How to Enroll – Most people 65 years of age or older are eligible for Medicare. If you or your spouse are eligible for Social Security payments, you can be automatically enrolled for part of Medicare when you turn 65. For individuals under 65 who receive Social Security Disability Insurance (SSDI) payments, eligibility after a two-year waiting period is common. Anyone with a diagnosis of end-stage renal disease (ESRD) and amyotrophic lateral sclerosis (ALS) become eligible without a waiting period.
How to Enroll – Most people 65 years of age or older are eligible for Medicare. If you or your spouse are eligible for Social Security payments, you can be automatically enrolled for part of Medicare when you turn 65. For individuals under 65 who receive Social Security Disability Insurance (SSDI) payments, eligibility after a two-year waiting period is common. Anyone with a diagnosis of end-stage renal disease (ESRD) and amyotrophic lateral sclerosis (ALS) become eligible without a waiting period.
Medicare Part A is hospital insurance. Part A covers inpatient hospital care, limited time in a skilled nursing care facility, limited home health care services, and hospice care.
Medicare Part A typically doesn’t cover the full amount of your hospital bill, so you will probably be responsible for a share in the cost. You will also have to pay a deductible before Medicare benefits begin. Medicare will then pay 100% of your costs for up to 60 days in a hospital or up to 20 days in a skilled nursing facility. After that, you pay a flat amount up to the maximum number of covered days. Your Medicare Part A benefits cover some of the costs for a total of 90 days in a hospital and 100 days in a skilled nursing facility. Medicare also covers up to 60 “lifetime reserve days.” These are days you stay in a hospital longer than 90 days in a row. You get a lifetime total of 60 reserve days.
Medicare Part A typically doesn’t cover the full amount of your hospital bill, so you will probably be responsible for a share in the cost. You will also have to pay a deductible before Medicare benefits begin. Medicare will then pay 100% of your costs for up to 60 days in a hospital or up to 20 days in a skilled nursing facility. After that, you pay a flat amount up to the maximum number of covered days. Your Medicare Part A benefits cover some of the costs for a total of 90 days in a hospital and 100 days in a skilled nursing facility. Medicare also covers up to 60 “lifetime reserve days.” These are days you stay in a hospital longer than 90 days in a row. You get a lifetime total of 60 reserve days.