Medicare
Medicare Part A
Medicare Part A is premium-free for most beneficiaries and covers inpatient care, but comes with significant cost-sharing including a per-benefit-period deductible.
Last reviewed: May 2026 · Editorial methodology
Definition
Medicare Part A is the hospital insurance portion of Original Medicare. It covers inpatient hospital care, care in a skilled nursing facility (following a qualifying hospital stay of at least three consecutive days), hospice care for terminally ill patients, and limited home health agency services. Most beneficiaries receive Part A premium-free because they or their spouse paid Medicare payroll taxes for at least 40 quarters (10 years) of covered employment. Those with fewer than 30 quarters of coverage pay a 2026 premium of up to $518 per month. Rather than an annual deductible, Part A uses a per-benefit-period deductible of $1,676 in 2026 for the first 60 days of each hospitalization. Days 61–90 incur a daily coinsurance of $419, and lifetime reserve days (61 total) carry $838 per day coinsurance. Skilled nursing facility care is fully covered for days 1–20; days 21–100 cost $209.50 per day in 2026. Medigap and Medicare Advantage plans frequently cover these gaps.
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Cover Forge USA Editorial Team
Editorial Lead
This article was researched and written by the Cover Forge USA editorial team against federal sources (NAIC, CMS, FEMA, DOL, SSA, state DOIs) and standard policy forms. Bylines organize content by topic — they do not assert individual licensure. See our editorial-policy for details.
Reviewed 2026-06-14
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