Coverage: Part A helps pay for inpatient hospital services. This includes benefits for critical access hospitals and skilled nursing facilities, but does NOT cover custodial or long-term care. It also provides benefits for hospice care and some home health care.
Administration: The Federal Government administers Part A. The government works with private companies called Intermediaries to administer these benefits.
Enrollment: You are eligible for Medicare at age 65 or if you have certain disabilities. If you are receiving Social Security or Railroad Retirement benefits, you are automatically enrolled when you turn 65. If you are not receiving Social Security or Railroad Retirement benefits, you must enroll in the Medicare coverage on your own.
Cost: Most beneficiaries don’t pay a premium for Part A because they or their spouse already paid for it through payroll taxes while they were working.
There are deductibles and co-payments under Part A. You are allowed to purchase Medigap plans (Medicare Supplement insurance) to help supplement these deductibles and co-payments. These deductibles and co-payments can change annually.
Sources Referenced
- www.medicare.gov
- Medicare’s Medicare & You
- Centers for Medicare & Medicaid Services
- Senator Bob Dole’s Ten Things You Need To Know About Medicare’s New Prescription Drug Coverage
- Walgreens’ Introduction to Part D: Medicare’s New Prescription Drug Coverage
- Kaiser Family Foundation’s Talking About Medicare: Your Guide to Understanding the Program
