Medicare Part A Premium Free Eligibility

Medicare Part A can come free of premiums if you meet the eligibility requirements. Generally, individuals who paid Medicare taxes for 40 or more quarters qualify for Part A premium-free but there are other ways you can qualify for it.

If you:

• paid Social Security and Medicare taxes for at least 40 quarters
• eligible for Railroad Retirement benefits
• or, have a spouse that qualify for premium-free Part A;

you qualify for Part A premium-free. If you paid Social Security and Medicare taxes but not for the required period of time, you get a reduced Part A premium.

If you or your spouse paid Social Security and Medicare taxes between 30 and 39 quarters, the premium for Part A is $259. For taxes paid less than 30 quarters, the premium is $471. These amounts are for the 2025 calendar year. The Centers for Medicare and Medicaid Services updated the 2025 premium amounts. Learn more about the 2025 premiums for Medicare.

Other than the above requirements for Part A premium-free, you may be eligible for premium-free if you were a federal employee after the start of 1983 or March 31, 1986 if you’re a state or local employee. To check your eligibility, contact the Centers for Medicare and Medicaid Services to see if you qualify for Part A premium-free.

Part A Deductible and Premium

Those who don’t qualify for premium-free Part A must pay premiums. For the 2021 calendar year, here are the Part A premiums.

On the other hand, Part A deductible is $1,484 for each benefit period. There is also coinsurance. Since Part A covers hospital costs, Part A coinsurance is as follows.

• 1 – 60 Days: $0
• 61 – 90 Days: $371 per day
• 91 and more: $742 per day + you will use your lifetime reserve days which you have up to 60 over your lifetime. If you exceed 60 days, you will have to pay all costs.

Once again, the above costs are updated for the 2025 calendar year.