Medicare Parts A and B only cover medically-necessary healthcare services.
Part A (Hospital)
- So, for example, Medicare Part A hospital coverage will cover inpatient hospital stays, as well as short-term medically-necessary care at nursing facilities following a ‘qualifying hospital stay’ of 3 days or more.
- Long-term care at nursing facilities and homes is not covered by Part A. This includes custodial care like support with eating, getting dressed, and bathing.
Part B (Medical)
- Similarly for Medicare Part B, Medicare only covers medically necessary outpatient services, such as doctor visits and ambulance trips, but does not cover routine services for vision, hearing or dental, elective cosmetic procedures or fitness programs.
Importantly, Medicare Parts A and B do not provide any coverage for prescription drugs (also known as Part D coverage).
