Medicare Part A Coverage Chart
Wondering what exactly you’ll be covered for? Check out this Medicare A coverage chart for a quick glimpse into what you can expect.

• • Inpatient Hospital Care: This is the care you will receive when you’re admitted to the hospital. With this, you’re covered up to 90 days for each benefit period and an additional lifetime reserve of 60 days. It will also cover up 190 lifetime days for any approved psychiatric hospital.
  • Skilled Nursing Facility Care: This covers room, board, and other specific services you may need. You’ll be covered for 100 days for each benefit period, although you will begin to pay a copayment beginning on day 21 ($204 per day in 2024). You must spend at least three consecutive days at the hospital to qualify for these services.
  • Home Healthcare: You can receive intermittent skilling nursing care, as well as services from physical, speech, or occupational therapists. Home healthcare services must be ordered by your doctor, and you must remain under your doctor’s care throughout.
  • Hospice Care: If your provider determines that you are terminally ill, you can receive hospice care under Medicare Part A. Your care is covered for as long as your provider says you need it. When it comes to your Medicare hospitalization coverage, Medicare Part A will cover things like post-hospital skilled nursing and even short-term post-hospital home healthcare. This is as long as it is deemed medically necessary by your provider. Medicare Part A also covers Hospice Services, including counseling, social services, DME, and palliative care. This hospice coverage will also provide short-term respite care for any caregivers so they can rest. This will not only benefit your caregiver, but it will also help you as the person who is taking care of you will have a chance to recharge. This will allow them to serve you better in your time of need.

Part A of Medicare also provides some of the healthcare services received in the hospital or immediately following your inpatient day. This includes things like skilled nursing care, physical therapy, and medical social services. Keep in mind that when it comes to skilled nursing, while it occurs in your home, the healthcare services are generally covered under this part of Medicare.

What if you exceed your 100 days of skilled nursing care but still need continued services? Will Medicare cover long-term care?

Unfortunately, Medicare will not cover long-term care. This includes any extended stays in a nursing home or extended stays in the hospital. To help plan for any long-term care you may need, you’ll want to consider purchasing additional insurance to help with any of these long-term stays that you may have in the future.

Many people don’t realize that although it is your hospital insurance, it actually does not cover everything related to your hospital stay. Some of the things that you may think are part of Medicare Part A are actually under the Centers for Medicare and Medicaid Services, also known as CMS.

When it comes to inpatient for outpatient healthcare, it is always a good idea to consult with your Medicare broker or agent for any guidance on determining what your Medicare Part A will pay for.

To put it simply, Medicare Part A is technically only your hospital-related care for the immediate or acute care of any injury or illness that you may sustain. It is not meant for any long-term health provisions.