Inpatient rehabilitation care
Medicare covers medically necessary inpatient rehabilitation care if you’re eligible
Description
Inpatient rehabilitation can help if you’re recovering from a serious surgery, illness, or injury and need an intensive rehabilitation therapy program, physician supervision, and coordinated care from your doctors, other health care providers, and therapists.
Coverage details
- Medicare Part A (Hospital Insurance) covers medically necessary care you get in an inpatient rehabilitation facility or unit (sometimes called an inpatient “rehab” facility, IRF, acute care rehabilitation center, or rehabilitation hospital).
- Medicare Part B (Medical Insurance) covers doctors’ services you get while you’re in an inpatient rehabilitation facility.
Medicare-covered inpatient rehabilitation care includes:
- Rehabilitation services, including physical therapy, occupational therapy, and speech-language pathology
- A semi-private room
- Meals
- Nursing services
- Prescription drugs
- Other hospital services and supplies
Medicare doesn’t cover:
- Private duty nursing
- A phone or television in your room (if there’s a separate charge for these items)
- Personal items, like toothpaste, socks, or razors (except when a hospital gives them as part of your hospital admission pack)
- A private room, unless medically necessary
Who's eligible
Medicare covers inpatient rehabilitation care if your doctor certifies that you have a medical condition requiring intensive rehabilitation, continued medical supervision, and coordinated care from your doctors, other health care providers, and therapists.
Costs
You pay this for each benefit period :
- Days 1-60: $0 after you meet your Part A deductible $1,676 in 2025 ($1,736 in 2026).
- Days 61-90: $419 each day in 2025 ($434 in 2026).
- Days 91 and beyond: $838 each day in 2025 ($868 in 2026) for each lifetime reserve day (up to a maximum of 60 reserve days over your lifetime).
- Each day after you use all of your lifetime reserve days: You pay all costs.
You don’t have to pay a deductible for inpatient rehabilitation care if Medicare already charged you a deductible for care you got in a prior hospitalization within the same benefit period. This is because your benefit period starts on day one of your prior hospital stay, and that stay counts towards your deductible. For example, you won’t have to pay a deductible for inpatient rehabilitation care if:
- You’re transferred to an inpatient rehabilitation facility directly from an acute care hospital.
- You’re admitted to an inpatient rehabilitation facility within 60 days of being discharged from a hospital.