Quick Links: Part A Covers – Part A Costs – Part A Enrollment – Part A Eligibility – Part A Premiums
Last updated: October 8, 2026
Part A is the hospital insurance portion of Original Medicare.
It helps pay for qualifying inpatient care, skilled nursing facility care, hospice, and certain home health services. Original Medicare includes Parts A and B; Medicare Supplement Insurance, also called Medigap, is separate insurance that can help pay some of your share of covered costs.
What does Part A cover?
- Inpatient hospital care: A semi-private room, meals, nursing, and other covered services during a medically necessary inpatient admission. Staying overnight for observation does not necessarily make you an inpatient.
- Skilled nursing facility care: Short-term skilled care when Medicare's conditions are met. Original Medicare generally requires a qualifying inpatient hospital stay of at least 3 days in a row, not counting the day you leave the hospital; observation time does not count. Certain exceptions apply. Medicare does not cover long-term custodial care alone.
- Hospice: Care focused on comfort and symptom management when you meet eligibility requirements and elect the hospice benefit.
- Home health services: Certain part-time or intermittent skilled services when you meet Medicare's requirements.
Part A costs for 2027
2027 cost update: As of October 8, 2026, final 2027 Part A premiums, deductibles, and daily coinsurance amounts were not available in the official sources reviewed. Check Medicare's latest costs and confirm the year shown.
In Original Medicare, the hospital deductible applies to each benefit period, not just once a year. A benefit period starts with an inpatient hospital or skilled nursing facility admission and ends after 60 consecutive days without inpatient hospital care or skilled care in a skilled nursing facility.
After the hospital deductible, days 1-60 have no daily hospital coinsurance. Daily charges apply for days 61-90 and for lifetime reserve days after day 90. You have 60 lifetime reserve days in total; after those are used, you pay all costs. For covered skilled nursing facility care, days 1-20 have no daily coinsurance, days 21-100 have daily coinsurance, and you pay all costs after day 100.
Who pays a Part A premium?
Most people qualify for premium-free Part A based on their own or a spouse's Medicare-covered work, usually at least 40 quarters. People who must buy Part A pay a monthly premium based on their work history and generally must also enroll in Part B. Premium-free does not mean all care is free.
Who is eligible?
Medicare generally serves people age 65 and older, plus certain younger people with disabilities, End-Stage Renal Disease (ESRD), or ALS. Citizenship, nationality, immigration status, work history, and other requirements also apply. The 2027 handbook describes updated status requirements on page 9; Social Security can confirm your eligibility.
When do you enroll?
Some people receive Medicare automatically through Social Security or the Railroad Retirement Board. Others must apply. For most people turning 65, the Initial Enrollment Period includes the three months before their birthday month, the birthday month, and the three months after. Check your enrollment status before turning 65. Delaying coverage can affect costs and eligibility for enrollment periods.
Read Medicare & You 2027, pages 9, 15-23, and 27-32. Contact our office for help understanding your Medicare coverage options.
Medicare Supplement Insurance also is known as “Medigap” fills in gaps Original Medicare and is offered by private companies.
Traditional Medicare plans pay for much, but not for all, and do not pay the costs for covered healthcare services and supplies. A Medicare Supplement Insurance (Medigap) policy/plan can help pay some remaining part of the healthcare costs, including:
- Copayments
- Coinsurance
- Deductibles
Medicare Supplement Insurance consists of two parts. Medicare Part A – hospital insurance and Medicare Part B – medical insurance. Medicare Part A covers Medicare inpatient care that is care received while in a hospital, nursing facility, and, in particular, circumstances, at-home treatment. Most people became automatically eligible for Medicare Part A when they reach the age of 65. It is possible when they are already getting retirement benefits from social security or the railroad retirement board. A person also qualifies for Medicare Part A before 65 if he/she is a disabled person, last-stage at renal disease, or amyotrophic lateral sclerosis. To be eligible for Medicare Part A, you must be either a United States citizen or a legal permanent resident of the USA at least five straight years.
Medicare Part A covers:
- 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 beneficiaries receive full coverage for 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
Medicare Part A insurance does not cover the costs of a private room, your private-duty nursing, your care items expenses as shampoo, telephone, and television. It also does not cover the cost of blood. You do not pay for blood if the hospital gets it from a blood bank without any charges. But if the hospital purchase blood for you, you have to pay for the first three units that you will receive each.
Medicare Part A Costs
In Medicare Part A, you don’t pay a monthly premium for Hospital Insurance coverage if you and your spouse paid Medicare taxes while working.
You will get a premium-free Part A at the age of 65 if:
- You are receiving retirement benefits from social security
- You are receiving services from the railroad retirement board.
- You or your partner/spouse had government employment covering Medicare.
If you’re under 65, you can also get premium-free Medicare Part A:
- You are a disabled person and got social security or railroad retirement board
- You have last stage Renal Disease
If you are not qualified for a premium-free Part A plan, you can buy it.
- The approximate cost is $458 each month.
If you paid Medicare taxes for less than 30 quarters, the approximate premium is $458. If you pay Medicare taxes for 30-39 quarters, the approximate cost is $252. Part A hospital inpatient cost and co-insurance include $1,408 deductible for each benefit period.
Co-insurance includes:
- Days 1-60: $0 for each benefit period
- Days 61-90: $352 per day of each benefit period
- Days 91 and beyond: $704 per each “lifetime reserve day” after day 90 for each benefit period
Medicare Part A Enrollment
You will automatically get enrolled in Part A Medicare insurance if you turned 65 and receiving social security retirement benefits or railroad retirement board benefits. You will start receiving Medicare Part A benefits from the first day of the month you turned 65. If your birthday is on the first day of the month, your services will begin the month before you turn 65.
The high time to get a Medicare plan is during your 6-month Medigap open enrollment period. You will get better prices and more policies.
Medicare Part A Eligibility
You are eligible for a Medicare supplement insurance Part A if:
- You are age 65 or older and a U.S. citizen.
- You are a legal resident of at least five years.
- You are getting retirement benefits.
- You are disabled and getting disability benefits.
- You have the last-stage renal disease (ESRD).
- You have amyotrophic lateral sclerosis.
Medicare Part A Premiums
Most Medicare part beneficiaries do not pay a premium if they worked at least ten years and paid Medicare taxes at that time. People who aren’t able to get premium-free Medicare Part A can also get themselves enroll in Part A and pay a premium.
Four ways to pay your Premium:
- Pay online via Medicare account.
You can pay by your credit card, and debit card into your Medicare account online
- Pay directly from your Bank saving Account
You can also directly pay your premium from your savings account
- Medicare Easy Pay
The third and free service that automatically deducts your premium payments from your savings or checking account each month is Medicare’s easy pay app on the 20th of the month.
- Mail check to Medicare