Which statement correctly describes Medicare Part A coverage?
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Answer & full 3-part explanation (select an option above, or peek)
Why A is correct
Medicare Part A is the hospital insurance component: it covers inpatient hospital care, skilled nursing facility care under conditions, home health care, and hospice care. Part A does not cover physician and surgeon fees — those services are covered under Part B, the medical insurance component. This division is the structural foundation of Original Medicare: the hospital bill falls to Part A while the doctor's bill falls to Part B. Within the hospital, Part A covers room, board, nursing care, and hospital services, while the attending physician's charges are billed separately to Part B — a division that surprises many beneficiaries.
Why the other options are wrong
- B) Physician office visits and outpatient surgery are Part B services, not Part A hospital insurance benefits.
- C) Most outpatient prescription drugs are covered under Part D, not Part A; Part A covers only certain drugs furnished during covered inpatient or hospice stays.
- D) Part A does not cover custodial care; nursing facility coverage is limited to skilled care under defined conditions.
Memory hook
Part A pays the hospital's bed, not the doctor's bill. The surgeon's fee rides on Part B's rails.