Medicare will not cover these expenses

Generally speaking, Original Medicare with a Medicare Supplement is the best Medical Coverage most people will ever have.  For example, if you have a Plan G Medicare Supplement, the only Medical out-of-pocket Exposure for Medicare covered services is the Part B deductible ($185 in 2019).

However, there are certain services that are not covered by Medicare, which we frequently get questions on.

1. Dental, Vision, and Hearing - Original Medicare does not provide Dental, Vision or Hearing coverage.  If it is a medically necessary procedure (e.g. Glaucoma, Wet Macular Degeneration, Cataracts, Diabetes related vision issues), these would be covered by Medicare Part B.  But, for basic dental, vision, and hearing services, these are not covered by Medicare.  The average Medicare Beneficiary spends about ~$922 / year on Dental expenses alone.  Some individuals choose to self-insure for this Coverage, while others continue to prefer to have actual Dental Insurance (or Vision or Hearing).  Here is a link to more information about a Dental, Vision, and Hearing option from Manhattan Life, and also a Dental option from Delta Dental (in NJ).
2. Medical Expenses during International Travel - Unfortunately, Original Medicare does not provide any coverage while you are traveling Internationally.  There are certain Medicare Supplements (e.g. Plan C, F, G, N) that provide a minimal level of Medical Coverage for Foreign Travel Emergencies.  These plans provide a lifetime maximum benefit of $50,000. There is a $250 deductible, and then 80/20 coverage after the deductible.  This coverage CANNOT be used for Medical Evacuation, which could cost $30,000-$100,000+ to be transported back to the United States for care.  For individuals that would like additional International coverage, here is a link to some reasonable options from GeoBlue (a Blue Cross Blue Shield Company).
3. Long-Term Care Expenses - Medicare Part A will cover Skilled Nursing Care, if you are transferred from the hospital (after a 3-day admitted stay in the hospital) to a Skilled Nursing Facility.  This is NOT long-term care (or custodial care).  This is basically like rehab (e.g. after a knee replacement).  Long-Term care is NOT covered by Medicare, and about 75% of people will need some form of Long-Term (or Custodial Care) as they get older.  Traditional Long-Term Care Plans have gotten very expensive and they are generally "Use It or Lose It" benefits.  There are some hybrid options that are now available which blend LTC benefits with Return of Premium and/or Life Insurance benefits so the premiums are not "lost" if you don't use the LTC benefit.  You can find more info and request a quote here for LTC benefits.

This is not a comprehensive list of everything that is not covered by Medicare.  Rather these are just some of the key areas we get questions about.


A few months ago, Medicare released a new FREE app called "What's Covered" which is a great tool to see what is and what is not covered by Medicare.