--- title: "Medicare 101: How Parts A and B Work | ESI" description: "Medicare 101 from Everything Senior Insurance: how Original Medicare Parts A and B work, what each part covers, and what Original Medicare does not cover." url: https://eseniorinsurance-demo-v2.pages.dev/medicare-101 dateModified: 2026-10-06 --- # Medicare 101: How Parts A and B Work Medicare 101 ## Everything Centers Around Medicare Parts A & B! It is very common for people to be confused by Original [Medicare](https://www.medicare.gov/basics/get-started-with-medicare/medicare-basics/parts-of-medicare). The easiest way to understand Medicare is to understand the different parts of Original Medicare. Medicare Parts A & B can be looked at as the centerpieces that everything else revolves around. They are the only two pieces that actually come from the government. All other parts you hear about come from private insurance companies ## What Is Medicare Part-A? Medicare Part A is hospital insurance. It covers inpatient hospital stays, care in a skilled nursing facility after a qualifying hospital stay, hospice care and some home health care. Most people pay no monthly premium for Part A because they or a spouse paid Medicare taxes for at least 10 years (40 quarters); people with 30 to 39 quarters pay $311 a month in 2026 and people with fewer than 30 quarters pay $565. Part A is not free to use. In 2026 you pay a $1,736 deductible for each benefit period, $434 a day for hospital days 61 to 90, $868 a day for the 60 lifetime reserve days, and $217 a day for skilled nursing days 21 to 100. A benefit period starts the day you are admitted and ends when you have been out of the hospital or skilled nursing facility for 60 days in a row, so the deductible can apply more than once a year. Source: [CMS, 2026 Medicare Parts A & B premiums and deductibles](https://www.cms.gov/newsroom/fact-sheets/2026-medicare-parts-b-premiums-deductibles). ## What Is Medicare Part-B? Medicare Part-B is (for the most part) going to include your outpatient services. These can be described as doctors visits, outpatient surgeries, lab work, outpatient x-rays, durable medical equipment (such as wheelchairs and oxygen tanks), ambulance services, amongst other things. Medicare Part-B is like the other side of the coin to Medicare Part-A. What Part-A does not cover on the medical side, Part-B typically does. ## What Does Original Medicare Not Cover? What does Original Medicare not cover? Plenty! Original Medicare on its own does not cover prescription drugs that would be filled at a pharmacy. It does not cover things like dental, vision, or hearing. Believe it or not, Original Medicare does not cover a traditional physical after you have been on Original Medicare longer than 12 months. Original Medicare provides you with a "Welcome to Medicare" physical in the first year of being an Original Medicare recipient, but after that never again. Original Medicare covers what is known as a Wellness visit, but it is best described as a less detailed physical. ### Hours of Operation **MON – FRI**9:30am – 5:00pm **SAT & SUN**We are closed **Original Medicare has two parts from the federal government:** Part A (hospital insurance, premium-free for most people, $1,736 deductible per benefit period in 2026) and Part B (medical insurance, $202.90 a month, $283 annual deductible, then 80/20). Everything else, Medicare Advantage, Medigap and Part D, comes from private insurers and builds on A and B. ## Questions people ask about Medicare 101: How Parts A and B Work **What are the parts of Original Medicare?** **What does Medicare Part B cover?** **What does Original Medicare not cover?** **Does Everything Senior Insurance charge for Medicare guidance?** **What does Medicare Part A cost in 2026?** Last updated: October 6, 2026 · Reviewed by [Christian Brindle, CEO and Founder](https://eseniorinsurance-demo-v2.pages.dev/about-us#christian-brindle). Published by the Everything Senior Insurance Data Desk. Sources: [Medicare Part A and Part B coverage, Medicare.gov](https://www.medicare.gov/basics/get-started-with-medicare/medicare-basics/parts-of-medicare).