Medicare Part A (Hospital Insurance)

What it means

- Part A covers inpatient hospital care, skilled nursing facility care after a qualifying hospital stay, hospice care, and limited home health services. - Most people get premium-free Part A based on their own or a spouse's work history. - Even without a monthly premium, Part A has a deductible for each hospital benefit period ($1,736 in 2026) and daily coinsurance for long stays. - Part A does not cover long-term custodial care, most dental care, or routine vision and hearing services.

Action steps

1. If you already get Social Security or Railroad Retirement benefits, you are enrolled in Part A automatically the month you turn 65. 2. If you are not getting those benefits, sign up during your Initial Enrollment Period through ssa.gov or by calling Social Security. 3. Check your Medicare card for the Part A effective date once enrolled. 4. Review the current-year deductible and coinsurance amounts on medicare.gov before any planned hospital stay.

Deadlines

- Initial Enrollment Period: the 7-month window that starts 3 months before the month you turn 65 and ends 3 months after. - General Enrollment Period: January 1 – March 31 each year if you missed your Initial Enrollment Period.

Answers in this topic

• Does Medicare cover long-term care?
• What is the Medicare Part A deductible in 2026?

Questions

Do most people pay a premium for Part A?

No. Most people get premium-free Part A because they or a spouse paid Medicare taxes for at least 40 quarters (10 years) of work.

What is the Part A deductible in 2026?

The Part A inpatient hospital deductible in 2026 is $1,736 per benefit period, according to medicare.gov.