Here’s what you should know about Medicare Part A:

• Coverage: Medicare Part A primarily covers inpatient hospital care. This means care you receive when you are admitted to a hospital. It also covers skilled nursing facility care, hospice care, and some home health care.
• Cost: Most people do not pay a monthly premium for Part A because they or their spouse paid Medicare taxes while working. However, if you didn’t pay enough Medicare taxes while working, you may have to pay a premium. There are also deductibles and coinsurance associated with Part A services.
• Deductible: Medicare Part A has a deductible for inpatient hospital stays. Once you meet this deductible, Medicare covers your inpatient hospital costs for up to 60 days with no daily coinsurance.
• Coinsurance: For longer inpatient hospital stays, you may have a daily coinsurance amount. This is a specified amount you will have to pay for each day you are in the hospital beyond a certain point.
• Enrollment: For many people, enrollment in Medicare Part A is automatic when they turn 65, especially if they are already receiving Social Security benefits. If not, they need to sign up during their Initial Enrollment Period, which begins three months before the month they turn 65 and ends three months after.