Updated July 2026 · Reviewed by the CoverageCo team
Original Medicare generally doesn't cover routine dental, routine vision or eyeglasses, hearing aids, long-term custodial care, or most care outside the United States. Some Medicare Advantage plans include limited dental, vision, and hearing benefits. Long-term custodial care isn't covered by Medicare at all, in any form.
Key takeaways
- Routine dental, vision, and hearing are the three gaps people hit first.
- Long-term custodial care — help with bathing, dressing, eating — is not a Medicare benefit.
- Medicare may cover short-term skilled nursing after a qualifying hospital stay, which is a different thing entirely.
- Coverage abroad is very limited, which matters if you travel.
The gaps, and what fills them
These are the five that catch people out, and each has a different answer:
| Not covered | What can help |
|---|---|
| Routine dental (cleanings, fillings, crowns) | Some Advantage plans, or a standalone dental plan |
| Routine vision and eyeglasses | Some Advantage plans, or a standalone vision plan |
| Hearing exams and hearing aids | Some Advantage plans, or paying out of pocket |
| Long-term custodial care | Long-term care insurance, personal savings, or Medicaid if eligible |
| Most care outside the U.S. | Certain Medigap plans include limited foreign travel emergency benefits |
The long-term care gap is the expensive one
This is the misunderstanding with the largest financial consequences, and families usually discover it at the worst possible moment.
Medicare does not pay for custodial long-term care — ongoing help with daily activities like bathing, dressing, eating, or supervision. Not in a nursing home, not in assisted living, not at home.
What Medicare may cover is short-term skilled nursing care following a qualifying hospital stay, where the point is recovery and skilled medical treatment. That's a fundamentally different benefit, limited in duration, and it isn't a solution for ongoing care needs.
Long-term care is generally paid for through personal savings, a long-term care insurance policy, or Medicaid for those who meet its income and asset requirements.
Dental is the gap people feel most often
Routine dental care is not part of Original Medicare. Medicare may cover dental work that's an integral part of a covered medical procedure, but not cleanings, fillings, dentures, or implants.
Many Medicare Advantage plans include a dental benefit, and for some people it's a genuine reason to choose one. Read the annual limit rather than the headline — a benefit that comfortably covers cleanings may cover only a fraction of a crown or a denture.
Standalone dental plans are the other route, and they work alongside either Original Medicare or an Advantage plan.
Travel coverage is thinner than people assume
Original Medicare generally doesn't cover care received outside the United States, with narrow exceptions.
Certain Medigap plan letters include a limited foreign travel emergency benefit, typically subject to a deductible, a percentage share, and a lifetime cap. If you travel internationally with any regularity, that's worth factoring into which plan letter you choose, and it may still be worth carrying separate travel medical insurance.
Common questions
Does Medicare cover dental?
Original Medicare doesn't cover routine dental care such as cleanings, fillings, dentures, or implants. Some Medicare Advantage plans include a dental benefit, usually with an annual cap, and standalone dental plans are also available.
Does Medicare cover long-term care?
No. Medicare doesn't pay for custodial long-term care — ongoing help with daily activities. It may cover short-term skilled nursing care after a qualifying hospital stay, which is a different, time-limited benefit aimed at recovery.
Does Medicare cover hearing aids?
Original Medicare doesn't cover hearing aids or the exams for fitting them. Some Medicare Advantage plans include a hearing benefit, typically with limits.
Does Medicare cover me when I travel abroad?
Generally no, with narrow exceptions. Some Medigap plan letters include a limited foreign travel emergency benefit subject to a deductible, coinsurance, and a lifetime maximum.