Medicare Part A: Coverage, cost, and more
Medicare Part A is one part of Original Medicare. It typically covers inpatient treatment and services in a hospital or skilled nursing facility. Many people receive Part A with no monthly premium.
Original Medicare consists of Part A and Part B. Part A is also known as hospital insurance, as it covers inpatient care and services. Part B is also known as medical insurance. It covers outpatient and preventive services and treatments.
It also helps pay for hospice care and some home healthcare.
Part A covers up to 90 days in a hospital and up to 100 days in a skilled nursing facility.
Most people pay $0 for a monthly premium with Part A. This is known as premium-free Part A.
To qualify for premium-free Part A, a person or their spouse must have worked and paid Medicare taxes for at least 10 years (40 quarters).
If a person does not qualify for premium-free, they will either pay $285 or $518 per month, depending on how long they or their spouse has worked.
Each person with Part A must pay a deductible of $1,676 for each inpatient benefit period before Medicare begins paying.
A person must also either be a U.S. citizen or a legal resident living in the United States for at least 5 years.
Medicare Part B is the other part of Original Medicare. While Part A covers inpatient care and services, Part B covers outpatient care.
Medicare Part C is often referred to as Medicare Advantage. Medicare Advantage plans are an alternative to Original Medicare (parts A and B).
These plans are provided by Medicare-approved private insurance companies. They offer the same coverage as Original Medicare. However, most Medicare Advantage plans also offer additional services not covered by Original Medicare, such as:
Medicare Supplement Insurance (Medigap) is additional insurance you can purchase from Medicare-approved private insurance companies. It helps cover some of the costs associated with Original Medicare, including:
Medigap policies may also help cover certain services that Original Medicare does not cover, such as emergency care when traveling outside the United States.
Only people with Original Medicare can have Medigap plans. They are not compatible with Medicare Advantage plans.
Medicare Part A is one part of Original Medicare. It covers services and care that a person receives when they are in the hospital or a skilled nursing facility.
Part A typically covers the majority of services an individual receives as an inpatient. However, out-of-pocket costs apply, such as a deductible and daily copayment amounts, depending on the length of the stay.