Medicare Part A

Medicare Part A (Hospital Insurance)

• Part A covers inpatient hospital stays, care in a skilled nursing facility, hospice care, and some home health care.

• Medicare Part A is hospital insurance. Part A covers inpatient hospital care, limited time in a skilled nursing care facility, limited home health care services, and hospice care.

• Most Medicare Part A beneficiaries don’t have to pay a monthly premium to receive coverage under this part of Original Medicare; this is called “premium-free Part A.” Generally, if you’ve worked at least 10 years (40 quarters) and paid Medicare taxes while you worked, you’re eligible for premium-free Part A. Otherwise, you pay a monthly premium.

• Medicare Part A typically doesn’t cover the full amount of your hospital bill, so you will probably be responsible for a share in the cost. You will also have to pay a deductible before Medicare benefits begin. Medicare will then pay 100% of your costs for up to 60 days in a hospital or up to 20 days in a skilled nursing facility. After that, you pay a flat amount up to the maximum number of covered days. Your Medicare Part A benefits cover some of the costs for a total of 90 days in a hospital and 100 days.