Medicare Part A is the standard, baseline hospital coverage that comes at no cost as part of everyone’s Medicare benefits. It will pay for inpatient stays at hospital and skilled care facilities, but only for a certain number of days.

Medicare Part A is hospitalization and inpatient care insurance. It will pay fully for about 20 days of care, but only if there is an inpatient procedure first and the patient appears to be convalescing. If the patient is not gradually recovering, their Medicare benefits will be suspended.

While it will pay for as many times as a person goes into the hospital, it is not meant to pay for extended care needs or long term care coverage. Other Medicare supplement policies can fill in some of the gap here, hence the name “Medigap,” but nothing will really provide for a long term care need the way that long term care insurance will.

Part A does not cover preventive physicians visits, which are covered in Part B.

Should I buy a Long-Term Care policy?
Should I buy a Medigap policy?
What is Medicare Part B?
What is Medicare Part C?
What is Medicare Part D?