Hospitalized Over 60 Days? This Is How Much Medicare Could Cost You in 2025

Let’s be honest—no one plans to stay in the hospital for more than two months. But life can be unpredictable. And if you’re on Medicare and end up needing that kind of extended care, the bills might surprise you.

So here’s the big question: How much will Medicare actually cover in 2025, and what will you have to pay out of pocket once you hit that 61st day in the hospital? Let’s walk through it together, in plain, simple terms.

What Medicare Covers First

Medicare Part A helps cover your hospital stays. That includes things like surgery, recovery from serious illness, or complications that require you to stay overnight for an extended period.

Here’s how the costs break down in 2025:

• First 60 days: You pay a one-time $1,676 deductible per benefit period. After that, Medicare covers the rest.

• Days 61 to 90: You’ll pay $419 per day.

• After Day 90: You can use “lifetime reserve days”—but those cost $838 per day, and you only get 60 of them in your entire life.

• After you use those up: You’re responsible for 100% of the costs. That’s a tough spot to be in.

Let’s Do the Math

Imagine you end up in the hospital for 75 days in a single benefit period. Here’s how that would look:

And keep in mind, that doesn’t include medications, specialists, or anything else that might come up during your stay. That’s just the hospital room itself.

What’s a “Benefit Period” Anyway?

This part can be confusing, so here’s a quick explanation:

• A benefit period starts when you’re admitted to the hospital.

• It ends when you haven’t received any inpatient care for 60 days in a row.

• If you’re hospitalized again after that, even in the same year, a new benefit period begins—and so does a new deductible.

So yeah, it’s possible to have more than one benefit period in a single year, which means you might end up paying that $1,676 deductible more than once.

Why Did the Cost Go Up?

In 2024, the coinsurance for days 61 to 90 was $408 per day. For 2025, it’s increased to $419. These changes are tied to inflation and healthcare cost trends. Even though that $11 increase might seem small, it really adds up over several days.

How Can You Avoid These Big Bills?

There are a few ways to help protect yourself from getting stuck with major out-of-pocket costs:

1. Medigap (Medicare Supplement) Insurance
   These plans help cover the gaps in Original Medicare. Some will pay the full coinsurance amount for those longer hospital stays.

2. Medicare Advantage (Part C) Plans
   These often include hospital coverage with a flat daily copay instead of traditional coinsurance. Some plans are more generous, but they can come with network restrictions.

3. Medicaid or Financial Assistance
   If your income is low, you may qualify for programs that help cover hospital costs Medicare doesn’t fully pay for.

If your hospital stay runs longer than 60 days, it’s important to know that you’ll start paying $419 per day beginning on Day 61 in 2025. That can really add up, especially if you’re on a fixed income.

Here’s what to remember:

• Review your Medicare coverage every year.

• Don’t assume everything will be covered past 60 days.

• Consider adding a Medigap plan or switching to a Medicare Advantage plan with better coverage for extended hospital stays.

• Keep track of your hospital days, especially if you’re admitted more than once in a year.

Want help comparing Medigap or Advantage plans? I’m happy to break it all down for you—just let me know.