arizona
• Arkansas
• California
• Connecticut
• Florida
• Georgia
• Hawaii
• Illinois
• Indiana
• Kansas
• Kentucky
• Louisiana
• Maine
• Michigan
• Mississippi
• Missouri
• Nevada
• New Hampshire
• New Jersey
• New Mexico
• New York
• North Carolina
• Ohio
• Oregon
• Pennsylvania
• Rhode Island
• South Carolina
• Tennessee
• Texas
• Vermont
• Washington
• Wisconsin

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. 

For help finding and enrolling in a Wellcare Medicare plan with vision coverage, reach out to a licensed insurance agent who can gather up the plan options available where you live, go over the costs and coverage of each with you and walk you through the enrollment process.