Medical Expense✓ Verified · outline & fact-checked · Sep 2026Difficulty 2/5
Before Medicare Part A pays any benefits for a covered hospitalization, the beneficiary must first satisfy:
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Answer & full 3-part explanation (select an option above, or peek)
Why B is correct
Part A coverage for inpatient hospital care begins only after the beneficiary satisfies the Part A inpatient hospital deductible, which is set annually by the federal government and covers the first days of hospital care in a benefit period. Once the deductible is met, the days 1-60 of hospital care carry no additional daily charge. The deductible resets with each new benefit period, so a beneficiary who is rehospitalized after a 60-day gap faces it again.
Why the other options are wrong
- A) Medicare has no annual out-of-pocket maximum on Original Medicare Part A and Part B cost-sharing.
- C) The 20% coinsurance is a Part B obligation for physician services, not a precondition to Part A hospital payment.
- D) The Part B premium is a monthly charge for Part B coverage and does not gate Part A hospitalization benefits.
Memory hook
Pay the Part A hospital deductible first; then days 1-60 of the benefit period are free of daily charges.