What Does Medicare Cover? Parts A and B, Dental and the Gaps to Plan For

Short answer: What does Medicare cover? Original Medicare includes Part A and Part B. Part A covers inpatient hospital care, skilled nursing facility stays, hospice and home health care. Part B covers doctors' services, outpatient care, medical equipment and many preventive services. Medicare doesn't cover most dental care, hearing aids, eye exams for glasses or non-medical long-term care, so those costs belong in your retirement budget.

Knowing what Medicare leaves out matters as much as knowing what it pays for, because anything it doesn't cover comes out of your own pocket in retirement. This guide walks through each part of Medicare, the 2026 costs, and the services you'll likely pay for yourself.

FinancialAdviser.com is not connected with or endorsed by the U.S. government or the federal Medicare program, and we don't sell Medicare plans. This guide is general education, not advice about your coverage.

What Does Medicare Part A Cover?

Part A is hospital insurance. According to Medicare.gov, it covers:

• Inpatient hospital care
• Skilled nursing facility stays
• Hospice care
• Home health care

Most people don't pay a monthly premium for Part A. CMS's 2026 fact sheet says about 99% of Medicare beneficiaries don't have a Part A premium. You do pay a deductible and, for longer stays, daily coinsurance. Here is what CMS lists for 2026:

Part A cost (2026)	Amount
Inpatient hospital deductible, per benefit period	$1,736
Hospital coinsurance, days 61–90	$434 per day
Lifetime reserve days	$868 per day
Skilled nursing facility coinsurance, days 21–100	$217 per day
Part A premium with 30 or more (but fewer than 40) quarters of coverage	$311 per month
Part A premium with fewer than 30 quarters	$565 per month

Medicare.gov's 2026 cost information adds that after day 150 of a hospital stay, you pay all costs.

What Does Medicare Part B Cover?

Part B is medical insurance. Medicare.gov says it covers:

• Services from doctors and other health care providers
• Outpatient care
• Home health care
• Durable medical equipment, such as wheelchairs and walkers
• Many preventive services, including screenings, vaccines and yearly wellness visits

Part B has a monthly premium. In 2026, the standard Part B premium is $202.90 a month and the annual Part B deductible is $283, according to CMS. After the deductible, Medicare.gov's 2026 cost information says you pay 20% of the Medicare-approved amount for covered dental services under Part B, and you may also owe a facility copayment if you get care in a hospital outpatient setting or other facility.

If you're still deciding when to enroll, our guide to who qualifies for Medicare and when to sign up covers the enrollment windows and late penalties.

Does Medicare Cover Dental?

In most cases, no. Medicare.gov says Medicare doesn't cover routine cleanings, fillings, tooth extractions, or items like dentures and implants. You pay all costs for non-covered services, including most dental services.

There are narrow exceptions. Medicare may cover:

1. Some dental services during a hospital stay. This applies when you're admitted as a hospital inpatient for a dental procedure because of your medical condition or how serious the procedure is.
2. Dental care linked to certain covered medical treatment. Examples Medicare.gov lists include oral exams and treatment before a heart valve replacement or an organ, kidney or bone marrow transplant; removing a mouth infection, such as through an extraction, before chemotherapy; treating complications during head and neck cancer treatment; and dental exams and treatment of oral infections before and during Medicare-covered dialysis for end-stage renal disease.

Outside those situations, expect to pay for checkups, cleanings, fillings and dentures yourself unless you have other coverage.

What Doesn't Original Medicare Cover?

Medicare.gov is direct about it: Original Medicare doesn't cover everything. Its list of services that aren't covered includes:

Not covered by Original Medicare	What it means for your budget
Most dental care	Cleanings, fillings, extractions and dentures are out of pocket
Hearing aids and exams to fit them	You pay the full cost of hearing aids
Eye exams for prescription eyeglasses	Routine vision exams for glasses are out of pocket
Non-medical long-term care	Paid by you unless you have other coverage
Routine physical exams	Paid by you, though Part B covers yearly wellness visits
Cosmetic surgery, massage therapy and concierge care	Paid by you

Medicare.gov also notes that services from providers who have opted out of Medicare generally aren't covered, except in emergencies or urgent situations.

