Which of the following parts of medicare pays for hospitalization

Who is this for?

If you're new to Medicare, this information will help you understand the different parts and what they do.

There are four parts of Medicare. Each one helps pay for different health care costs.

Part A helps pay for hospital and facility costs. This includes things like a shared hospital room, meals and nurse care. It can also help cover the cost of hospice, home health care and skilled nursing facilities.

Part B helps pay for medical costs. This is care that happens outside of a hospital. It includes things like doctor visits and outpatient procedures. It also covers some preventive care, like flu shots.

Parts A and B together are called Original Medicare. These two parts are run by the federal government. Find out more about what Original Medicare covers in our Help Center.

Part C helps pay for hospital and medical costs, plus more. Part C plans are only available through private health insurance companies. They’re called Medicare Advantage plans. They cover everything Parts A and B cover, plus more. They usually cover more of the costs you’d have to pay for out of pocket with Medicare Parts A and B. Part C plans put a limit on what you pay out of pocket in a given year, too. Some of these plans cover preventive dental, vision and hearing costs. Original Medicare doesn’t.

You can see a list of the Medicare Advantage plans we offer and what they cover.

Part D helps pay for prescription drugs. Part D plans are only available through private health insurance companies. They’re called prescription drug plans. They cover commonly used brand-name and generic drugs. Some plans cover more drugs than others.

You can read about our prescription drug plans and what they cover. Many Medicare Advantage plans include Part D prescription drug plans built right into them.

What are these “parts of Medicare you keep hearing about? Medicare has four parts:

• Medicare Part A is hospital insurance.
• Medicare Part B is medical insurance.
• Medicare Part C is the Medicare Advantage program.
• Medicare Part D is prescription drug coverage.

In this article, we’ll focus on the difference between Medicare Part A and Part B.

Medicare Parts A and B make up Original Medicare, the traditional federal health insurance program. Medicare is for people aged 65 or older, or who qualify by disability.

What is Medicare Part A? What does Part A cover?

As hospital insurance, Medicare Part A generally covers

• Inpatient hospital stays
• Prescription drugs administered to you as part of your inpatient treatment
• Skilled nursing facility stays
• Mental health inpatient stays
• Hospice care
• Limited, temporary home health care

This is not a complete list. Please note that a deductible or coinsurance payment may apply to some services/items. Most services are covered only for a certain length of time.

Medicare Part A costs

Here are Part A costs for 2023:

Premium – Most people don’t pay a monthly Part A premium. If you or your spouse has worked and paid taxes:

• For at least 10 years (40 quarters), you won’t pay a monthly Part A premium.
• For 30-39 quarters, you pay $278 in 2023.
• For less than 30 quarters, you pay $506 in 2023.

Deductible – $1,600

Coinsurance/copayments

• Days 1-60 – $0
• Days 61-90 – $278
• Days 91 and beyond – $506

What doesn’t Part A cover?

In most cases, Part A doesn’t cover:

• Private rooms
• Doctor visits in the hospital (these are generally covered under Medicare Part B)
• Private-duty nursing care
• TV or phone in your room if there’s a separate charge for them
• Personal items like razors

What is Medicare Part B? What does Part B cover?

Medicare Part B is medical insurance. It typically covers a wide variety of medical services and supplies. Here are just a few:

• Annual wellness exam (no cost, one every 12 months)
• Doctor and specialist visits
• Preventive services, like flu shots
• Bone mass measurements (to see if you’re at risk of broken bones)
• Tests and screenings if you’re at risk of certain diseases
• CPAP (continuous positive airway pressure) machines for sleep apnea
• Certain diabetes equipment and supplies
• Limited home health visits when medically necessary
• Durable medical equipment, like wheelchairs and walkers

This is not a complete list. Please note that a deductible or coinsurance payment may apply to some services/items. You need to qualify for certain items or services for Medicare to cover them.

Medicare Part B costs

Here are Part B costs for 2023:

Premium $164.90

Deductible – $226

Coinsurance/copayment – 15% for most items and services.

What doesn’t Part B cover?

Medicare Part B doesn’t generally cover such items and services as:

• Routine dental care
• Eyeglasses
• Routine foot care
• Hearing aids
• Dentures

This isn’t a complete list.

How do you sign up for Medicare Part A and Part B?

You might be automatically enrolled in Medicare when you become eligible. If you’re automatically enrolled, you’ll get your red, white, and blue Medicare card in the mail.

Usually Social Security (SSA) enrolls you in Medicare automatically if you’re already getting SSA benefits when you turn 65. You might also get automatically enrolled if you’ve been getting SSA disability benefits for at least 24 months.

If you’re not automatically enrolled when you become eligible for Medicare, you’ll need to sign up during your Medicare Initial Enrollment Period (IEP). Your IEP generally starts 3 months before your birthday month, includes the birthday month, and goes 3 months after that. You can go to the SSA website, ssa.gov, for information on enrolling in Medicare.

I’m enrolled in Medicare Part A and Part B. What about Parts C and Part D?

Once you’re enrolled in Part A and Part B, you can decide to change your Medicare coverage. For example, Medicare Part D is prescription drug coverage. That’s not included in Original Medicare except in limited situations. You can decide to get your Medicare Part A & Part B benefits through Medicare Part C, the Medicare Advantage program. Most (but not all) Medicare Advantage plans include prescription drug coverage.

You can learn more about your Medicare coverage options.

Ready to get started? Find a plan that fits your budget and covers your doctor and prescriptions now.