Part A mainly covers inpatient hospital care. Part B covers doctors’ services, outpatient care, and other medical benefits. Both can help pay for the same hospital visit, depending on your admission status and the services you receive.

Part A: Hospital Insurance

Part A helps cover inpatient hospital stays, eligible skilled nursing facility care, hospice, and certain home health services. Most people receive premium-free Part A because they or a spouse paid Medicare taxes long enough.

Part A has a deductible for each inpatient hospital benefit period, not one annual deductible. Daily coinsurance can apply during longer stays.

Part B: Medical Insurance

Part B helps cover doctors, outpatient services, preventive care, durable medical equipment, ambulance services, mental health care, and some home health care and medications.

Part B generally has a monthly premium and one annual deductible. After the deductible, you pay 20% of the Medicare-approved amount for many covered services under Original Medicare.

Both Parts Can Apply at the Same Time

If you are admitted to a hospital, Part A may cover the facility stay while Part B covers services from the doctors treating you. If you are at the hospital under outpatient observation rather than formally admitted, Part B may cover the hospital services instead.

Neither part generally covers most outpatient prescriptions, routine dental care, hearing aids, or long-term help with daily tasks such as bathing and dressing. Part D or other coverage may fill some gaps.

For an outpatient scan, you may receive one bill from the facility and another from the clinician, both under Part B. For an inpatient stay, the hospital may bill Part A while the doctors bill Part B. When estimating costs, ask which services are included rather than treating “hospital care” as one bill.

Medicare policy sources last checked: October 8, 2026.