At a high-level, Medicare Part A (Hospital Insurance) covers the following:
- Hospital care of inpatient
- Conditioned home health services
- Nursing facility care provided that custodial care isn’t the only care required
- Hospice care
Medicare Part A covers hospital expenses that are critical for your inpatient care, including semi-private room, nursing services, meals, medications included in your inpatient treatment, and other related services and supplies from the hospital. Part A also has critical inpatient care provided through:
- Critical access hospitals
- Acute care hospitals
- Long-term care hospitals
- Mental health care
- Inpatient rehabilitation facilities
- Participation in a clinical research study
Most people don’t pay a monthly premium for Part A (sometimes called “premium-free Part A”). If you buy Part A, you’ll pay up to $471 each month in 2021. If you paid Medicare taxes for less than 30 quarters, the standard Part A premium is $471. If you paid Medicare taxes for 30-39 quarters, the standard Part A premium is $259.
