Hearing aids, glasses, LASIK: what Medicare leaves to you
Original Medicare doesn't cover hearing aids, routine eye exams or most glasses, and it treats surgery to correct your vision as a substitute for glasses. Here's what it does cover, the cheaper options at home, and what LASIK costs in Medellín.
What Original Medicare covers, and what it doesn't
Straight from Medicare.gov and CMS. If you have a Medicare Advantage plan, check its Evidence of Coverage: some plans add hearing or vision benefits.
Covered
- Diagnostic hearing and balance exams your provider orders (Medicare.gov)
- One audiologist visit every 12 months without an order, for non-acute hearing conditions
- One pair of glasses or one set of contacts after each cataract surgery that implants a lens; you pay 20% after the Part B deductible (Medicare.gov)
Not covered
- Hearing aids, or exams to fit them (Medicare.gov)
- Routine eye exams for glasses or contacts (Medicare.gov)
- Glasses and contacts, in most cases
- Refractive surgery to reduce your need for glasses; CMS treats it as a substitute for glasses (NCD 80.7)
- Almost any care outside the US (Medicare.gov)
Hearing aids: start with the cheap option
Since October 17, 2022, adults 18 and over with perceived mild to moderate hearing loss can buy hearing aids over the counter, without an exam or prescription (FDA). If that describes you, an OTC aid at home is probably your cheapest answer.
For more severe loss you need a prescription fitting. Prescription hearing aids range from hundreds to several thousand dollars, according to the National Institute on Deafness and Other Communication Disorders.
We haven't found Medellín audiology clinics that publish hearing aid prices. If you'd like a comparison, send us your latest hearing test and we'll ask for a written quote.
LASIK: what it costs in Medellín
Ópticas Lafam publishes one LASIK price for Bogotá, Medellín, Cali and Barranquilla, in Colombian pesos. Check today's exchange rate for the dollar figure.
A pre-surgery exam decides whether LASIK, another procedure or nothing is right for your eyes. Don't book a flight around surgery until that exam says yes.
More detail on vision correction is at ColombiaLASIK.com.
Published LASIK prices
| LASIK, both eyes | COP 2,350,000 |
|---|---|
| LASIK, one eye | COP 1,400,000 |
| Pre-surgery exams | COP 200,000 |
Prices published by Ópticas Lafam, undated, accessed October 5, 2026. The exams include optometry with Pentacam imaging, dilation and an ophthalmology consult.
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Questions
Does Medicare Advantage cover hearing aids or glasses?
Some plans add hearing or vision benefits that Original Medicare doesn't have, usually with limits. Check your plan's Evidence of Coverage, or call the number on your card.
Will Medicare pay for LASIK in Colombia?
No. CMS treats refractive surgery as a substitute for glasses, which Medicare excludes (NCD 80.7), and Medicare usually doesn't pay for care outside the US.
Are over-the-counter hearing aids any good?
The FDA created the category for adults with perceived mild to moderate hearing loss (FDA). If your loss is more severe, or you're not sure, get a hearing test first.
Does Medicare cover glasses after cataract surgery?
Yes, one pair with standard frames or one set of contacts after each cataract surgery that implants a lens. You pay 20% after the Part B deductible (Medicare.gov).
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- Hearing aids (Medicare.gov)
- Hearing & balance exams (Medicare.gov)
- Eye exams (routine) (Medicare.gov)
- Eyeglasses & contact lenses (Medicare.gov)
- NCD 80.7 Refractive Keratoplasty (CMS Medicare Coverage Database)
- Travel outside the U.S. (Medicare.gov)
- OTC hearing aids: what you should know (FDA)
- Hearing aids (NIDCD, National Institutes of Health)
- Exámenes pre-LASIK y cirugía (Ópticas Lafam), price stated for Bogotá, Medellín, Cali and Barranquilla; undated, accessed Oct. 5, 2026
Last checked October 5, 2026. Rules and figures change; confirm anything that affects your money or care with the agency directly.