Medicare Part A (Hospital Insurance)

Medicare Part A is the Hospital Insurance component of Medicare. Anyone who is eligible for monthly Social Security or Railroad Retirement Board (RRB) cash benefits becomes eligible to receive Medicare Part A benefits on their 65th birthday. Medicare is also available for certain people with disabilities who are under age 65. These individuals must have received Social Security Disability benefits for 24 months or have End Stage Renal Disease (ESRD) or Amyotrophic Lateral Sclerosis (ALS, also known as Lou Gehrig’s disease). There is a five-month waiting period after a beneficiary is determined to be disabled before a beneficiary begins to collect Social Security Disability benefits. People with ESRD and ALS, in contrast to persons with other causes of disability, do not must collect benefits for 24 months to be eligible for Medicare. Most people do not pay a monthly Part A premium because they or a spouse have 40 or more quarters of Medicare-covered employment. In 2023, if a person has less than 30 quarters of Medicare-covered employment the Part A premium is $506 per month. If a person has 30 to 39 quarters of Medicare-covered employment, the Part A premium is $278 per month. Medicare Part A covers the following services: Inpatient hospital care: This is care received after you are formally admitted into a hospital by a physician. You are covered for up to 90 days each benefit period in a general hospital, plus 60 lifetime reserve days. Medicare also covers up to 190 lifetime days in a Medicare-certified psychiatric hospital. Skilled nursing facility (SNF) care: Medicare covers room, board, and a range of services provided in a SNF, including administration of medications, tube feedings, and wound care. You are covered for up to 100 days each benefit period if you qualify for coverage. To qualify, you must have spent at least three consecutive days as a hospital inpatient within 30 days of admission to the SNF, and need skilled nursing or therapy services. Home health care: Medicare covers services in your home if you are homebound and need skilled care. You are covered for up to 100 days of daily care or an unlimited amount of intermittent care. To qualify for Part A coverage, you must have spent at least three consecutive days as a hospital inpatient within 14 days of receiving home health care. Hospice care: This is care you may elect to receive if a provider determines you are terminally ill. You are covered for as long as your provider certifies you need care.