What doctors or health professionals can you see?

You can choose any qualified provider in the United States who has been accepted by Medicare and who is accepting new patients. Because Part A offers the same benefits throughout the United States, you are not limited to a particular state or region for your care.

Medicare Part A costs

Medicare Part A premium

Medicare Part A is free if you or your spouse made payroll contributions to Social Security for at least 10 years (40 quarters).

If you otherwise qualify for Medicare but neither you nor your spouse contributed to Social Security for at least 10 years, you’ll pay a monthly premium of up to $451 per month in 2012.

Important: If you don’t qualify for no-premium Part A benefits, and you don’t enroll in Part A when you first become eligible for Medicare, your Part A premium could be higher.

Medicare Part A cost sharing

Medicare Part A deductible

Before Part A begins paying a share of your costs, you must first pay a deductible. In 2012, your Part A deductible is $1,156. You’ll pay this deductible for each hospital stay, subject to certain limits.

Medicare Part A copay

You pay a copay after you have stayed in the hospital or in a skilled nursing facility a certain number of days. Here are the Part A copays for 2012:

• For hospital stays, you’ll pay $289 per day for days 61 through 90, and $578 per day for days 91 through 150.
• In a skilled nursing
  Nursing care that should be provided only by a licensed nurse.
  facility, you’ll pay $144.50 for days 21 through 100 that you stay.
• You’ll also pay a copay of up to $5 for each outpatient drug prescription you receive in hospice care.

Medicare Part A coinsurance

You will pay a small coinsurance payment if you use inpatient respite care for hospice patients.