What does Medicare Part A cover?
The short answer
Medicare Part A covers inpatient hospital stays, skilled nursing facility care after a qualifying hospital stay, some home health services, and hospice care. It generally does not cover doctor visits, outpatient care, or prescription drugs.
The full explanation
Part A is often called hospital insurance, and that's a fair description. It covers the cost of being admitted to a hospital as an inpatient, meaning you've been formally admitted by a doctor, not just kept for observation. This distinction matters because observation stays are billed differently and may not trigger Part A coverage. Part A also covers short-term care in a skilled nursing facility, but only after a qualifying hospital stay of at least three days, and only for skilled services like physical therapy or wound care, not just help with daily activities. Home health care is covered in limited circumstances, mainly when you're homebound and need skilled nursing or therapy. Hospice care for people with a terminal illness is also covered under Part A. Most people don't pay a premium for Part A if they or their spouse worked and paid Medicare taxes for at least 10 years. However, there are still cost-sharing expenses, including a deductible for each benefit period and daily coinsurance for longer hospital stays. These amounts change each year, so it's worth checking current figures at medicare.gov or with a licensed agent.
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