Medicare Supplement Plan A: Coverage, Cost and Eligibility
What Medigap Plan A covers, what it leaves unpaid and who can buy it
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Medicare Supplement Plan A, also called Medigap Plan A, covers the four basic Medigap benefits and nothing more. It pays Medicare Part A hospital coinsurance plus 365 extra hospital days, Part B coinsurance, the first three pints of blood and Part A hospice coinsurance. It does not pay the Part A hospital deductible, which every other lettered Medigap plan covers in full or in part. Unlike Plans C and F, Plan A has no restriction based on when you became eligible for Medicare. Most people compare it with Plan B or Plan G.
Reviewed by Charles “Chuck” Lunsford, Life & Health insurance agent licensed in Florida since 1994 and in Alabama (NPN 553216).
Plan A at a Glance
| Feature | Medicare Supplement Plan A |
|---|---|
| Part A hospital coinsurance and 365 extra hospital days | Covered at 100% |
| Part B coinsurance or copayment | Covered at 100% once the Part B deductible is met |
| First three pints of blood | Covered at 100% |
| Part A hospice coinsurance or copayment | Covered at 100% |
| Part A hospital deductible | Not covered. $1,736 per benefit period in 2026 |
| Skilled nursing facility coinsurance | Not covered. $217 per day for days 21 to 100 in 2026 |
| Part B deductible | Not covered. $283 per year in 2026 |
| Part B excess charges | Not covered |
| Foreign travel emergency care | Not covered |
| Plan copays for office or emergency room visits | None |
| Annual out-of-pocket limit | None |
| Restriction based on when you became eligible for Medicare | None |
Dollar amounts on this page are the 2026 Medicare figures published by CMS. They change each year.
The table shows where Plan A is strong and where it is thin. Part B coinsurance, which has no annual cap under Original Medicare, is paid in full. Hospital admissions and skilled nursing stays are where a Plan A policyholder still pays.
Like every Medigap policy, Plan A works alongside Original Medicare and is sold by private insurance companies. Benefits are standardized, so Plan A from one carrier covers the same things as Plan A from another.
What Does Medicare Supplement Plan A Cover?
Plan A covers four benefits, each at 100%: Part A hospital coinsurance with 365 additional hospital days, Part B coinsurance or copayments, the first three pints of blood and Part A hospice coinsurance or copayments.
| Benefit | What Original Medicare leaves you owing | What Plan A pays |
|---|---|---|
| Part A hospital coinsurance | A daily charge for hospital days 61 to 90 ($434 in 2026) and for lifetime reserve days ($868 in 2026) | The full daily coinsurance, plus Medicare-eligible hospital costs for up to 365 additional days over your lifetime once Medicare hospital benefits are used up |
| Part B coinsurance or copayment | Generally 20% of the Medicare-approved amount for doctor visits, outpatient care and durable medical equipment | The full coinsurance or copayment after you meet the Part B deductible |
| Blood | The first three pints in a calendar year | All three pints |
| Part A hospice care | Copayments for outpatient drugs and coinsurance for inpatient respite care | The full hospice coinsurance or copayment |
The Part B benefit is the one most Plan A policyholders use. Once the annual Part B deductible is met, Plan A leaves nothing to pay for Medicare-covered Part B services when the provider accepts Medicare assignment.
The hospital benefit matters most in a long stay. After the deductible, Medicare charges nothing per day for the first 60 days of a benefit period, then a daily coinsurance. Plan A pays that daily amount.
Plan A does cover hospice coinsurance. It is one of the four basic benefits, and every lettered Medigap plan includes it in full or in part.
What Doesn’t Plan A Cover?
Plan A does not cover five standardized Medigap benefits: the Part A hospital deductible, skilled nursing facility coinsurance, the Part B deductible, Part B excess charges and foreign travel emergency care.
The Part A Hospital Deductible
This is the exclusion that sets Plan A apart. Plans B, C, D, F, G and N pay the Part A deductible in full. Plans K, L and M pay a share of it. Plan A pays none.
The deductible is charged per benefit period, not per year. A benefit period starts the day you are admitted as an inpatient and ends once you have gone 60 days in a row without inpatient hospital or skilled nursing care. Two admissions several months apart can mean two deductibles in the same calendar year.
Skilled Nursing Facility Coinsurance
Medicare pays in full for the first 20 days of a covered skilled nursing facility stay. Days 21 to 100 carry a daily coinsurance, and Plan A does not pay it. After day 100, neither Medicare nor any Medigap plan pays.
