What does Medicare Part A cover?
Medicare Part A requires no additional premiums by beneficiaries who have paid into the Medicare system during their working years. It covers hospitalization, home health care, limited nursing home care and hospice care for terminally ill beneficiaries. Deductibles do apply for hospital care, and the beneficiary may have additional cost sharing for extended hospital stays and for skilled nursing home care occurring after the 20th day of hospitalization. Medicare coverage of skilled nursing home care is limited to 100 days, so Medicare is NOT an alternative for providing long-term nursing home care for the beneficiary.
