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The rules say that plans must pay for a medical service or item if regular Medicare would pay for it in this case. You can find this rule at 42 Code of Federal Regulations (CFR) Section 422.101.

Items and services furnished outside the United States are excluded from coverage except for the following services, and certain services rendered on board a ship: 
-	Emergency inpatient hospital services where the emergency occurred: 
o	While the beneficiary was physically present in the United States; or 
o	In Canada while the beneficiary was traveling without reasonable delay and by the most direct route between Alaska and another State.
-	Emergency or nonemergency inpatient hospital services furnished by a hospital located outside the United States, if the hospital was closer to, or substantially more accessible from, the beneficiary's United States residence than the nearest participating United States hospital which was adequately equipped to deal with and available to provide treatment of the illness or injury;
-	Physician and ambulance services furnished in connection with a covered foreign hospitalization. Program payment may not be made for any other Part B medical and other health services, including outpatient services furnished outside the United States;
-	Services rendered on board a ship in a United States port, or within 6 hours of when the ship arrived at, or departed from, a United States port, are considered to have been furnished in United States territorial waters. Services not furnished in a United States port, or within 6 hours of when the ship arrived at, or departed from, a United States port, are considered to have been furnished outside United States territorial waters, even if the ship is of United States registry; and

The term "United States" means the 50 States, the District of Columbia, the Commonwealth of Puerto Rico, the Virgin Islands, Guam, the Northern Mariana Islands, American Samoa and, for purposes of services rendered on a ship, includes the territorial waters adjoining the land areas of the United States. You can find these rules in Medicare Benefit Policy Manual Chapter 16, Section 60.

Medicare does not pay for low vision aids. This exclusion includes all devices that use one or more lenses to aid vision or magnify images. This rule applies no matter the size, form or technological features of the device. This rule does not apply to: 
1. post-surgical prosthetic lenses after surgery in which the lens of the eye was removed; 
2. prosthetic intraocular lenses (IOLs) and one pair of conventional eyeglasses or contact lenses furnished after each cataract surgery with insertion of an IOL; and 
3. prosthetic lenses used by those who are lacking the natural lens of the eye and who were not furnished with an IOL. 
You can find this rule at 42 CFR Section 411.15(b).
 
Medicare does not pay for eye exams for the purpose of prescribing, fitting, or changing eyeglasses or contact lenses for refractive error only. Medicare does not pay for procedures performed in the course of any eye exam to determine the refractive state of the eyes. Refractive procedures are not covered even when done in connection with otherwise covered diagnosis or treatment of illness or injury. You can find these rules at 42 CFR Section 411.15(c).

If you want to read these Medicare rules, you can go to this website www.medicareappeal.com.

The Plan contract says that the Plan covers items and services in accordance with Medicare rules. The Plan contract says that the Plan offers worldwide coverage for urgently needed services when medical services are needed right away because of an illness, injury, or condition that you did not expect or anticipate, and you cannot wait until you are back in the Plan's service area to obtain services. You can find this information in Chapter 4 on page 4-54 of the Plan's 2019 Evidence of Coverage.

The Plan contract also says that the Plan covers certain routine vision care services as a supplemental benefit. The Plan covers 1 complete routine vision exam every 12 months, which must be obtained through a Plan vision service provider. Routine eyewear is not covered by the Plan. You can find this information in Chapter 4 on pages 4-69 to 4-70 of the Plan's 2019 Evidence of Coverage.