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Medicare Part A Is Based on What Type of Health Care Option?

One of the federal programs providing health insurance to American citizens is known as Medicare. Medicare is administered by the Centers for Medicare and Medicaid Services, and the Medicare tax withheld from employees' wages is used to fund part of this program. Medicare has four types of coverage, the most basic of which is Medicare Part A, an option often referred to as hospital coverage.

  1. Medicare Part A

    • Medicare Part A is part of the Medicare coverage known as original Medicare, as it is the base on which you may add other Medicare plans. Part A consists of hospital insurance. If you are disabled and you receive Social Security Disability, or if you are 65 or older, you are eligible to receive Medicare Part A coverage. If you have paid Medicare tax (or your spouse has done so), you are entitled to receive Part A for free, and if you have already retired, you are automatically enrolled in the program.

    Inpatient Care in Hospitals

    • One type of health care coverage provided by Medicare Part A is inpatient care in hospital facilities. This coverage includes a semi-private room, meals, general nursing, drugs as part of your inpatient treatment, and other hospital services and supplies. Private-duty nursing, the television or telephone in your room (if the hospital charges you for those services) and personal care items are not included in this coverage. You are considered an inpatient when the doctor admits you to the hospital with an order.

    Skilled Nursing Facility Care

    • After three days of inpatient hospital stay due to illness or injury, Part A also covers costs for a semi-private room, meals, skilled nursing and rehabilitative services that are necessary and related to your inpatient stay. Only if your doctor certifies that you are in need of daily treatments, such as physical therapy, can you qualify to use this coverage.

    Hospice Care

    • Hospice care provides coverage for the terminally ill. To qualify to receive these benefits, your doctor must certify that you have six months of life or less. This coverage includes medical, nursing and social services, drugs for pain relief and symptom management, certain durable medical equipment and some services Medicare usually does not cover, such as grief counseling. These services are provided in your home or another facility in which you live. You qualify to receive these benefits for as long as the hospice doctor certifies that you are terminally ill.

    Home Health Services

    • To qualify to receive home health services coverage, a Medicare doctor, or certain health care providers who work with the doctor, evaluates your condition before certifying that you need home health services. The Medicare doctor orders your care, and you receive services from a Medicare-certified home health agency. This coverage includes medical and social services, medical supplies for use at home and part-time or intermittent home health aide services. Leaving your home must require a major effort on your part for you to be eligible for this coverage.

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