Hearing aids, glasses and dentures are among the most overlooked needs for older adults, and Original Medicare pays for very little of them. Here is how Puget Sound families can fill the gaps.
By Diane Whitfield, CSA · October 06, 2026
Many families assume Medicare covers the whole body. It does not. Original Medicare (Parts A and B) generally does not pay for routine dental care, dentures, routine eye exams for glasses, eyeglasses or contact lenses, or hearing exams and hearing aids. Exceptions exist, such as cataract surgery with a standard lens implant, certain eye exams for people with diabetes or at high risk of glaucoma, and dental work that is part of a covered hospital procedure, but everyday care is mostly on you.
This matters more than it sounds. Untreated hearing loss makes conversation exhausting and is often mistaken for confusion. Poor vision raises fall risk, and a painful tooth or ill-fitting denture can quietly cause weight loss. Before assuming a parent is declining cognitively, it is worth ruling out the ears, eyes and mouth.
Medicare Advantage (Part C) plans sold in King, Snohomish and Pierce counties often include some dental, vision and hearing benefits, but the details vary widely: annual dollar caps, limited provider networks, and fixed allowances for hearing aids. Read the plan's Evidence of Coverage each fall during open enrollment, and check whether your parent's current dentist and audiologist are in network before switching.
Washington Apple Health (Medicaid) is the other major source. Adults enrolled in Apple Health have dental benefits, and the program also has coverage for vision and hearing services with limits. Because benefit rules change, confirm the current details with the Health Care Authority or the managed care plan. Families already working with DSHS Home and Community Services on long-term care can ask the case manager what is covered.
Some people also hold stand-alone dental or vision plans, Medigap policies that do not include these benefits, or Veterans Affairs coverage. Veterans enrolled at VA Puget Sound may qualify for hearing and vision care, and the VA is a major hearing aid provider, so it is worth asking before paying out of pocket.
For hearing, the FDA allows over-the-counter hearing aids for adults with mild to moderate loss, which can cost far less than prescription devices. A hearing test with an audiologist is still worthwhile first, since sudden or one-sided loss, or earwax blockage, needs a medical look.
For dental care, community health centers across the region offer sliding-fee dental services, and the University of Washington School of Dentistry in Seattle operates teaching clinics that can reduce costs. Local Area Agencies on Aging can point you toward programs in your county. For vision, a dilated eye exam every year or two is a sensible baseline, and community programs sometimes help with glasses.
If a parent lives in assisted living or an adult family home, ask whether visiting dentists, optometrists or audiologists come on site. Some communities arrange this, which spares a frail resident a difficult trip.
In a licensed assisted living community, the negotiated service agreement and the resident's care plan should capture needs like hearing aid batteries, glasses cleaning and denture care. Staff can help with these tasks, but families usually need to supply the devices and keep them labeled. Lost hearing aids and dentures are among the most common small losses in any care setting, so write the resident's name on cases and keep a spare set of batteries.
Build a routine: schedule hearing and eye checks around the same time each year, and bring a current list of medications, since some drugs affect hearing, dry mouth and vision.
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