Medicare Part A, hospital coverage

Medicare Part A is premium-free for most people, but it is not entirely free.

If you or your spouse paid Medicare taxes for at least 40 quarters, about 10 years of work, you pay no monthly premium for Part A in 2026. If you worked 30 to 39 quarters, the Part A premium is $311 per month in 2026; with fewer than 30 quarters, it is $565 per month in 2026. Even when Part A has no premium, you still pay costs when you use it: the inpatient hospital deductible is $1,736 per benefit period in 2026, plus coinsurance, your share of costs, for longer stays. So Part A is often premium-free, but using it still has out-of-pocket costs.

The Medicare Part A inpatient hospital deductible is $1,736 per benefit period in 2026.

A deductible is the amount you pay before Medicare starts covering its share. With Part A, this deductible applies per benefit period rather than per year. A benefit period starts the day you are admitted as an inpatient and ends after you have been out of the hospital or a skilled nursing facility for 60 days in a row. That means if you have separate hospital stays far apart in the same year, you could owe the deductible more than once. After the deductible, Part A covers your inpatient costs for a set number of days before daily coinsurance, your share of costs, begins.

Medicare Part A covers short-term skilled nursing facility care, but not long-term nursing home stays.

After a qualifying inpatient hospital stay, Part A can cover skilled nursing care, meaning care that requires trained medical staff, for a limited number of days. What Part A does not cover is long-term custodial care, which is help with daily activities like eating, bathing, or dressing when that is the only care you need. Many people are surprised by this, because a nursing home stay for custodial reasons is generally not a Medicare benefit. For that kind of long-term care, people often look to Medicaid, long-term care insurance, or personal savings. Part A covers the skilled, short-term side, not ongoing custodial living.

Medicare Part A covers a hospital stay in stages tied to the benefit period, not a single yearly limit.

After you pay the inpatient deductible of $1,736 per benefit period in 2026, Part A covers your covered hospital costs in full for the first 60 days of an inpatient stay. For days beyond that, you begin paying daily coinsurance, meaning a set share of the cost per day, with the amount increasing for longer stays. A benefit period starts when you are admitted and ends after 60 days out of the hospital or skilled nursing facility. There is also a lifetime reserve of extra days you can use once. The exact daily amounts vary, so the key idea is that longer stays bring added costs.

Yes.

In 2026 Medicare covers most diabetes care across two parts. Part B (outpatient care and equipment) covers blood sugar monitors, test strips, lancets, and continuous glucose monitors (CGMs) as durable medical equipment, plus diabetes screenings and a self-management training program. You pay 20% of the Medicare-approved amount after the $283 Part B deductible. Part D (drug coverage) covers insulin and related supplies like syringes, and in 2026 your insulin is capped at $35 for a month's supply. If you have a Medicare Advantage plan, it covers at least the same diabetes benefits, sometimes with added extras.

Yes.

Medicare Part B covers outpatient physical therapy that is medically necessary to treat your condition. You pay 20% of the Medicare-approved amount after the yearly Part B deductible ($283 in 2026). There is no longer a hard dollar cap on therapy, but once your physical and speech therapy together pass $2,480 in 2026, your therapist must add a note (called a KX modifier) confirming you still need care. Claims above $3,000 may be reviewed for medical necessity. Part A covers physical therapy you receive as a hospital inpatient or in a skilled nursing facility. A doctor or therapist must set up and regularly review your plan of care.

Yes.

Medicare Part B covers durable medical equipment (DME): reusable medical gear your doctor prescribes for use at home, such as wheelchairs, walkers, hospital beds, oxygen equipment, CPAP machines, and blood sugar monitors. You pay 20% of the Medicare-approved amount after the $283 Part B deductible in 2026, and Medicare pays the other 80%. To be covered, the item must be ordered by a Medicare-enrolled doctor and supplied by a Medicare-enrolled supplier, and some items are rented rather than bought. Equipment meant mainly for use outside the home, or only for comfort or convenience, is not covered.

Yes.

Medicare covers mental health care across its parts in 2026. Part B covers outpatient services like therapy, counseling, and visits with psychiatrists, psychologists, and clinical social workers, and since 2024 it also covers marriage and family therapists and mental health counselors. You pay 20% of the Medicare-approved amount after the $283 deductible, and one depression screening each year is free. Part A covers inpatient mental health care, with a lifetime limit of 190 days in a freestanding psychiatric hospital. Part D covers most mental health medications. Many of these services are also available by telehealth, and Medicare Advantage plans cover at least the same benefits.

Partly.

Medicare Part B covers one specific chiropractic service: manual manipulation of the spine to correct a subluxation (when one or more bones of the spine are out of position) that a doctor confirms is medically necessary. You pay 20% of the Medicare-approved amount after the $283 Part B deductible in 2026. Medicare does not cover other services a chiropractor might offer, such as X-rays, massage therapy, acupuncture, or routine wellness visits, so you would pay the full cost for those. Some Medicare Advantage plans include extra chiropractic or wellness benefits beyond this.

Yes, in limited situations.

Medicare Part B covers emergency ambulance transportation when traveling any other way could endanger your health, taking you to the nearest appropriate hospital or facility. You pay 20% of the Medicare-approved amount after the $283 Part B deductible in 2026. Air ambulance is covered only when ground transport cannot reach you or would take too long. Non-emergency ambulance trips, for example to dialysis, are covered only when a doctor provides a written order stating they are medically necessary. Medicare does not cover ambulance rides taken purely for convenience.

Medicare Part B covers doctor visits, outpatient care, and many preventive services.

That includes care from physicians and specialists, lab tests, X-rays, mental health services, durable medical equipment such as walkers and wheelchairs, and preventive screenings and vaccines. Part B is the medical, outpatient side of Original Medicare, while Part A handles inpatient hospital care. Part B also covers some limited drugs given in a clinical setting, such as certain injections, though it does not cover most pharmacy prescriptions; those fall under Part D. In 2026, Part B has a standard monthly premium of $202.90 and a yearly deductible of $283, the amount you pay before Medicare shares costs. After the deductible, you typically pay coinsurance for covered services.

The standard Medicare Part B premium is $202.90 per month in 2026.

A premium is the amount you pay each month to keep the coverage. Most people pay this standard amount, but if your income is above a certain level, you may pay more through IRMAA, the Income-Related Monthly Adjustment Amount, which is an extra charge based on your reported income. IRMAA starts for single filers with income above $109,000 and joint filers above $218,000 in 2026. Part B also has a yearly deductible of $283 in 2026, which you pay before Medicare begins sharing costs. So the $202.90 is the baseline; higher earners pay more, and the deductible is separate from the monthly premium.