Medicare Part A Coverage
May 20, 2026
Medicare Part A — what it actually covers.
Part A pays for inpatient hospital care, skilled nursing facility stays, hospice, and limited home health. Here is what that means in practice.
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What does Medicare hospital Part A cover?
Inpatient hospital care (semi-private room, meals, general nursing, drugs given during an inpatient stay), skilled nursing facility care after a 3+ day inpatient stay, hospice care for terminal illness, and some home health care when you are homebound.
What does Part A not cover?
Outpatient doctor visits (that is Part B), long-term custodial care, most dental and vision, hearing aids, and routine personal items during a hospital stay (phone, TV).
Do I pay a premium for Part A?
Most people get premium-free Part A because they or a spouse paid Medicare taxes for at least 10 years (40 quarters). If you do not qualify for premium-free Part A, you can buy in — the premium varies based on work history.
What is the Part A hospital deductible in 2026?
There is a per-benefit-period deductible (the exact amount is set by Medicare each year). A benefit period starts the day you are admitted as an inpatient and ends after 60 consecutive days without inpatient or skilled nursing care.
Inpatient hospital care
Part A covers semi-private rooms, meals, general nursing, and drugs as part of inpatient treatment. It does not cover personal items like phone or TV charges.
You pay a hospital deductible per benefit period (a benefit period starts when you are admitted and ends after 60 days out of hospital). Days 1–60: $0 coinsurance after deductible. Days 61–90: a daily coinsurance. Days 91+: lifetime reserve days, then full cost.
Skilled nursing facility (SNF)
Part A covers SNF care after a qualifying inpatient hospital stay of 3+ days. Days 1–20: $0 coinsurance. Days 21–100: a daily coinsurance. After day 100: full cost.
Important: custodial care (help with daily activities only) is not covered.
Hospice care
For people with a terminal illness and a life expectancy of 6 months or less. Part A covers most hospice services with small copays for prescriptions and respite care.
Home health care
Part A covers some home health if you are homebound and need skilled nursing or therapy. Most ongoing home health is actually covered by Part B.