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What Does Medicare Not Cover? Seven Things You Should Know

This article appears as part of Casey Weade's Weekend Reading for Retirees series. Every Friday, Casey highlights four hand-picked articles on trending retirement topics and delivers them straight to your email inbox. Get on the list here.
Weekend reading what medicare doesnt cover Weekend reading what medicare doesnt cover

Weekend Reading

Medicare Parts A and B, known as Original or Traditional Medicare, cover many medical expenses once you reach age 65, but leave significant gaps.

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Together, they help with inpatient hospital stays, surgeries, doctor visits, and outpatient care. However, they don't include a variety of other key services. This is why many beneficiaries turn to Medicare Advantage plans or supplemental policies to cover the following:

📌 Prescription drugs: Available through Part D or Medicare Advantage plans

📌 Long-term care: Medicare does not cover custodial care, so long-term care insurance may be needed

📌 Deductibles and co-pays: Parts A and B have significant out-of-pocket costs, but Medigap policies can help cover these

📌 Dental and vision: Some Medicare Advantage plans offer limited benefits

📌 Hearing aids: You can obtain coverage through Medicare Advantage or discount programs

📌 Care overseas: Medicare doesn’t generally cover medical care outside the U.S., but some Medigap plans offer limited coverage