Medicare glossary
Part A (Hospital Insurance)
Part A is Medicare's hospital insurance. It helps pay for inpatient hospital stays, skilled nursing facility care, hospice, and some home health care. Most people get Part A premium-free because they paid Medicare taxes while working.
Even though Part A is usually free, it isn't cost-free when you use it: in 2026 there's a $1,736 hospital deductible per benefit period, plus daily coinsurance for long stays. Part A is one half of Original Medicare; Part B is the other.
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