Medicare Part A
Updated September 2026 · 2026 figures from CMS and Medicare.gov
Medicare Part A is hospital insurance. It covers inpatient hospital stays, skilled nursing facility care after a hospital stay, hospice and some home health care. Most people pay no premium, but in 2026 there is a $1,736 deductible for each benefit period.
What Part A covers
- Inpatient hospital care: semi-private room, meals, nursing, drugs given as part of inpatient treatment, and hospital services and supplies.
- Skilled nursing facility (SNF) care: up to 100 days per benefit period after a qualifying inpatient stay of at least 3 days. Custodial care alone isn't covered.
- Hospice care for terminal illness.
- Home health care: part-time skilled care if you're homebound (Part B also covers home health).
- Inpatient care in a religious nonmedical health care institution.
Part A costs in 2026
| Cost | 2026 |
|---|---|
| Premium with 40 or more quarters of work | $0 |
| Premium with 30–39 quarters | $311 / month |
| Premium with fewer than 30 quarters | $565 / month |
| Hospital deductible (days 1–60 of each benefit period) | $1,736 |
| Hospital days 61–90 | $434 / day |
| Lifetime reserve days (60 in total, after day 90) | $868 / day |
| Skilled nursing facility, days 1–20 | $0 |
| Skilled nursing facility, days 21–100 | $217 / day |
| Skilled nursing facility, after day 100 | All costs |
A Medigap policy such as Plan G pays the Part A deductible and coinsurance and adds 365 extra hospital days.
What is a benefit period?
A benefit period starts the day you're admitted as an inpatient and ends when you've been out of the hospital or skilled nursing facility for 60 days in a row. If you go back in after that, a new benefit period — and a new $1,736 deductible — starts. There's no limit on the number of benefit periods.
Inpatient or "under observation"?
You can spend nights in hospital as an outpatient "under observation". Those stays are billed under Part B, not Part A, and don't count toward the 3-day stay needed for skilled nursing coverage. Ask the hospital which status you have; hospitals must give you a Medicare Outpatient Observation Notice if you're under observation for more than 24 hours.
Who gets premium-free Part A?
You get Part A without a premium if you or your spouse paid Medicare taxes for at least 40 quarters (about 10 years), or if you've received Social Security or Railroad Retirement disability benefits for 24 months. Otherwise you can buy Part A. See Medicare eligibility.
Do you have to take Part A?
If you get Social Security benefits, you can't turn down Part A without giving up those benefits. If you're still working with an HSA-eligible health plan, note that Part A coverage stops HSA contributions — and can be backdated up to 6 months when you sign up later.
Frequently asked questions
What is the Medicare Part A deductible for 2026?
$1,736 per benefit period.
Is Medicare Part A free?
It's premium-free if you or your spouse worked and paid Medicare taxes for at least 40 quarters. Otherwise it costs $311 or $565 a month in 2026.
How many days does Part A cover in a nursing home?
Up to 100 days of skilled nursing facility care per benefit period after a 3-day inpatient stay: days 1–20 at no cost and days 21–100 at $217 a day in 2026.
Does Part A cover long-term care?
No. Part A doesn't cover custodial long-term care.