Within a Medicare Part A benefit period, for the first 60 days of inpatient hospitalization, the beneficiary:

Why D is correct

Within a benefit period, Medicare Part A covers inpatient hospital care with no daily coinsurance for days 1 through 60, after the beneficiary pays the Part A inpatient deductible. Daily coinsurance applies starting with days 61-90, and the lifetime reserve days beyond day 90 carry an even higher daily copay. This front-loaded coverage means the first 60 days are the most fully paid portion of a hospital stay, apart from the deductible. The benefit-period structure drives Part A hospital cost sharing: one deductible per benefit period, no daily coinsurance for days 1 through 60, coinsurance for days 61 through 90, and coinsurance for the 60 lifetime reserve days available after day 90. A new benefit period begins only after 60 consecutive days out of a hospital or skilled nursing facility.

Why the other options are wrong

• A) Daily coinsurance does not begin until day 61; days 1-60 carry no daily copay after the deductible. Days 61 through 90 carry a daily coinsurance, but days 1 through 60 carry no daily coinsurance once the Part A deductible is satisfied.
• B) Part A covers inpatient hospitalization, not only skilled nursing; the hospital benefit is a core Part A service. Part A directly covers inpatient hospitalization after the deductible, so the claim that Part A covers only skilled nursing misstates the program.
• C) The Part A inpatient deductible still applies within the benefit period; coverage is not completely free. The beneficiary must satisfy the Part A inpatient deductible before the no-coinsurance days begin, so paying nothing at all is incorrect.

Memory hook

Days 1-60 in the hospital: just the deductible. The daily copay clock starts ticking on day 61.