54 answers · verified 2026

What does medicare cover?

What Original Medicare and Medicare Advantage actually pay for.

Coverage guides

What does Medicare Part A cover?What does Medicare Part B cover?

Plan comparisons

Medicare Advantage (Part C) vs. Medigap (Medicare Supplement Insurance)

Medicare Advantage replaces how your Medicare benefits are delivered; Medigap supplements Original Medicare's cost-sharing. The structural trade is network rules plus a spending cap versus any-Medicare-provider access plus a predictable premium — and the decision is much easier to reverse in one direction than the other, because switching to Medigap later can mean medical underwriting.

Medicare Advantage (Part C) vs. Original Medicare (Parts A & B)

Both cover the same floor of medically necessary services. Original Medicare trades broad any-provider access and minimal gatekeeping for uncapped 20% coinsurance unless you add supplemental coverage; Medicare Advantage trades network rules, referrals, and prior authorization for lower premiums, a built-in annual spending cap, and bundled extras.

Medigap Plan G vs. Medigap Plan N

Because Medigap letters are federally standardized, G and N differ in exactly three ways: Plan N doesn't cover Part B excess charges, Plan N has copays of up to $20 for some office visits and up to $50 for ER visits that don't end in admission, and the premium spread between them is the price of those two exposures. Everything else is identical.

Data

What adult Medicaid covers, state by state

Dental, dentures, vision, and hearing aids across all 50 states and DC — each cell cited to the state's own Medicaid documents. If you have both Medicare and Medicaid, this is where the dental, vision, and hearing gaps in Original Medicare often get filled.

Every question, answered

Does Medicare cover dental?USUALLY NO Does Medicare cover hearing aids?USUALLY NO Does Medicare cover eye exams and glasses?USUALLY NO Does Medicare cover Zepbound?IT DEPENDS Does Medicare Part A cover hospice?USUALLY YES Does Medicare cover acupuncture?IT DEPENDS Does Medicare cover weight loss medications?IT DEPENDS Does Medicare cover a colonoscopy?USUALLY YES Does Medicare cover physical therapy?USUALLY YES Does Medicare cover dentures?USUALLY NO Does Medicare cover lift chairs?IT DEPENDS Does Medicare cover the zoster (shingles) vaccine?USUALLY YES Does Medicare cover assisted living?USUALLY NO Does Medicare cover emergency room visits?USUALLY YES Does Medicare cover dental implants?USUALLY NO Does Medicare cover ambulance?IT DEPENDS Does Medicare cover Mounjaro?IT DEPENDS Does Medicare cover hospital beds?USUALLY YES Does Medicare cover prescriptions?IT DEPENDS Does Medicare cover hearing tests?IT DEPENDS Does Medicare cover incontinence supplies?USUALLY NO Does Medicare cover mammograms?USUALLY YES Does Medicare cover stair lifts?USUALLY NO Does Medicare cover podiatry?IT DEPENDS Does Medicare cover a bone density scan?USUALLY YES Does Medicare cover a dermatologist?IT DEPENDS Does Medicare cover chemotherapy drugs?USUALLY YES Does Medicare cover massage therapy?USUALLY NO Does Medicare cover medical alert systems like Life Alert?USUALLY NO Does Medicare cover glasses after cataract surgery?USUALLY YES Does Medicare cover urgent care?USUALLY YES Does Medicare cover mobility scooters?IT DEPENDS Does Medicare cover shower chairs?USUALLY NO Does Medicare cover nebulizers?USUALLY YES Does Medicare cover compression stockings?IT DEPENDS Does Medicare cover oxygen equipment?USUALLY YES Does Medicare cover grab bars?USUALLY NO Does Medicare cover travel insurance?USUALLY NO Does Medicare cover cataract surgery?USUALLY YES Does Medicare cover wheelchairs and walkers?USUALLY YES Does Medicare cover home health care?IT DEPENDS Does Medicare cover nursing home care?USUALLY NO Does Medicare cover Ozempic and Wegovy?IT DEPENDS Does Medicare cover chiropractic care?IT DEPENDS Does Medicare cover CPAP machines?USUALLY YES Does Medicare cover diabetic supplies?USUALLY YES Does Medicare cover commode chairs?USUALLY YES Does Medicare cover knee braces?USUALLY YES Does Medicare cover blood pressure monitors?USUALLY NO