7 Things Medicare Doesn’t Cover

Medicare Part A and Part B leave some pretty significant gaps in your health-care coverage. But Medicare Advantage has problems, too.

Doctor in scrubs in hospital refusing to treat a patient with a Medicare card.
(Image credit: Getty Images)

Medicare Part A and Part B, also known as Original Medicare or Traditional Medicare, cover a large portion of your medical expenses after you turn age 65. Part A (hospital insurance) helps pay for inpatient hospital stays, stays in skilled nursing facilities, surgery, hospice care and even some home health care. Part B (medical insurance) helps pay for doctors' visits, outpatient care, some preventive services, and some medical equipment and supplies. Most folks can start signing up for Medicare three months before the month they turn 65.

It's important to understand that Medicare Part A and Part B leave some pretty significant gaps in your health-care coverage. This is why increasing numbers of Medicare beneficiaries choose to go with Medicare Advantage, which purports to fill some of those gaps.

A private plan through Medicare Advantage can offer more benefits and lower premiums. But a recent report from the Office of Inspector General found that some beneficiaries of Medicare Advantage are denied necessary care.

Here's a closer look at what isn't covered by traditional Medicare, plus information about supplemental insurance policies, Medicare Advantage and strategies that can help cover the additional costs, so you don't end up with unexpected medical bills in retirement.

Donna LeValley
Personal Finance Writer

Donna joined Kiplinger as a personal finance writer in 2023. She spent more than a decade as the contributing editor of J.K.Lasser's Your Income Tax Guide and edited state specific legal treatises at ALM Media. She has shared her expertise as a guest on Bloomberg, CNN, Fox, NPR, CNBC and many other media outlets around the nation.