Medicare Part A is often called “Hospital Insurance” because it covers everything related to hospitalization, including inpatient hospital stays and skilled nursing facilities. Well, how much does it cost? If you have completed 40 quarters (10 years) of work and paid the respective taxes for Medicare, you are eligible for Medicare Part A without having to pay a premium!

But do I have to pay a deductible?

Yes. The Part A deductible is $1,408. That means you will not receive any benefits from Medicare Part A unless you have fully paid off the deductible. This is a per visit deductible, meaning that if you go to the hospital on Monday then again on Wednesday for a different reason, you will have to pay for the deductible twice!

What about after my deductible is met?

Great question! Once your deductible is met, you need to be admitted to 2-night stay in a hospital before your hospital benefits kick in. After the 2 nights, you are fully covered at a 100% rate for nights 3 through 60.

What happens after 60 days?

Between days 61 and 90 at the hospital, you are responsible for a daily deductible of $352.

Am I covered after 90 days at all?

Yes, however the daily deductible after day 90 becomes a whopping $704! This continues until day 150 at the hospital.

Well, what about after day 150?

You are not covered under Medicare Part A after day 150. This means that any incurred costs after day 150 needs to be fully covered out of pocket by the patient!

That’s a lot of information. Can you summarize everything in some charts for me?

Absolutely! See the charts below for both hospitalization and skilled nursing facilities coverages: