What Medicare does not cover
Original Medicare pays nothing toward routine dental care, eye exams, glasses, dentures or hearing aids. Those bills can come as a surprise.
Medicare Parts A and B cover hospital and medical care, but several common expenses fall outside that coverage. Here is what those gaps may cost.
Dental
Routine exams, cleanings, fillings and dentures are not covered. A traditional full denture runs roughly $1,000 to $3,000 per arch. A full set has two arches and can cost twice that amount.
Pricing varies widely by region and material, which is why we give a range rather than a single figure.
Vision
Routine eye exams, glasses and contact lenses are not covered. Medicare does cover some medical eye care, such as treatment for cataracts or glaucoma, because those are medical conditions rather than routine vision correction.
Hearing
Hearing aids are not covered. People pay an average of $2,694 a pair. Prescription models fitted by a clinician average $3,432, while over-the-counter models average $502.
Long-term care
Medicare covers up to 100 days in a skilled nursing facility, and only after a qualifying three-day hospital stay. After day 100, Medicare stops paying.
Custodial care is not covered. This means help with daily activities such as bathing, dressing, eating and moving around. Medicare does not pay for this type of care.
| Care type | 2026 median cost |
|---|---|
| Private nursing home room$376 a day | $135,528 / yr |
| Semi-private nursing home room$328 a day | $118,104 / yr |
| Assisted living | $5,511 / mo |
| In-home caregiver$35 an hour, about $80,080 a year at 44 hours a week | $35 / hr |
Home care is not always cheaper than care in a facility.
What does cover some of this
Medicare Advantage plans, which are the private alternative to Original Medicare, frequently include some dental, vision and hearing benefit. In 2026, 98 percent of plans offer some dental benefit, more than 99 percent some vision, and 95 percent some hearing coverage.
These benefits usually have an annual dollar cap, so they may cover only part of the bill. Fewer than 10 percent of plans offer in-home care or caregiver support, leaving most long-term care costs outside the plan.
Choosing between Original Medicare and Medicare Advantage depends on your health, doctors, finances, and preferences around networks, referrals, prior authorization and cost. We are not licensed to recommend a plan.
Compare plans in your area with the official Medicare Plan Finder at medicare.gov, or call 1-800-MEDICARE. Open Enrollment runs from October 15 through December 7.
See what Medicare may cost you in 2026
Sources
- CMS fact sheet, 2026 Medicare Parts A and B Premiums and Deductibles. November 14, 2025. What Parts A and B cover and the 2026 cost sharing.
- CareScout (a Genworth company), Cost of Care Survey. National medians for nursing home rooms, assisted living and in-home care. Survey of about 16,000 providers, July through November 2025.
- Genworth, Cost of Care Report. Long-term care cost trends and state tables.
- HearingTracker, How much do hearing aids cost in 2026? Survey of more than 1,100 purchasers.
- KFF, Medicare Advantage 2026 Spotlight: A First Look at Plan Premiums and Benefits. Extra benefit availability in individual plans.
Figures apply to 2026 and change annually. Spot a problem? See our corrections page.