Medicare Part B pays for preventive services, outpatient care, some medical equipment, some medical supplies, and visits to the doctor. However, below are some costs that Medicare won’t cover that you will need to find supplemental coverage for.
With Medicare Part A and Part B, you still have to pay for deductibles and copays. With Part B, you have to cover the $233 deductible, plus 20% of the costs for lab tests, x-rays, and doctor services.
Your oral health is an important part of your overall wellness. However, Medicare doesn’t cover dental visits, dentures, fillings, extractions, or cleanings. However, some Medicare Advantage plans, often called Part C plans, may offer additional coverage, including dental care.
While Medicare supplement plans C and F may cover a hearing diagnostic test coinsurance, they likely won’t pay for hearing aids. A Medicare Advantage plan might cover the cost of some hearing aids.
One of the largest expenses after retirement is long-term care costs. Medicare does cover some skilled nursing services, but it does not cover custodial care. For long-term care needs, you may need to turn to a combination of long-term care and life insurance policy.
If you need medical care overseas, Medicare doesn’t usually cover this expense except for limited circumstances. However, up to a certain limit, Medigap plans C, D, F, G, M, and N cover 80% of the costs (up to a certain limit) of emergency care.
While Medicare doesn’t provide coverage for prescription drugs, Medigap Part D, or the Medicare Advantage Plan do.
Medicare doesn’t cover glasses or routine eye exams unless you have diabetes and need an annual eye exam. Some Medicare Advantage plans do provide vision coverage, or you can purchase a supplemental policy for only vision care.
There are many different Medicare supplement plans available. Some of them are through Medicare while others are through third parties, like Silver American. You can shop around to find the right coverage for you.
When planning for retirement, it’s important to stay knowledgeable about changes to Medicare and Medigap plans to avoid surprises. Once you retire, you want the money you saved for retirement to go towards enjoying your life, not towards medical bills that Medicare won’t cover.
Deductibles and Copays
With Medicare Part A and Part B, you still have to pay for deductibles and copays. With Part B, you have to cover the $233 deductible, plus 20% of the costs for lab tests, x-rays, and doctor services.
With Part A, you have a deductible of $1,556 before your coverage kicks in. Medicare supplement plan C is the most comprehensive Medigap policy and covers hospital insurance and costs up to 365 days after you exhaust your original medicare benefits.
Dental Care
Your oral health is an important part of your overall wellness. However, Medicare doesn’t cover dental visits, dentures, fillings, extractions, or cleanings. However, some Medicare Advantage plans, often called Part C plans, may offer additional coverage, including dental care.
Hearing Aids
While Medicare supplement plans C and F may cover a hearing diagnostic test coinsurance, they likely won’t pay for hearing aids. A Medicare Advantage plan might cover the cost of some hearing aids.
Some insurance companies don’t often offer coverage as they don’t consider hearing aids to be essential devices and that hearing aids are elective.
Long-Term Care
One of the largest expenses after retirement is long-term care costs. Medicare does cover some skilled nursing services, but it does not cover custodial care. For long-term care needs, you may need to turn to a combination of long-term care and life insurance policy.
Overseas Medical Care
If you need medical care overseas, Medicare doesn’t usually cover this expense except for limited circumstances. However, up to a certain limit, Medigap plans C, D, F, G, M, and N cover 80% of the costs (up to a certain limit) of emergency care.
Travelers’ insurance covers some medical expenses overseas. Even if the country in question has universal healthcare or even free healthcare, visitors typically must pay for care, even if it is cheaper than in the US.
Prescription Drugs
While Medicare doesn’t provide coverage for prescription drugs, Medigap Part D, or the Medicare Advantage Plan do.
Vision Care
Medicare doesn’t cover glasses or routine eye exams unless you have diabetes and need an annual eye exam. Some Medicare Advantage plans do provide vision coverage, or you can purchase a supplemental policy for only vision care.
There are many different Medicare supplement plans available. Some of them are through Medicare while others are through third parties, like Silver American. You can shop around to find the right coverage for you.
When planning for retirement, it’s important to stay knowledgeable about changes to Medicare and Medigap plans to avoid surprises. Once you retire, you want the money you saved for retirement to go towards enjoying your life, not towards medical bills that Medicare won’t cover.
