Your Costs in Original Medicare

Medicare Part A (Hospital Insurance) covers inpatient hospital care if two key conditions are met:

1. You're officially admitted as an inpatient following a doctor's order that says you need hospital care to treat an illness or injury.
2. The hospital accepts Medicare.

For 2024, here’s what you can expect for inpatient hospital care:

Days 1–60

After you meet your Part A deductible of $1,632, you pay $0 for your stay.

Days 61–90

You’ll pay $408 per day.

After Day 90

For each lifetime reserve day (up to 60 days over your lifetime), you pay $816 per day.

After Using All Lifetime Reserve Days

You’re responsible for all costs.

To help you make more informed decisions, hospitals must now publicly share the standard charges for their services, including those negotiated by Medicare Advantage Plans.

Frequency of Services

Sometimes your doctor might recommend more frequent services than Medicare covers, or services that aren't covered at all. If this happens, you could be responsible for the extra costs. Make sure to ask questions so you understand why certain services are recommended and how much Medicare will cover.