The majority of the time, most beneficiaries will pay nothing for Medicare Part A. However, those who receive Medicare Part A pay taxes during their working years that are allocated for their future Medicare hospital coverage during retirement. These taxes go towards paying for the cost of Medicare Part A in the long run.
As a beneficiary of Medicare Part A, you will receive coverage for hospital costs that are important to your inpatient care such as meals, a semi-private room, medications, nursing services that are part of your treatment, and many other services. This also includes care received through:
Critical access hospitals
Mental Healthcare
Long-term care facilities
Acute care medical facilities
Participation in a qualifying clinical research study
Inpatient rehab facilities
Remember: As long as you have worked for at least 10 years in your lifetime in the United States, most of the time, you won’t pay anything. If you have not, you can still purchase Medicare Part A if you have been a legal resident or have had a green card for at least five years.