Can Other Medicare Options Fill the Gaps?

Some of these gaps can be covered in other ways, and each option works differently. Here's what Medicare.gov says:

• Medicare Advantage (Part C) is a private plan approved by Medicare that bundles Part A and Part B and usually Part D. Most plans add extra benefits Original Medicare doesn't cover, such as vision, hearing and dental. Plans often require in-network doctors and prior authorization for some services, and they have a yearly out-of-pocket limit.
• Medicare Supplement Insurance (Medigap) helps pay your share of costs under Original Medicare, such as copayments, coinsurance and deductibles. Medigap plans generally don't cover long-term care, vision or dental care, hearing aids, glasses or private-duty nursing.
• Part D covers prescription drugs. You can add a stand-alone drug plan to Original Medicare or get drug coverage through a Medicare Advantage plan that includes it.

Each option has trade-offs in cost, choice of doctors and what's covered. Medicare.gov explains them in more detail.

How Should You Plan for Costs Medicare Doesn't Pay?

Because dental work, hearing aids and non-medical long-term care can fall outside Medicare, it helps to plan for them before you retire:

1. List the services you use now. Note your usual dental visits, glasses or contacts and any hearing needs, and estimate what you'd pay without coverage.
2. Add Medicare's own costs. Include the Part B premium, deductibles and coinsurance, plus any Part D or supplemental premiums.
3. Set aside a health care line in your budget. Treat uncovered costs as a regular retirement expense rather than a surprise.
4. Think about long-term care separately. Original Medicare doesn't cover non-medical long-term care, and Medigap generally doesn't cover long-term care, so decide early how you would pay for it.

Our retirement savings calculator can help you test whether your savings plan leaves room for health costs. If you're saving in a health savings account before Medicare, our guide to HSA vs. FSA explains how those accounts work. Our guide to when to claim Social Security covers another decision you'll make around the same stage of retirement planning.

The Bottom Line

Medicare covers hospital stays, doctor visits, outpatient care, medical equipment and many preventive services, but it isn't complete coverage. Most dental care, hearing aids, eye exams for glasses and non-medical long-term care are left to you. Knowing those gaps before 65 lets you build them into your retirement budget instead of paying for them from savings you meant for something else. For questions about your own coverage, Medicare.gov is the official place to start.

Frequently asked questions

Does Medicare cover dental?

In most cases, no. Original Medicare doesn't cover routine cleanings, fillings, tooth extractions, dentures or implants. It may cover some dental services when you must be admitted to the hospital for a dental procedure because of your medical condition or how serious the procedure is, and specific dental services directly related to certain covered treatments, such as an exam before a heart valve replacement or organ transplant.

What does Medicare Part A cover?

Part A is hospital insurance. It covers inpatient hospital care, skilled nursing facility stays, hospice care and home health care. Most people don't pay a Part A premium; CMS's 2026 fact sheet says about 99% of beneficiaries have no Part A premium.

What does Medicare Part B cover?

Part B is medical insurance. It covers doctors' and other providers' services, outpatient care, home health care, durable medical equipment such as wheelchairs and walkers, and many preventive services, including screenings, vaccines and yearly wellness visits.

Does Medicare cover hearing aids or eye exams for glasses?

Original Medicare doesn't cover hearing aids or exams to fit them, and it doesn't cover eye exams for prescription eyeglasses. Medicare.gov says Medicare Advantage plans may cover some vision, hearing and dental care.

Does Medicare pay for long-term care in a nursing home?

Original Medicare doesn't cover non-medical long-term care. Medicare Supplement Insurance (Medigap) policies also generally don't cover long-term care, such as care in a nursing home.

Sources

1. Medicare.gov: Dental Services Coverage
2. Medicare.gov: What's Not Covered by Original Medicare?
3. Medicare.gov: Parts of Medicare
4. Medicare.gov: What Medigap Covers
5. CMS: 2026 Medicare Parts A & B Premiums and Deductibles

This guide is general information, not personal advice. Your situation may differ, so consider talking with a qualified professional, such as a fiduciary financial adviser, CPA or licensed agent, before making a decision.