Medicare Part A

Also known as: Hospital Insurance

Hospital insurance that helps cover inpatient hospital care, limited skilled nursing facility care, hospice, and some home health care.

Medicare Part A is hospital insurance. It helps cover inpatient hospital care, limited skilled nursing facility care after a qualifying hospital stay, hospice, and some home health services.

Most people pay no monthly Part A premium because they or a spouse paid Medicare taxes long enough while working.
Part A uses benefit periods instead of one yearly hospital deductible.
It does not cover long-term custodial nursing home care.

In 2026, the inpatient hospital deductible is $1,736 for each benefit period. After that deductible, days 1 through 60 have no daily hospital coinsurance. Longer stays can carry daily charges, and a new benefit period can create another deductible.

Part A is one half of Original Medicare. Part B covers doctors and outpatient care. If you choose Medicare Advantage, you still need Part A and Part B even though a private plan manages the benefits.

See the official Medicare inpatient hospital coverage page for current amounts and rules.

Example

A person is admitted to the hospital for five days. Part A applies the benefit-period deductible, then covers the inpatient stay under the rules for days 1 through 60.

Good to Know

Part A hospital costs reset by benefit period, not simply once each calendar year. One person can face more than one Part A deductible in a year.

Related Terms

Medicare Part B — Medical insurance that helps cover doctors, outpatient care, preventive services, medical equipment, and many tests and treatments.

Medicare Part C (Medicare Advantage) — Medicare Advantage, a private-plan alternative for receiving Part A and Part B benefits, usually with Part D drug coverage included.

Medicare Part D — Prescription drug coverage offered by private plans that follow Medicare rules, either separately or through most Medicare Advantage plans.