How much of the hospital bill does Medicare pay?
For the first 60 days of a hospital stay, Medicare pays everything over the first $68 of all covered services, which are fairly comprehensive. The patient’s costs go up to $17 a day for the next 30 days. If a stay of longer than 90 days is necessary, the insured person can draw on a “lifetime reserve” of 60 additional days. However, costs go up again, and Medicare pays only after $34 a day is met by the patient.
Medicare payments are figured in benefit periods, and there is no limit on the number of benefit periods a person can have. When it comes to hospitalization for psychiatric reasons, however, Medicare has a lifetime limit of 190 days.