Good eyesight keeps you reading, driving, cooking, and catching that typo in your budget spreadsheet. Yet eye exams and glasses are among the first things people skip when money’s tight. Here’s how to get both for free or cheap, without cutting corners on your eyes.
Professor’s safety note: Sudden vision loss, a curtain or shadow across your vision, new flashes of light, a sudden shower of floaters, or a painful red eye are emergencies. Get care right away, at an eye doctor, urgent care, or the emergency room. Don’t wait for a cheap appointment.
Lesson 1: Free Eye Exams for Seniors (EyeCare America)
EyeCare America, a program of the American Academy of Ophthalmology, connects eligible seniors with volunteer eye doctors for a free or no-out-of-pocket medical eye exam, plus up to a year of follow-up care for any eye disease found at that first visit.
You may qualify if you:
- Are 65 or older
- Are a U.S. citizen or legal resident
- Haven’t seen an ophthalmologist in three or more years
- Don’t get eye care through an HMO or the VA
The doctor accepts Medicare or other insurance as payment in full, and people without insurance are seen free. Note: It covers the medical eye exam, not glasses or the glasses prescription. EyeCare America also has a program offering glaucoma exams to uninsured people at higher risk. Apply at AAO.org/EyeCare-America.
Lesson 2: What Medicare and Medicaid Cover
Original Medicare generally does not pay for routine eye exams or glasses. But it does cover some important things:
- A yearly eye exam for diabetic retinopathy if you have diabetes
- A glaucoma test every 12 months if you’re at high risk
- Diagnosis and treatment of eye diseases like cataracts and macular degeneration
- Cataract surgery, and one pair of glasses or contacts afterward when you get an implanted lens
Many Medicare Advantage plans include routine eye exams and an allowance for glasses. If vision matters to you, compare plans during Open Enrollment, October 15 to December 7.
Medicaid eye coverage for adults varies by state. In California, Medi-Cal covers eye exams and glasses for adults. Children on Medicaid or CHIP get vision coverage in every state.
Lesson 3: Free Glasses Programs
- Lions Clubs have helped people get eye care and glasses for about a century. Many local clubs help with exams or glasses for people in need. Call your local club or search for one near you.
- New Eyes provides vouchers for new prescription glasses to people with low incomes. You apply through a social service agency, school nurse, or case manager. Learn more at New-Eyes.org.
- VSP Eyes of Hope offers free eye exams and glasses to people in need through partner charities and community events.
- Community health centers sometimes offer eye care on a sliding fee scale. Find one at FindAHealthCenter.hrsa.gov.
- Optometry schools often offer exams and glasses at lower prices from supervised students.
- Kids: Many schools offer free vision screenings, and some programs provide free glasses to students who need them. Ask the school nurse.
Lesson 4: Cheap Exams and Glasses
- Warehouse clubs and big-box stores often have affordable eye exams and low-priced frames and lenses. Some warehouse clubs let non-members use the optical department, so ask.
- Buy glasses online. Online retailers sell complete prescription glasses for a fraction of store prices. You’ll need your prescription and your pupillary distance (PD), the measurement between your pupils. Ask for your PD at your exam.
- Know your rights: Under the FTC’s Eyeglass Rule, your eye doctor must give you a copy of your glasses prescription after your exam, even if you don’t ask and don’t buy glasses there. You’re free to shop anywhere.
- Keep your old frames. Many shops will put new lenses in frames you already own.
- Ask about package deals and second-pair discounts.
- Use your benefits. If you have vision insurance, an HSA, or an FSA, use them for exams and glasses.
Lesson 5: About Drugstore Reading Glasses
Inexpensive over-the-counter readers can be fine for simple age-related trouble reading up close. But they aren’t a substitute for an eye exam, which checks for silent problems like glaucoma, cataracts, and macular degeneration. Get a real exam regularly, especially after 60.
Quick Review
- Seniors 65+: check EyeCare America for a free medical eye exam.
- Know what Medicare covers, and compare Advantage plans for vision benefits.
- Medi-Cal covers adult eye exams and glasses in California.
- Try Lions Clubs, New Eyes, VSP Eyes of Hope, health centers, and optometry schools.
- Get your prescription and PD, then buy glasses online for less.
- Readers are fine for reading, but don’t skip real exams.
- Treat sudden vision changes as an emergency.
More health savings from the Financial Aid Office: How to Get Affordable Hearing Aids, How to Lower Your Hospital and Medical Bills, Free or Low-Cost Dental Care, 10 Ways to Save Money on Prescriptions, and Senior Discounts Worth Asking For.
Need More Than Savings?
Our sister site Chances.org has free, step-by-step guides:
- Health Care Help: free and low-cost care and help with medical bills
- Government Benefits: Medicaid and other programs you may qualify for
- Doctor Visit Planner: write down your questions before any appointment
Class dismissed. Now go see clearly.
Programs, coverage, and eligibility change over time and vary by state. This lesson is general information, not medical advice.