Medicare has been a godsend to seniors these past 50 years or so.   And yet, the coverage leaves much to be desired.  Why are hearing aids, eyeglasses and dental care considered  luxuries that seniors can do without?  Apparently, Medicare doesn’t care if you see or hear or chew. .

Eye exams are not considered “medically necessary” unless you have a disease like diabetes or glaucoma, or cataracts.   So, what happens to seniors who don’t qualify under these guidelines?  if they  happen to be living on social security,  they may not be able to  afford having eye exams or eyeglasses.  Consequences of not seeing well?  Can’t drive, or if you do, prone to accidents.  Can’t read, which greatly diminishes quality of life. More apt to fall.   The list goes on and on.

Hearing loss is not considered a medical necessity.  So, if you’re driving a car and can’t hear a truck coming up beside you or a horn blasting, that’s no big deal?  If you can’t talk on the telephone or hear what others are saying, how are you supposed to communicate?  Elderly people who can’t hear well tend to become socially isolated.  They can’t carry on normal conversations, and so they avoid social gatherings.  Relationships with children and grandchildren are affected. All of these things lead to depression and loneliness.  The truth is, loss of hearing can be hazardous to your health.  But Medicare doesn’t care.

If a senior’s teeth rot , Medicare won’t help.  It does not cover routine checkups, cleanings, fillings, dentures or tooth extractions.  I recently went to the dentist to have my teeth cleaned.  Since it had been two years since I’d been there, , they insisted on taking numerous X rays , but said I had to come back for a second visit before they would clean my teeth.  After the cleaning, they informed me they had found a couple of tiny cavities that needed filling on yet another visit.  The entire episode will cost about $500 for a couple of very simple procedures.

Tooth decay  can lead to more serious problems than hearing loss or poor vision. Infected teeth  can carry infection throughout the body, affecting the heart, liver, brain and all other organs of the body, resulting in death.   And many seniors end up with no teeth at all, leading to poor nutrition and social isolation.

Ironically, very low income seniors are also eligible for Medicaid, which may cover some of these problems. But if you are just a normal person, and a few dollars above the income guidelines, you’re out of luck.