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.

   

• 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.

   

• 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.  

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

   

Keep in mind that Medicare does not cover all health care services.