What Doesn’t Medicare Cover?
If you’ve read our article about what Medicare Parts A and B cover, you may naturally be wondering, “Well what doesn’t Medicare cover?”
A lot, it turns out.
Here’s what Medicare doesn’t cover:
- Long-term care (also called custodial care )
- Most dental care
- Eye exams related to prescribing glasses
- Dentures
- Cosmetic surgery
- Acupuncture
- Hearing aids and exams for fitting them
- Routine foot care
Once you understand that, it makes sense why there are separate plans for things like
- Vision, dental and hearing
- Long term care
- Cancer expenses (many of which are non-medical)
Not to mention, to get prescription drug coverage, you either need a standalone Part D, or Medicare Advantage with drug coverage, which is called an MAPD.
It can be a bit overwhelming when you consider that to be “fully covered” you might need:
- Medicare
- Drug Coverage
- Long Term Care
- Cancer Insurance
- Life Insurance
- Hospital Indemnity
- Final Expense (Burial Insurance)
In fact, there are many horror stories of what has happened to real people and their families who didn’t have any of the above types of insurance.
Most of us have or have had home or auto insurance. You cover your vehicle to make sure it’s protected no matter what. But when you consider that your body is your mortal vehicle and your home on this Earth, it seems strange not to make sure that’s protected too!
Still, there is a trade-off between the cost of insurance and the risks you expose yourself (and your family) to when you’re not covered. That’s why you need to consult with an expert broker who can understand your specific needs and resources and give you options and solutions that make sense.