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Low-cost hearing, vision and dental help for seniors in Citrus, Hernando and Pasco County

Original Medicare leaves out hearing aids, routine eye exams, most glasses, and routine dental care. This page covers what Medicare does pay for, and the free and lower-cost help you can use for the rest.

Checked against Medicare.gov, the U.S. Food and Drug Administration (FDA), the U.S. Department of Veterans Affairs (VA), Florida Medicaid, and the other sources listed at the bottom. Programs and plan benefits change, so call before you go. Last reviewed: October 5, 2026.

The short version:

Hearing

How much do hearing aids cost for Medicare patients?

The full price, if you have Original Medicare. Medicare.gov's hearing aids page says it doesn't cover hearing aids or the exams for fitting them. "You pay all costs."

The National Institute on Deafness and Other Communication Disorders, a part of the National Institutes of Health, says on its hearing aids page that hearing aids "range from hundreds to several thousand dollars."

Medicare does pay for some hearing tests. Part B, the medical insurance part of Medicare, covers a diagnostic hearing exam when your doctor orders it. You can also see an audiologist, a hearing specialist, once every 12 months without an order for hearing loss that came on slowly. You pay 20% of the Medicare-approved amount after the Part B deductible. The rules are on Medicare.gov's hearing and balance exams page.

Does Medicare pay for hearing aids?

No, not Original Medicare. Its hearing aids page says Medicare doesn't cover them (checked October 2026).

Some Medicare Advantage Plans (Part C) do. These are private plans you can pick instead of Original Medicare, and some add vision, hearing, or dental benefits. If that matters to you, the time to act is Open Enrollment, October 15 through December 7. Medicare.gov's joining a plan page says a change you make then starts January 1.

Plans differ a lot in what they pay and which hearing aids they allow. For free, unbiased help comparing them, use SHINE, Florida's free Medicare counseling program. You can reach it through the Elder Helpline: 1-800-262-2243 in Citrus and Hernando, or 1-800-963-5337 in Pasco.

How do seniors get free hearing aids?

Veterans have the clearest path. The VA's hearing aids page says that once you're enrolled in VA health care and an audiologist recommends them, the hearing aids, repairs, and batteries are "at no charge to you." To enroll, call the VA at 877-222-8387, or see the VA's how-to-apply page. Our VA benefits page covers other help for veterans.

If you're not a veteran, these can lower the price:

Free amplified phones

If the phone is the hard part, Florida gives out phones that get louder at no cost. Florida Telecommunications Relay, Inc. (FTRI) runs the program. Its website says you qualify if you're a Florida resident, at least 3 years old, and have a certified hearing or speech condition. You keep the equipment as long as you need it.

The application has to be signed by an approved certifier. FTRI's resources page says to call 1-800-222-3448 with questions about who can sign. You can apply online, by mail, or in person at a distribution center. These are the ones in our area, from FTRI's locations page:

For phone calls with typed captions or an operator's help, dial 7-1-1 for Florida Relay, any time of day.

Vision

Does Medicare pay for eye examinations for seniors?

Not routine ones. Medicare.gov's routine eye exams page says Medicare doesn't cover exams for eyeglasses or contact lenses. You pay all of it.

Medicare Part B does cover some medical eye exams. You pay 20% of the Medicare-approved amount after the Part B deductible for each of these:

How to get Medicare to pay for glasses?

Only after cataract surgery. Medicare.gov's eyeglasses page says Part B covers one pair of glasses with standard frames, or one set of contacts, after each cataract surgery that puts in a lens implant.

You pay 20% of the Medicare-approved amount after the Part B deductible, plus the extra for any upgraded frames. Buy them from a supplier that takes Medicare, or Medicare won't pay. Outside of cataract surgery, routine glasses are on you, unless a Medicare Advantage plan you're in covers them.

How to get an eye exam for free?

EyeCare America may cover you. It's a program of the American Academy of Ophthalmology that matches you with a volunteer ophthalmologist, a medical doctor for the eyes. Its patient page says you can qualify if all of these are true:

You get a medical eye exam and up to one year of follow-up visits for anything found, at no out-of-pocket cost. It doesn't cover exams for glasses, the glasses themselves, surgery, or medicine. EyeCare America's guidelines for its volunteer doctors add that it doesn't take patients who have supplemental insurance, so a Medigap (Medicare supplement) policy may rule you out. You answer a few questions online and get an answer right away. Call 877-887-6327, weekdays 8 a.m. to 2 p.m. Pacific time, for help.

Dental

How do I fix my teeth if I don't have money?

Start with a community health center that has a sliding fee, which means you pay less when your income is lower. Original Medicare won't help here. Medicare.gov's dental services page says it doesn't cover cleanings, fillings, pulling teeth, dentures, or implants in most cases.

These health centers have dental care in or near our three counties:

If you have Florida Medicaid, you're enrolled in a Medicaid dental plan. Florida Medicaid's dental plan page says adults 21 and older can get limited exams and X-rays, dentures, pulling teeth, pain management, and sedation. The plans add extras for adults, such as cleanings and fillings, and for those 65 and older, crowns and root canals. Call your plan to ask what it covers:

For help choosing a dental plan, call Florida Medicaid's choice counseling line at 1-877-711-3662.

A dental school is another option, just outside the area. The University of Florida College of Dentistry has centers in Gainesville and St. Petersburg. Its patient care page says fees in the student clinics are "generally 50 percent less than private practice," with faculty supervising. Call 352-273-6700 or 800-633-3953 to become a patient.

Veterans may qualify for VA dental care, depending on service-connected conditions. The VA's dental care page lists who qualifies. It also says veterans enrolled in VA health care who don't qualify may be able to buy reduced-cost dental insurance through the VA Dental Insurance Program.

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