Which service is generally NOT covered by Original Medicare?
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Answer & full 3-part explanation (select an option above, or peek)
Why A is correct
Original Medicare excludes a set of common services, including routine dental care (cleanings, fillings, extractions), routine eye exams and eyeglasses, hearing aids, and most long-term custodial care. These gaps are why beneficiaries often buy supplemental coverage. Inpatient hospital care is the core Part A benefit, physician services for covered illness are the core Part B benefit, and physician-ordered outpatient diagnostic tests are covered under Part B — all three are standard covered services. Some limited exceptions exist, such as dental services that are integral to a covered procedure like jaw surgery, but routine preventive and restorative dentistry is simply not a Medicare benefit.
Why the other options are wrong
- B) Inpatient hospital care is the central benefit of Medicare Part A and is covered.
- C) Physician services for the diagnosis and treatment of an illness are covered under Medicare Part B.
- D) Outpatient diagnostic tests ordered by a physician are covered Part B services.
Memory hook
Medicare fixes hearts, not teeth or hearing. Routine dental and custodial care stay outside the tent.