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What Medicare Doesn’t Cover

Medicare
January 09, 2026•1 min read

What Medicare Doesn’t Cover—and How to Plan Ahead

Many people are surprised to learn that Medicare doesn’t cover everything. While Medicare provides excellent medical coverage, there are important gaps that can impact your retirement if you don’t plan ahead.

Let’s talk about what Medicare leaves out—and what you can do about it.

Dentist office

Dental, Vision, and Hearing Coverage

Original Medicare generally does not cover:

  • Routine dental care

  • Vision exams or glasses

  • Hearing aids

Medicare Advantage plans may include these benefits, or you can add standalone dental and vision coverage to fill the gap.

Long-Term Care and Medicare

One of the biggest misconceptions is thatMedicare covers long-term care. It doesn’t. Medicare only covers short-term skilled care after a hospital stay—not ongoing custodial care.

Without planning, long-term care expenses can quickly drain retirement savings.

Out-of-Pocket Costs Add Up

Even with Medicare, retirees face:

  • Deductibles

  • Coinsurance

  • Prescription drug costs

This is why many retirees pair Medicare with supplemental insurance and long-term care planning as part of a comprehensive retirement strategy.

Dental Chart

Planning Beyond Medicare

Medicare works best when it’s part of a bigger plan. Coordinating healthcare, insurance, and retirement income helps protect both your health and your savings.

📞Contact us at 984-229-9996
🌐Visithttps://www.safeharborip.com
📧[email protected]

We help pre-retirees build Medicare and insurance strategies that support long-term peace of mind.

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With a lifelong background in service—from flying helicopters in the U.S. Army to a 25-year career as a commercial airline pilot—I’ve always believed in doing what’s right and helping others. After retiring from aviation, I returned to the insurance world to focus on retirement income, where I guide clients with honesty, clarity, and a no-pressure approach. Our mission is simple: put clients first and always do what’s best for them. He reside with his wife in Cary NC.

John Anderson

With a lifelong background in service—from flying helicopters in the U.S. Army to a 25-year career as a commercial airline pilot—I’ve always believed in doing what’s right and helping others. After retiring from aviation, I returned to the insurance world to focus on retirement income, where I guide clients with honesty, clarity, and a no-pressure approach. Our mission is simple: put clients first and always do what’s best for them. He reside with his wife in Cary NC.

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