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Did You Know Medicare Does Not Cover These 6 Things?

If you have Medicare, you know that it covers certain medical care you get when you’re over 65. But did you know there are some things Medicare Parts A and B do not cover?

First, it’s helpful to understand what the different parts of Medicare are meant to do:

·        Part A covers hospital care, including in- and outpatient stays as well as hospice care.

·        Part B covers general medical insurance, including doctor’s visits and some preventative care.

Now that you know what it does cover, here’s a rundown of what expenses Medicare does not cover.

1. Long-Term Care

Alas, while you can get coverage for some types of custodial care, long-term care is not covered by Medicare. Long-term coverage can be one of the most expensive types of health care as you age, so investigating long-term care insurance or adding a long-term rider to an annuity may be smart to look into.

2. Glasses and Other Vision Care

By age 85, 15% of the population will develop low vision, and vision impairments are even more common. Yet traditional Medicare plans do not cover visits to eye doctors, glasses or contacts. There are a couple of exceptions, however:

·        Annual eye exams for those who have diabetes.

·        Eyeglasses for certain patients following cataract surgery.

You can look into getting coverage through a Medicare Advantage plan.

3. Care When You Travel Overseas

Many retirees take advantage of their more flexible schedules by traveling—in fact, the share of travelers over age 60 has more than doubled over the past four years. Travel is a fantastic hobby, but you should know that if you need medical treatment outside of the U.S., Medicare generally won’t cover it. The one exception is for cruise ships docked within six hours of a port in the United States.

4. Deductibles and Co-Pays

This actually is not that surprising. Medicare doesn’t cover the deductibles and co-pays you accrue, as with any health insurance plan. In 2024, for instance, Part A had a deductible of $1,632.

5. Hearing Aids

Roughly one-third of adults ages 65-74 have suffered hearing loss, and more than half over age 75 need artificial assistance to hear. Nonetheless, if you get a hearing aid, Medicare won’t cover the expense. You can look into a Medicare Advantage plan to cover some of the cost, but your best bet is to look into discount programs for hearing aids.

6. Most Dental Care

Taking care of your teeth is important as you age, and more than half of those ages 65-74 wear some kind of dentures. Despite that, Medicare doesn’t pay for the vast majority of dental care, including cleanings, root canals and tooth extractions. You can look at Medicare Advantage plans that cover X-rays.

What About Prescriptions?

Finally, it would be misleading to say Medicare doesn’t cover prescriptions. It does, but you have to have the right plan—in this case, Part D, which is entirely meant for prescriptions. A Part D enrollment for 2025 will cap your out-of-pocket costs for prescriptions at $2,000.

Still uncertain about what expenses Medicare does and doesn’t cover? Get in touch with Jay today to answer any of your questions.

 

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