What does Medicare Part A primarily cover?

Medicare Part A is primarily designed to cover hospital services. This includes inpatient care in hospitals, skilled nursing facility care, hospice care, and some home health care services. It functions as part of the broader Medicare program, which is aimed at providing health insurance for individuals aged 65 and older, as well as certain younger individuals with disabilities.

This focus on inpatient hospital services distinguishes it from other parts of Medicare. For example, Medicare Part B mainly covers outpatient services, which include physician visits and other medically necessary services provided outside of a hospital setting. Medicare Part D is dedicated to prescription drug coverage, offering beneficiaries assistance with the costs of their medications.

Understanding these distinctions is crucial when studying for the MPJE, as it helps delineate the roles of different Medicare components and their relevance in the context of pharmacy practice and patient care.