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What does Medicare Part A cover?

Question 1 of 4 (use "Last" or "Next" buttons to see more)
Last Update: March 26, 2008

Medicare Part A helps you pay for:

  • Inpatient hospital care for up to 90 days each benefit period, plus 60 lifetime reserve days in a general hospital. It also covers up to 190 lifetime days in a Medicare-certified specialty psychiatric hospital.

      For more information on Medicare-covered inpatient hospital care, click on the link in the GO TO box.

  • Skilled nursing facility (SNF) care for up to 100 days each benefit period. To qualify, you must have been in the hospital for at least three consecutive days in the 30 days before admission and need skilled nursing services seven days a week, or physical, occupational or speech therapy services five days a week.

      For more information on Medicare-covered skilled nursing facility care, click on the link in the GO TO box.

  • Home health care for up to 100 days. To qualify, you must have been in the hospital for at least three days in the 14 days before receiving care and be homebound.

    Note: You can get coverage for home health care without a hospital stay through Medicare Part B.

      For more information on Medicare-covered home health care, click on the link in the GO TO box.

  • Hospice Care
    To qualify, a doctor must certify that you are terminally ill and have a life expectancy of six months or less.

      For more information on Medicare-covered hospice care, click on the link in the GO TO box.

Medicare does not cover all health care services.
    To learn more about how to fill the gaps in Medicare's coverage, click on the link in the GO TO box.

Case Examples
After being in a VA hospital, Mr. F wanted to transfer to a Medicare-certified facility.

Ms. Z needed more than three months of skilled nursing facility care.

Mr. K was denied all of the hospice care he needed.

Mr. D was worried that his father-in-law might need Part B to cover rehabilitative care in a nursing facility

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GO TO
What types of inpatient hospital care does Medicare cover?

When will Medicare pay for skilled nursing facility (SNF) care?

When does the Medicare home health benefit pay for home health care?

When will Medicare cover hospice care?

How can I get help with my Medicare costs and fill in the gaps in Medicare coverage?

 
LINKS
Medicare.gov -- Original Medicare Coverage Information Finder

National Directory of Medicare Regional Carriers and Intermediaries

Medicare.gov: National A/B MAC Information

 
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