Medicare Part A
What is Part A?
Medicare Part A is one of two parts that make up Original Medicare.
Part A provides hospital insurance, and helps cover the cost of:
- Inpatient hospital care
- Skilled nursing facilities
- Hospice care
- And some home health care services
A Closer Look at Part A
You are eligible for Medicare Part A if you’re:
✓ age 65 or older.
✓ disabled, and are receiving Social Security disability benefits for at least 24 months.
✓ have end-stage renal disease.
✓ have Lou Gehrig’s disease (ALS).
What Does Part A Cover?
By accessing a Medicare-approved provider, Medicare will provide benefits for the following services:
✓ Inpatient hospital care
✓ Skilled nursing facility care
✓ Inpatient skilled nursing facility care
✓ Hospice care
✓ Home health care
Medicare Part A will be premium-free if:
✓ You or your spouse have worked 40 quarters or 10 years.
If you do not qualify for premium-free Part A, you can still purchase Part A coverage.
- If you or your spouse have worked between 30 and 39 quarters, your Part A monthly premium for 2026 is $311*.
- If you or your spouse have worked fewer than 30 quarters, your Part A monthly premium for 2026 is $565*.
*Please note that if you have to pay for your Medicare Part A, it is important to enroll when first eligible or you could be charged a late-enrollment penalty. Learn more about late enrollment penalties here.
Read more about costs associated to Part A here.
More About Part A
When Turning 65
You can enroll in Part A during your Initial Enrollment Period. This is the 7 months that surround your 65th birth month. Learn more about IEP here.
How To Enroll
There are four ways you can enroll in Medicare Part A when turning 65. Learn more about this and the exact steps on how to enroll here.
Make Sure You Enroll On Time!
If you don’t qualify for premium-free Part A and have to pay for your Part A coverage, it is important to enroll when first eligible. Should you miss your initial enrollment, you could be charged a late-enrollment penalty.
- Your monthly premium may go up 10%.
- You’ll have to pay the penalty for twice the number of years you were eligible to enroll, but didn’t.
Learn More About Medicare Part A
Still have questions about Medicare Part A? We can help you determine what you need to do to make sure you’re enrolled and clarify what coverage Part A offers. Contact us now to learn more.
