What Does Medicare Part A Cover?
Medicare's Part A covers hospital care, lab testing, surgeries needed, and in-patient hospital stays. For those that need supplies like canes, wheelchairs and walkers; there is also coverage for this with Part A. It is important to note that Medicare Part A also covers needed care through a skilled nursing facility, nursing home, hospice care, and even some home health care services. Medicare will only cover care through a nursing home if it is deemed medically necessary, they will not cover the expense if custodial care is the only need.
Part A Benefits
Other Part A expenses covered include; a semi-private hospital room, hospital meals, hospital nursing services, and medications administered during the stay. Home health care services will be covered by Part A of Medicare when the need is medically necessary, meaning your doctor must request home health services for you in order for coverage to exist. Skilled nursing facility (SNF) coverage will only be available through Part A after a qualifying in-patient hospital stay related to an illness or injury, the hospital stay must be at least three days long and the day you are discharged does not count toward the minimum stay requirement. Note that sometimes patients are kept for observation and time spent under observation is considered outpatient service. This means that observation time is not counted toward a SNF qualifying stay.
In the circumstance that your doctor determines you have a terminal illness, you most likely will qualify for Part A hospice care coverage. The main requirement for hospice coverage relies on a doctor's determination that you have six months or less for a life expectancy. Hospice care is aimed at palliative care; not toward curing the disease, making the patient comfortable while relieving pain is the main objective.
Below is a link to more information on Medicare Part A benefits:
https://www.medicare.gov/what-medicare-covers/what-part-a-covers