The Part B Deductible, Excess Charges and Foreign Travel
Plan A does not pay the annual Part B deductible. No Medigap plan sold to people who became eligible for Medicare on or after January 1, 2020 pays it, so this gap is not unique to Plan A.
Part B excess charges can apply when a provider does not accept Medicare assignment. That provider may bill up to 15% above the Medicare-approved amount, and Plan A does not pay the difference.
Plan A has no foreign travel emergency benefit. Original Medicare generally does not pay for care outside the United States, so emergency treatment abroad would usually be your full responsibility.
Like all Medigap plans, Plan A does not cover prescription drugs, dental care, vision care, hearing aids or long-term custodial care. Drug coverage comes from a separate Medicare Part D plan.
What Could You Pay With Plan A?
With Plan A you pay the monthly premium, the Part B deductible and the Part A deductible for each benefit period in which you are admitted. You also pay any skilled nursing coinsurance, excess charges or foreign emergency costs you incur. The plan has no annual out-of-pocket limit.
| Cost you keep | When it applies | 2026 amount |
|---|---|---|
| Part B deductible | Once per calendar year | $283 |
| Part A hospital deductible | Each benefit period with an inpatient admission | $1,736 |
| Skilled nursing facility coinsurance | Days 21 to 100 of a covered stay in each benefit period | $217 per day, which is $17,360 for all 80 days |
| Part B excess charges | Only when a provider does not accept Medicare assignment | Up to 15% above the Medicare-approved amount |
| Emergency care outside the United States | Travel abroad | Usually the full bill |
In a year with no hospital admission, the Part B deductible may be the only Medicare cost sharing you pay for covered services from providers who accept assignment. In a year with one admission, add one Part A deductible.
The larger exposure is a long skilled nursing stay or repeated admissions, because Plan A sets no ceiling on those costs. Plans K and L are the only Medigap plans with an annual out-of-pocket limit.
Free 2026 Medicare Guides
Want to read up before we talk? Download the official Medicare & You 2026 handbook and the government’s Choosing a Medigap Policy guide. Both are free PDFs, with no sign-up needed.
What Does Plan A Cost?
There is no single price for Plan A. Plan A benefits are identical from carrier to carrier, but each insurance company sets its own premium.
Premiums can vary by:
- The insurance company
- Your age when you buy the policy
- Your ZIP code
- Tobacco use
- Gender, with some carriers
- Household or other discounts a carrier offers
- Your enrollment situation: open enrollment, a guaranteed-issue right or medical underwriting
Two points are specific to Plan A.
Plan A is not always the lowest-premium plan. Fewer benefits do not guarantee a lower price. Depending on the carrier, plans built on cost sharing, such as Plan K, Plan N or High-Deductible Plan G, may be priced below Plan A.
Compare the premium gap with the deductible. The only benefit Plan B adds to Plan A is the Part A deductible. If the yearly premium difference between the two is smaller than one Part A deductible, a single hospital admission would cost more than the upgrade. If the difference is larger, Plan A costs less overall in any year without an admission.
This page does not list a premium range. A range without a date, ZIP code, age and carrier list is not a useful comparison. A quote for your own age and ZIP code is.
Who Might Consider Plan A?
Plan A may be worth considering if covering Part B coinsurance is your priority and you are prepared to pay hospital-related costs yourself.
It may appeal to someone who:
- Wants the uncapped 20% Part B coinsurance covered at 100%
- Has savings that could absorb one or more Part A deductibles in a year
- Accepts the risk of paying skilled nursing coinsurance after day 20
- Sees providers who accept Medicare assignment
- Does not need emergency coverage outside the United States
- Finds that the premium difference between Plan A and a fuller plan is larger than the costs that plan would cover
Another plan may be worth comparing if you want hospital deductibles and skilled nursing coinsurance covered, if you travel abroad or if you prefer costs that are easier to predict from year to year.
Timing is one more factor. Moving from Plan A to a plan with more benefits later is not guaranteed. Outside open enrollment or a guaranteed-issue situation, a carrier can review your health history before approving the change.
