Medicare Part A

Coverage for hospital inpatient care

Medicare Part A is hospital insurance that pays for inpatient hospital stays, care in a skilled nursing facility, hospice care, and some home health care. How much does Medicare Part A cost? What services does Medicare Part A cover?

How much does Medicare Part A cost?

Most people don’t have to pay a monthly premium for Part A because they or a spouse paid Medicare taxes while working. If you don’t get premium-free Part A, you may be able to buy it if:

• You or your spouse aren’t entitled to Social Security, because you didn’t work or didn’t pay enough Medicare taxes while you worked and are age 65 or older
• You are disabled but no longer get free Part A because you returned to work

If you have limited income and resources, your state may help you pay for Part A coverage.

For more information, call the Social Security Administration at 1-800-772-1213. If you have a speech or hearing impairment and use TTY, call 1-800-325-0778, 24 hours a day, 7 days a week.

What services does Medicare Part A cover?

Inpatient care in hospitals, including critical access hospitals and mental health centers

• Semiprivate room and meals
• General nursing
• Other hospital services and supplies

• Private duty nursing
• In-room televisions or telephones
• Private rooms, unless medically necessary

Skilled nursing facility care, following a related three-day inpatient hospital stay

• Semiprivate room and meals
• Skilled nursing and rehabilitative services
• Other services and supplies

Home healthcare
Limited to reasonable and necessary part-time or intermittent skilled nursing care and home health aide services as well as physical therapy, occupational therapy, and speech-language pathology that are ordered by your doctor and provided by a Medicare-certified home health agency

Also covers:

• Medical social services
• Durable medical equipment, including wheelchairs, hospital beds, oxygen, and walkers
• Medical supplies and other services

Hospice care for people with a terminal illness

• Drugs and other treatments to relieve pain or other symptoms such as difficulty breathing
• Medical, nursing and social support services from a Medicare-approved hospice
• Other services not otherwise covered by Medicare, including grief counseling and pastoral care

Hospice care is usually given at home, which may include a nursing facility if this is your home. However, Medicare covers some short-term hospital and inpatient care given to a hospice patient so that the usual caregiver can rest, known as respite care.

Blood – Pints of blood received at a hospital or skilled nursing facility during a covered stay

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