Yes, Medicare Part A has a deductible you pay each benefit period

Medicare Part A covers hospital stays, skilled nursing facility care, hospice, and home health services. When you use these services, you pay a deductible — a set dollar amount you must pay out of your own pocket before Medicare begins to pay its share. For 2024, the Part A deductible is $1,676 per benefit period. This amount changes each year.

The deductible applies once per benefit period, not once per year. A benefit period starts the day you enter a hospital or skilled nursing facility and ends 60 days after you leave. If you are readmitted within that 60-day window, you do not pay a second deductible. If you are readmitted after 60 days have passed, a new benefit period begins and you owe a new deductible.

Part A also includes coinsurance — additional costs you share with Medicare after you meet the deductible. These costs depend on how long you stay in the hospital or facility and what type of care you receive.

Key Takeaways

  • The Part A deductible for 2024 is $1,676 per benefit period, and you pay it once before Medicare starts covering hospital or skilled nursing facility costs.
  • A benefit period lasts from the day you enter a hospital or facility through 60 days after discharge, so readmission within that window does not trigger a second deductible.
  • After you meet the deductible, you still pay coinsurance — a daily cost-sharing amount that varies by the length and type of your stay.
  • Home health services and hospice care covered under Part A typically have no deductible or coinsurance, though you may pay for prescription drugs and medical equipment.

How the deductible works during a hospital stay

When you are admitted to a hospital, you owe the full Part A deductible before Medicare pays anything toward your bill. The hospital bills Medicare and you for this amount. You may receive a bill from the hospital, or Medicare may deduct it from your account if you have set up automatic payments.

Once you have paid the deductible, Medicare covers all approved hospital costs for days 1 through 60 of your stay. You pay nothing additional during this period. On days 61 through 90, you pay a daily coinsurance amount (for 2024, this is $419 per day). If your stay extends beyond 90 days, you enter what Medicare calls "lifetime reserve days" — you have 60 of these across your entire lifetime, and you pay a higher daily coinsurance ($838 per day in 2024) for each one you use.

Most hospital stays end well before day 60, so many people pay only the deductible and nothing more. The coinsurance kicks in only for longer hospitalizations.

Deductible costs for skilled nursing facility care

If you move from a hospital to a skilled nursing facility (a facility that provides medical care beyond what a regular nursing home offers), the same deductible applies — you do not pay a second one if you are still in the same benefit period. Medicare covers all approved costs for days 1 through 20 at no cost to you after the deductible is met.

On days 21 through 100, you pay a daily coinsurance amount ($209.50 per day in 2024). After day 100, Medicare stops covering skilled nursing facility care, and you pay all costs yourself. This is why it matters to track which day of your benefit period you are on.

To may have access to for Part A coverage of skilled nursing facility care, you must have been hospitalized for at least three consecutive days first. A hospital stay that ends at midnight and a skilled nursing facility admission the next morning counts as meeting this requirement.

No deductible for home health and hospice services

Home health services and hospice care covered under Part A have no deductible. When a doctor orders home health care — such as nursing visits, physical therapy, or medical equipment — you pay nothing for these services themselves. The same applies to hospice care when you are enrolled in a hospice program.

However, you may still have costs. If you need prescription drugs while receiving hospice care, you pay a small copayment (up to $5 per prescription in 2024). If you need medical equipment like a wheelchair or oxygen, you may pay 20% of the approved cost after Medicare pays its share, though some equipment has no cost-sharing.

Home health care must be ordered by a doctor and provided by a Medicare-approved agency. Hospice must be ordered by a doctor and provided by a Medicare-approved hospice program. If you arrange these services on your own without a doctor's order, Part A will not cover them.

What happens if you have other insurance

If you have both Medicare Part A and other health insurance — such as coverage through a current or former employer, TRICARE, or a Medigap policy — the way your deductible is paid depends on the type of other insurance you have.

Employer coverage or TRICARE may pay your Part A deductible as primary insurance, meaning you might owe nothing out of pocket. A Medigap policy (supplemental insurance sold by private insurers) is designed to pay Medicare deductibles and coinsurance, so if you have Medigap Plan A, B, C, D, F, G, M, or N, your policy will cover your Part A deductible. You should contact your Medigap insurer to confirm whether your specific plan covers this cost.

If you have a Medicare Advantage plan (Part C), you do not have a Part A deductible in the traditional sense. Instead, you have an out-of-pocket maximum — a yearly limit on what you pay for covered services. Once you reach this maximum, the plan covers the rest of your care for that year.

How the deductible changes each year

Medicare adjusts the Part A deductible every January based on changes in hospital costs. The deductible has increased most years, though the amount of increase varies. In recent years, the increase has ranged from about $20 to $100 per year, but this is not may provide.

You can find the current year's deductible on Medicare.gov or by calling Medicare at 1-800-MEDICARE. Your Social Security statement, if you receive benefits, also lists the current deductible amount. If you are enrolled in a Medigap or Medicare Advantage plan, your plan materials will show what you are responsible for paying.

If you are turning 65 and enrolling in Part A for the first time, ask your Social Security office or your insurance agent what the current deductible is so you can budget for it. If you have already been on Part A for years, the deductible amount you paid last year will likely be different this year.

Questions to ask your doctor or Medicare

Before a planned hospital stay or skilled nursing facility admission, ask your doctor or the facility's billing department how many days your stay is expected to last. This helps you understand whether you will owe only the deductible or also coinsurance. Ask whether the facility is Medicare-approved and whether your specific services are covered.

If you receive a bill you do not understand, call the phone number on the bill and ask for an explanation. If you believe you were charged incorrectly, you have the right to appeal. Contact Medicare at 1-800-MEDICARE or visit Medicare.gov to file an appeal or ask questions about your bill.

Frequently Asked Questions

Do I pay the Part A deductible every time I go to the hospital?

No. You pay it once per benefit period. A benefit period lasts from admission through 60 days after discharge. If you return to the hospital within those 60 days, you do not owe a second deductible. If you return after 60 days, a new benefit period starts and you owe a new deductible.

What is the difference between the deductible and coinsurance?

The deductible is a single amount you pay before Medicare covers anything. Coinsurance is a daily amount you pay for each day you stay in the hospital or facility after the deductible is met and after the initial covered days. For example, in 2024, you pay $1,676 once, then nothing for days 1–60 of a hospital stay, then $419 per day for days 61–90.

Does my Medigap policy pay the Part A deductible?

Most Medigap plans do cover the Part A deductible, but not all. Plans A, B, C, D, F, G, M, and N cover it. Plan K and Plan L cover part of it. Contact your Medigap insurer to confirm what your specific plan covers.

What if I cannot afford to pay the deductible?

If you have limited income, you may be may be able to access for Medicaid or a Medicare Savings Program, which can help pay your deductible. Contact your state Medicaid office or call 1-800-MEDICARE to learn whether you may have access to. Some hospitals also have financial information programs for uninsured or underinsured patients.

Does the Part A deductible explore to emergency room visits?

If you are treated in an emergency room and sent home the same day, Part A does not cover the visit — Part B does. You would owe a Part B deductible and coinsurance instead. If you are admitted to the hospital from the emergency room, the Part A deductible applies to your hospital stay.