subject: Will Your Medical Services Be Covered By Your Medicare Benefits? [print this page] Medicare is a large health insurance programMedicare is a large health insurance program. It provides basic coverage for many millions of people in the US. While the basic benefits cover many different health services, they do not cover some common things. If you plan to use your Medicare benefits to cover health services, you should understand what it covers. You should also understand what it does not cover!
Long term and regular nursing care costs are not covered by the basic plan. If you want to plan for nursing care costs, you need to find an alternative solution. You may choose to purchase long term care insurance. There are quite a few state and federal incentives for purchasing this coverage right now. You may need to think about other ways to plan for this potential expense. Mainly, you should just recognize that regular, long term nursing care is expensive, and that it will not be covered by your basic Medicare benefits!
Most common dental and vision services are not covered by the basic plan. If you are concerned about the cost of dental or vision care, you might consider purchasing a stand-alone policy. If you cannot afford to pay for additional coverage, there are some private and public services that provide assistance for low income residents. There are some additional federal, state, and county programs that may provide assistance to qualified residents. Some local foundations and dental colleges may provide additional services for low income seniors.
International travel is rarely covered by the basic plan. With some senior health plans, care for domestic travel may even be limited. Do you want to travel during your retirement years? If you plan to travel across the border, you may want to select a supplement that can provide travel health insurance. You can also purchase stand-alone coverage for your trips. Be sure that you really understand your own Medicare travel health insurance coverage. The basic plan does not cover international travel except in very specific instances. If you leave the US, you should not count on health coverage. In fact, some Medicare health plans, like MA HMO plans, may only provide in-network coverage in your local area. Many of these will cover emergencies, but only in the USA.
Again, this list is not intended to cover everything. These are some common medical services that many people assume they have coverage for when they do not. Before you rely upon your own Medicare benefits during retirement, it is a good idea to understand what is covered, and what is not covered!
