Medicare non covered services

What is not covered by Medicare?

Medicare does not cover all health care services. Health care services not covered by Medicare include, but are not limited to:

• alternative medicine, including experimental procedures and treatments, acupuncture, and chiropractic services (except when manipulation of the spine is medically necessary to fix a subluxation of the spine. A subluxation is when one or more of the bones of the spine move out of position);
• most care received outside of the United States;
• cosmetic surgery (unless it is needed to improve the function of a malformed part of the body);
• most dental care;
• hearing aids or the examinations for prescribing or fitting hearing aids (except for implants to treat severe hearing loss in some cases);
• personal care or custodial care, such as help with bathing, toileting and dressing (unless homebound and receiving skilled care) and nursing home care (except in a skilled nursing facility if eligible);
• housekeeping services to help you stay in your home, such as shopping, meal preparation, and cleaning (unless you are receiving hospice care)
• non-medical services, including hospital television and telephone, a private hospital room, canceled or missed appointments, and copies of x-rays;
• most non-emergency transportation, including ambulette services;
  
  
• some preventive care, including most routine physical examinations and tests, immunizations, and routine foot care and eye care;
  
  
• transportation, except for medically necessary ambulance services; and
• most vision (eye) care, including eyeglasses (except when following cataract surgery) and examinations for prescribing or fitting eyeglasses.

Keep in mind that even for Medicare-covered services, Medicare does not pay 100 percent of the cost. Unless you have supplemental insurance, you will have to pay premiums, deductibles and coinsurance.