Medicare Part A, often called hospital insurance, is one of the foundational pieces of your Medicare coverage. Understanding how Part A works can really ease your mind, especially when healthcare becomes a priority.
Medicare Part A covers your costs when you’re admitted to the hospital or need rehab care in a skilled nursing facility after a hospital stay. It’s designed to relieve some of the financial stress during those critical times when your health comes first.
Here’s a breakdown of what Medicare Part A includes:
Inpatient hospital stays
Skilled nursing facility care after hospitalization
Hospice care for comfort-focused treatment
Limited home healthcare services following hospital stays
Most people qualify for Part A without paying a monthly premium if they or their spouse worked and paid Medicare taxes for at least 10 years (40 quarters).
Enrollment typically happens automatically around your 65th birthday if you’re already receiving Social Security benefits. If not, you’ll need to enroll yourself during your Initial Enrollment Period.
Medicare Part A typically doesn’t come with a monthly premium if you or your spouse worked and paid Medicare taxes for at least 10 years (40 quarters). However, if you haven’t met that requirement, you may have to pay a monthly premium—up to several hundred dollars depending on your work history. In addition to premiums, beneficiaries are responsible for a deductible, along with coinsurance payments for each benefit period that vary based on the length of your hospital or skilled nursing facility stay. These costs are updated annually and can change from year to year.
Here’s a look at the 2025 costs for Medicare Part A: In 2025, the hospital deductible is $1,632 per benefit period. For inpatient hospital stays, there is no coinsurance for the first 60 days after the deductible. From days 61 through 90, the cost is $408 per day. If your stay continues beyond 90 days, you’ll enter your lifetime reserve days and pay $816 per day—up to 60 days in your lifetime. After those are used, you’re responsible for all hospital costs.
For skilled nursing facility care, the first 20 days are covered in full. From days 21 to 100, there is a $204 daily coinsurance. After 100 days, you are responsible for the full cost of care.
Medicare Part A has coverage limits within each benefit period. For hospital stays, coverage lasts up to 90 days, with an additional 60 lifetime reserve days available. Skilled nursing facility care is limited to 100 days per benefit period and only applies if it follows a qualifying hospital stay of at least three days.
To quickly recap, Medicare Part A covers hospital stays, skilled nursing facility care, hospice care, and limited home health services. It’s essential to know what’s included and what costs to expect so you can plan wisely and feel confident about your healthcare coverage.
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