Medicare Part A is the hospital insurance portion of Medicare. Part A requires no premium for eligible beneficiaries. Part A should not be considered as maintenance or ongoing care, but more emergency, acute care. Part A, like all aspects of Medicare has limitations, co-pays, and deductibles that should be supplemented with a Medigap policy.
Coverage for Part A is determined by benefit periods. Benefit periods begin on the day when the beneficiary checks into the hospital and ends when beneficiary has gone 60 days in a row without a stay at a hospital or skilled nursing care facility. The benefit period then resets. There is no limit to the number of benefit periods a beneficiary is eligible for.
Part A covers the following:
Hospital
Days 1-60 — $1,132 deductible.
Days 61-90 — Medicare covers all costs, but daily co-insurance of $283.
Days 91 — 150 – Lifetime reserve days, patient continues to pay daily co-insurance.
Days 150+ — Not covered by Medicare.
Skilled nursing facility
Need must be certified by a doctor.
The patient must be hospitalized at least 3 days in a row prior to transfer.
The patient enters the nursing facility within 30 days of hospital discharge.
Must receive skilled nursing care or rehab on a daily basis.
Days 1-20 — Medicare pays 100% of the covered amount.
Days 21-100 — Medicare covers all cost but daily co-insurance of $141.50.
Days 101+ — Not covered by Medicare.
Home health care
Need must be certified by a doctor.
The patient must be homebound.
Medicare must approve of the agency providing care.
No deductibles or co-insurance, if eligible for care.
Hospice Care
Patient must be medically certified to have life expectancy of 6 months or less.
If patient lives beyond 6 months, Medicare may extend coverage.
No deductibles or co-insurance if eligible for care.
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Source:http://www.dummies.com/how-to/content/what-is-medicare-part-a.html
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