Medicare Part A

Hospital insurance

Medicare Part A covers hospital care. You can typically start receiving Part A on the first day of the month of your 65th birthday. If you or your spouse paid Medicare taxes for at least 10 years, you typically won’t have to pay a premium.

What kind of health services are covered?

Medicare Part A helps to cover the following:

• inpatient care in hospitals (such as critical access hospitals, inpatient rehabilitation facilities, and long-term care hospitals)
• inpatient care in a skilled nursing facility
• hospice care
• home health care services

If you already receive benefits from Social Security or the Railroad Retirement Board (RRB), your Medicare Part A coverage will automatically start as soon as you qualify. If you aren’t getting Social Security benefits (for example, if you’re still working), you may need to sign yourself up for Part A, even if you are eligible to receive Part A at no cost.