How Plan A Compares With Plan B and Plan G
Plan B adds one benefit to Plan A. Plan G adds four.
| Benefit | Plan A | Plan B | Plan G |
|---|---|---|---|
| Four basic benefits | Yes | Yes | Yes |
| Part A hospital deductible | No | Yes | Yes |
| Skilled nursing facility coinsurance | No | No | Yes |
| Part B excess charges | No | No | Yes |
| Foreign travel emergency care | No | No | 80%, up to plan limits |
| Part B deductible | No | No | No |
Plan A vs. Plan B. The two plans are identical except for the Part A deductible. The decision is whether Plan B’s extra premium is worth removing that one cost. Read the full breakdown of Medicare Supplement Plan B.
Plan A vs. Plan G. Plan G leaves only the Part B deductible, which makes it the fullest plan open to people who became eligible for Medicare in 2020 or later. The tradeoff is premium, so compare what each carrier charges for the four added benefits. Details are on the Medicare Supplement Plan G page.
To see every lettered plan side by side, compare all Medicare Supplement plans.
Enrollment, Availability and Underwriting
Whether a carrier can ask health questions on a Plan A application depends on when and why you apply.
Medicare Supplement Open Enrollment. This six-month period begins the first month you are 65 or older and enrolled in Medicare Part B. During it, a carrier cannot use your health history to decline a Plan A application or charge you more.
Under age 65. Rules for people under 65 vary by state. Some states require carriers to offer Medicare Supplement coverage to people who qualify for Medicare through disability or end-stage renal disease, often with an open enrollment period. Ask what applies where you live.
Guaranteed-issue situations. Certain events, such as losing employer group coverage or a Medicare Advantage plan leaving your area, can create a right to buy specific Medigap plans without underwriting for a limited time. Plan A is one of the plans available in those situations. The application window generally closes 63 days after the earlier coverage ends.
Applications outside those periods. A carrier may use medical underwriting. It can accept the application, decline it or offer a different premium based on your health history.
Availability. Federal rules require every insurer that sells Medigap policies to offer Plan A, so it is widely available. Which carriers sell it in your ZIP code, and at what premium, still varies.
Medicare Supplement Plan A FAQs
Is Medicare Plan A the same as Medicare Part A?
No. Medicare Part A is the hospital insurance portion of Original Medicare. Medicare Supplement Plan A is a private Medigap policy that pays some of the costs Part A and Part B leave behind. You must have both Part A and Part B to buy it.
Is Plan A the only Medigap plan that does not cover the Part A deductible?
Yes, among the standardized lettered plans. Plans K, L and M pay part of the Part A deductible and the remaining plans pay all of it. Plan A pays none.
Does Plan A cover hospice care?
Yes. Plan A pays the Part A hospice coinsurance or copayment at 100%. Hospice coinsurance is a basic benefit in every lettered Medigap plan, though Plans K and L pay only a share of it.
What happens if I am hospitalized twice in one year with Plan A?
You could owe the Part A deductible twice. The deductible applies per benefit period, and a new benefit period begins once 60 days have passed without inpatient hospital or skilled nursing care. Two admissions within the same benefit period trigger only one deductible.
Does Plan A pay for a skilled nursing facility stay?
Not the coinsurance. Medicare covers days 1 to 20 of a qualifying stay in full. Plan A does not pay the daily coinsurance for days 21 to 100.
Is Plan A the lowest-priced Medigap plan?
Not necessarily. Each carrier sets its own premiums, and plans with cost sharing such as Plan K, Plan N or High-Deductible Plan G may be priced lower. Comparing quotes for your age and ZIP code is the only way to know.
Can I buy Plan A if I became eligible for Medicare after January 1, 2020?
Yes. The 2020 restriction applies only to plans that pay the Part B deductible, which are Plan C, Plan F and High-Deductible Plan F. Plan A is open to anyone enrolled in Part A and Part B, subject to enrollment timing and any underwriting.
Can I switch from Plan A to Plan G later?
You can apply at any time, but approval is not automatic. Outside your open enrollment period or a guaranteed-issue situation, the carrier may review your health history and can decline the application.
Can I use Plan A with any doctor?
Plan A has no provider network. It works with any provider in the United States that accepts Medicare. It does not pay excess charges from providers who do not accept assignment, and it does not cover care outside the country.
Compare Plan A for Your ZIP Code
A Plan A decision usually comes down to two things: the premium each carrier charges in your ZIP code and how that premium compares with Plan B and Plan G. We can run that comparison for your age and location.
Prefer to keep reading first? Compare all Medicare Supplement plans.
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Content Review
Content reviewed by Charles “Chuck” Lunsford, Licensed Life & Health Agent, Florida License A169316 and Alabama, NPN 553216