Medicare Part A

Medicare has two main parts of coverage. These parts are referred to as Medicare Part A, which is hospital insurance, and the other part is part B covering medical insurance. The hospital insurance, better known as Part A, covers inpatient care, which are basically the services received while in hospital and skilled nursing facility care in hospitals, but in a certain situation, though it is limited at home. It is important to have an overview of the covered areas by Medicare Part A, the cost implications of acquiring Medicare Part A, and practical ways of getting this Medicare Part A.

Under Medicare Part A, your hospital care (inpatient) is well taken care of. You also enjoy some limited home health services. Other services like skilled nursing facility care and hospice care are included in Medicare Part A. One qualifies for a skilled nursing facility care when you are admitted to hospital for not less than three days from admission.

The time is taken for the observation and other procedures before the actual admission does not count. Equally, the day of discharge from the medical facility is also excluded in the count. This skilled nursing care, however, must be provided at a Medicare-approved facility. It is important, though, to note that some of these mentioned benefits may not necessarily be covered 100%.

Medicare Part A is acceptable in most hospitals, unlike other benefits validated by a few hospitals and health facilities. As long as you subscribe to this plan, you receive coverage for hospital expenses that are crucial to your inpatient care.  Your medical doctor may also consider ordering some home healthcare services if deemed medically necessary. These services will also be covered by Part A, especially when ordered by your medical doctor.

Some of these services may include; physical therapy, speech-language pathology services, part-time or intermittent home health aide services, and occupational therapy. Every person is expected to have a healthcare plan that helps to cushion individual medical costs. This requirement falls under the Affordable Care Act (ACA). Part A being compliant with this Act, ensures that you do not falls victim and end up paying the tax penalty as a result of not following the ACA’s coverage guidelines.

Medicare Part A is sometimes referred to as “Premium-free Part A.” If you or your spouse paid Medicare taxes of considerable amount while working, then you need not pay for the monthly premiums for Medicare Part A. As a result, many people do enjoy this premium-free Part A. It is also possible to get this premium-free Part A when you hit age 65 years if you are getting the retirement benefit from social security or Railroad Retirement Board. It is equally possible to qualify for the premium-free Part A if you or your spouse had Medicare-covered government employment. For those who are below 65, they are eligible for premium-free Part A if you happen to have End-Stage renal Disease (ESRD) and have met other certain conditions. Below 65 years, you are also legible for the premium-free Part A if you receive Social Security or Railroad Retirement Board disability benefits for 24 months.

In case you do not qualify for the premium-free Part A, especially if you paid Medicare taxes for less than 30 quarters, you are required to pay $458 each month. For those who paid Medicare taxes between 30-39 quarters, their premiums are reduced to $252. Generally, those people who choose to buy Medicare part A usually have Medicare Part B, better known as medical insurance, and pay a premium for both Part A and Part B.

The other costs associated with Part A is hospital inpatient deductible and coinsurance. You pay $1,408 deductibles for each benefit period. For coinsurance, the first 60 days are free, but between 61-90 days, you pay $352 coinsurance per day of each benefit period. Any other day above 90, you pay $704 per each benefit for the next 60 days referred to as lifetime reserve period. However, if you stay beyond the lifetime reserve period, you must pay for all the costs.

All this information is available from our website and we urge you to have a look at it and  get to learn more on the costs covered on your behalf.

It is essential to set the record straight. This is a senior Medicare plan, and as such, you must be either turning or already 65 years. We usually request members to sign up when they are three months shy of 65 years. The other important requirement is that you must be a United States citizen or a legal permanent residence for not less than five years. Of course, do not forget that you must also be enrolled for basic Medicare plan before you can sign up for Medicare Part A. For seniors who are not interested with many benefits, having Part A alongside basic Medicare may be good enough as it can cover all the essential medical services.

One of the easiest ways to get Medicare Part A is the automatic enrollment when you hit 65 years and eligible for premium-free Part A. Alternatively buying Part A if you do not qualify for the premium-free Part A.

The other option is to enroll with Medicare Advantage Plan, which has Part A included. This plan is not directly sold by Medicare but rather by private insurance companies. However, the plan is designed by Medicare though it allows these private insurance companies to sell on their behalf.

As you source for Medicare Part A, it is important to do a thorough search.

You can use our web site for comprehensive data for all the companies selling plans with Part A. you will also be in a position to see the various quotes for many companies. More importantly, you can pick a company in your area more efficiently by using the area code in your search. You can also contact our team, which is always ready to ensure you get value for your money.