Medicare Part A is part of the original Medicare program that was instituted in 1965 by President Lyndon B. Johnson. It's commonly known as hospital insurance, but keep in mind that at this time it doesn't cover much in the way of prescription drugs.
Medicare Part A covers hospitals stays, including stays in a skilled nursing facility, but only if certain criteria are met first. The stay in the hospital must be at least three days, or three midnights, not counting the day you leave the hospital.
A nursing home stay will be covered only if it's for something diagnosed during the hospital stay. So, if you fall and break your hip or shoulder, and after going to the hospital you need a nursing home stay for physical therapy, that would be covered by Medicare Part A.
And you don't have to be receiving rehabilitation either; any ailment that requires a skilled nurse to watch over you would be covered, so long as you've met the other criteria.
Finally, Medicare Part A doesn't cover long-term care or activities of daily living, such as personal hygiene or cooking and cleaning. It only covers specifically medical needs.
The maximum stay covered by Part A is 100 days of nursing home care, with the first 20 days fully covered and the next 80 requiring a co-pay of around $130 dollars a day. However, if you use a portion of your Part A benefits, and then go 60 days without receiving any nursing services, the 100 day clock is reset and you're eligible again.
Like most forms of health care coverage, Part A still has deductibles and co-pays depending on how long you're in the hospital. Hospital co-pays are higher than those for a skilled nursing home, so make sure you know exactly how much you'll pay for your time in a hospital.
In some cases, it can be hundreds of dollars per day once you've paid down your deductible, so knowing these things in advance and planning ahead for an accident or injury can save you a lot of money in the long run.
Many insurance companies have special provisions for nursing care, so if you have Medicare Part A, and fear that it won't offer enough coverage for hospital stays or nursing home care, it might be useful to look into Medicare supplement insurance as an alternative
More Medicare Supplemental Health Insurance Resources
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