Types of Care NOT Covered by Medicare


 

Medicare, like most insurance companies, doesn’t cover all procedures that are related to your body as some are not deemed to be medically necessary.  Two of these types of procedures are cosmetic surgery procedures and custodial care as they are not believed to be a necessity.  The reasons that Medicare perceives these procedures this way are listed below.

Cosmetic Surgery

Medicare generally doesn’t cover cosmetic surgery unless it’s needed because of accidental injury or to improve the function of a malformed body part. Medicare covers breast reconstruction if you had a mastectomy because of breast cancer, this is a different approach as this was due to a covered condition instead of just cosmetic.

Custodial Care (help with activities of daily living, like bathing, dressing, using the bathroom, and eating)

Medicare doesn’t cover custodial care when it’s the only kind of care you need. In other words, if you need care in relation to a covered condition it could be covered.  Care is considered custodial when it helps you with activities of daily living or personal needs and could be done safely and reasonably by people without professional skills or training.


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