Medicare Part A

Medicare Part A covers your hospital expenses. This includes hospital stays, skilled nursing care (as long as custodial care isn’t the only care you need), hospice, and home health-care services. Part A services may require you to pay various deductibles, coinsurance, and copayments.

Many people qualify for premium-free Part A because they or their spouse paid taxes toward Medicare while working for at least 10 years (or 40 quarters). But otherwise, you may have to pay a monthly premium.