What is the Part A deductible?
The short answer
The Medicare Part A deductible applies each time you are admitted to the hospital for a new benefit period. It is not an annual deductible. The amount changes each year, so check the current figure at Medicare.gov or with a licensed agent.
The full explanation
Part A is the portion of Medicare that covers inpatient hospital stays, skilled nursing facility care, hospice, and some home health services. Before Medicare pays its share for a hospital stay, you pay the Part A deductible. The amount changes annually, so it is important to verify the current figure rather than relying on a number you heard a year or two ago. What makes this deductible different from most insurance is how it resets. It is not an annual deductible that you pay once per calendar year. Instead, it applies per benefit period. A benefit period begins the day you are admitted to the hospital and ends after you have been out of the hospital or skilled nursing facility for 60 consecutive days. If you are readmitted after that 60-day gap, a new benefit period begins and the deductible applies again. This means someone with multiple hospitalizations in a year could owe the deductible more than once. Many people use a Medicare Supplement plan, sometimes called Medigap, to help cover this cost. Plan details and availability vary, so it helps to compare options with a licensed agent.
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