Medicare Part A
Medicare Part A helps cover inpatient hospital care, skilled nursing facility stays, hospice, and some home health care. Part A is considered part of “Original Medicare” (Parts A & B).
Medicare Insurance consists of two parts. Medicare Part A – hospital insurance and Medicare Part B – medical insurance. Medicare Part A covers Medicare inpatient care that is care received while in a hospital, nursing facility, and some circumstances, at-home treatment
Medicare Part A covers:
- Hospital care of inpatient
- Conditioned home health services
- Nursing facility care provided that custodial care isn’t the only care required
- Hospice care
Medicare Part A beneficiaries receive full coverage for hospital expenses that are critical for your inpatient care, including semi-private room, nursing services, meals, medications included in your inpatient treatment, and other related services and supplies from the hospital. Part A also has critical inpatient care provided through:
- Critical access hospitals
- Acute care hospitals
- Long-term care hospitals
- Mental health care
- Inpatient rehabilitation facilities
- Participation in a clinical research study
Medicare Part A insurance does not cover the costs of a private room, your private-duty nursing, your care items expenses as shampoo, telephone, and television. It also does not cover the cost of blood. You do not pay for blood if the hospital gets it from a blood bank without any charges. But if the hospital purchase blood for you, you have to pay for the first three units that you will receive each.
Medicare Part A Eligibility
You are eligible for Medicare Part A if:
- You are age 65 or older and a U.S. citizen.
- You are a legal resident of at least five years.
- You are receiving retirement benefits.
- You are disabled and getting disability benefits.
- You have end-stage renal disease (ESRD).
- You have amyotrophic lateral sclerosis (ALS).
Medicare Part A Enrollment
You will automatically be enrolled in Part A Medicare insurance if you turn 65 and receive social security retirement benefits or railroad retirement board benefits. You will start receiving Medicare Part A benefits from the first day of the month you turned 65. If your birthday is on the first day of the month, your services will begin the month before you turn 65.
- On-line
- In-person appointment at the SSA office
- Telephone appointment with the SSA office
- Automatically (as described above)
Here are some examples of Medicare Part A costs:
Medicare Part A Premiums and Costs
You will get premium-free Part A at the age of 65 if:
- You are receiving retirement benefits from social security
- You are receiving services from the railroad retirement board.
- You or your partner/spouse had government employment covering Medicare.
- You are a disabled person and receive social security or railroad retirement board benefits
- You have end-stage renal disease
If you are not qualified for a premium-free Part A plan, you are able to purchase it. Please contact me for the specifics on how much it will cost per month. The amount will vary based upon the number of quarters of coverage you have accrued while working. It can vary from $285 – $518.
Medicare Part A Premium Payment
Most Medicare part beneficiaries do not pay a premium if they worked at least ten years and paid Medicare taxes at that time. People who do not qualify for premium-free Medicare Part A may also enroll by paying a premium.
Four ways to pay your Premium (These options are available for paying your Medicare Part B premium as well):
- Pay online via your Medicare account.
- Pay directly from your Bank checking or saving Account
- Sign up for Medicare Easy Pay
- Mail check to Medicare
Many folks will turn to a Medicare Supplement (Medigap) or Medicare Advantage plan to help pay for what Medicare doesn’t pay for. You can look at the website headers or A, B, C and D text boxes for more information on Supplement (Medigap) and Advantage plans. People enrolled in Medicare often buy a Supplement or Advantage Plan to help cover the costs that Part A doesn’t — such as deductibles, coinsurance, and per-day hospital charges.
Next up is Medicare Part B — it works alongside Part A and completes what is known as “Original Medicare.”