Does Medicare Cover Hospital Stays?

Medicare Part A covers inpatient hospital stays, as well as skilled nursing care, hospice care and limited home health services.

Medicare beneficiaries can expect to meet a deductible before Part A starts paying its share of benefits.

A Medicare Supplement (Medigap) plan can help pay for your hospital stays, including costs such as Medicare deductibles, copays, coinsurance and more.

Medicare Part A covers inpatient hospital care costs.

What Inpatient Hospital Costs Does Medicare Cover?

As an inpatient at a hospital, your Medicare Part A coverage includes the following:

• Semi-private rooms

• Meals

• General nursing

• Inpatient treatment drugs

• Care as part of a qualifying clinical research study

• Other hospital services and supplies

Not included are things like private-duty nursing, most private rooms, personal care items and television and phone services.

How Much Do Hospital Stays Cost With Medicare?

Before Medicare Part A will pay its share of a hospital stay, you must first meet your Medicare Part A deductible — $1,632 per benefit period (in 2024).

For lengthy hospitalizations, you may have to pay coinsurance based on the length of your stay (all costs listed are for 2024):

• Days 1-60: $0 coinsurance

• Days 61-90: $408 coinsurance per day

• Days 91 and beyond: $816 coinsurance per each "lifetime reserve day." You have 60 lifetime reserve days.

• Beyond lifetime reserve days: All costs.

A Medigap Plan Can Help Pay for Your Hospital Stay

Medicare Supplement Insurance plan (Medigap) helps pay for out-of-pocket costs associated with a hospital stay.

All Medigap plans offer coverage for the following hospital benefits:

• Medicare Part A coinsurance and hospital costs         

• First three pints of blood if needed for a transfusion        

• Part A hospice care coinsurance or copayment

Some Medigap plans may also include coverage for:

• Coinsurance for skilled nursing facility stay

• Medicare Part A deductible           

With 10 standardized Medigap plans to choose from in most states, you can find one that meets your needs. 

Important: Plan F and Plan C are not available to beneficiaries who became eligible for Medicare on or after January 1, 2020.

Call today to speak with a licensed insurance agent who can help you compare Medigap plans that are available where you live.

Christian Worstell is a health care and policy writer for MedicareSupplement.com. He has written hundreds of articles helping people better understand their Medicare coverage options.