Your Medicare clients need dental, vision, and hearing coverage, and most of them either don't have it or don't realize how limited their current coverage is. This video explains what is available, who needs it, and how to position these products as filling the gap Medicare leaves behind.
OK, here is the gap. Original Medicare, Parts A and B, does not cover routine dental, vision, or hearing. No cleanings, no eye exams, no hearing aids. For most seniors, those are real expenses. A single pair of hearing aids can cost several thousand dollars. A dental crown can run over $1,000. Annual eye exams and glasses add up, especially for clients managing conditions like diabetes where vision care is critical. Some Medicare Advantage plans include limited dental, vision, and hearing benefits, but the coverage is often basic. It might cover one cleaning a year or a small allowance toward eyewear. For clients who need more than that, a standalone ancillary plan fills the gap.
There are standalone dental plans, standalone vision plans, and combination plans that bundle dental, vision, and hearing together. The bundled plans are popular because they are simple. One premium, one plan, three categories of coverage. Premiums are generally affordable, often between $20 and $60 a month depending on the level of coverage. For your clients, the value is easy to understand. They are already paying out of pocket for these services. A plan that covers most of those costs for a predictable monthly premium gives them peace of mind and saves them money over time.
The clients who benefit most from ancillary coverage are Medicare Supplement enrollees. Supplement plans cover medical costs beautifully but they include zero dental, vision, or hearing. These clients have no coverage at all for those services unless they buy a standalone plan. That makes the conversation very straightforward. You say something like... "Your supplement does a great job covering your medical expenses, but it does not include dental, vision, or hearing."
"A lot of my clients add a separate plan for those so they are not paying full price every time they need a cleaning or a new pair of glasses. Would you like to see what that looks like?" Medicare Advantage enrollees may also benefit, especially if their plan's built-in dental and vision benefits are limited. If a client's plan only covers one cleaning and a $50 eyewear allowance, a supplemental plan that offers more comprehensive coverage is worth showing them.
Here is a quick example. You finish enrolling a 72-year-old client in a Medicare Supplement Plan G. She asks if the plan covers dental. You explain that it does not, and that Original Medicare does not cover routine dental, vision, or hearing either. She had no idea. You show her a bundled plan that covers 2 dental cleanings a year, an annual eye exam with an eyewear allowance, and a hearing exam with a benefit toward hearing aids. The premium is about $40 a month. She enrolls immediately because the alternative was paying for all of that out of pocket with no coverage at all.
Your action step. Before your next Medicare Supplement appointment, pull up a quote for a bundled dental, vision, and hearing plan in the client's ZIP code. Have the premium and the basic benefits ready to show. When the client asks about dental, or when you finish the enrollment and transition naturally, you will have a real answer instead of a vague mention.
