Medicare Part A covers inpatient hospital care, skilled nursing facility (SNF) care (in certain conditions on a short term basis, does not cover long-term care), hospice care, and some home health care (does not cover custodial-only care). Part A benefits are subject to a deductible (per benefit period) and also a coinsurance for extended inpatient hospital and SNF stays.
- Benefit Period - A benefit period begins the day a beneficiary is admitted as an inpatient in a hospital or SNF, regardless of whether services qualify for payment by Medicare Part A. The benefit period ends when they haven't received any inpatient hospital care (or skilled care in a SNF) for 60 days in a row. If a beneficiary enters into a hospital or a SNF after one benefit period has ended, a new benefit period begins.
- Lifetime Reserve Days - are additional days that Medicare will pay for when a beneficiary is in a hospital for more than 90 days. A total of 60 reserve days can be used during a lifetime. For each lifetime reserve day, Medicare pays all covered costs except for a daily coinsurance.
Medicare costs at a glance.
