Original Medicare (Parts A and B), Medicare Advantage (Part C), and prescription drug (Part D) plans cover different aspects of COVID-19 prevention, diagnosis, and treatment.

In March 2020, the World Health Organization (WHO) declared a pandemic outbreak of COVID-19, the disease caused by the new coronavirus (SARS-CoV-2).

More than 775 million confirmed cases and over 7 million deaths have been reported worldwide since the start of the pandemic.

Medicare continues to provide coverage for diagnosis and treatment of COVID-19 as follows:

Part A

Part A is hospital insurance. It covers COVID-19 testing and treatment during an inpatient stay at a hospital or skilled nursing facility. Treatment might include:

Part B

Part B is medical insurance. It covers the outpatient diagnosis, treatment, and prevention of medical conditions. For COVID-19, this includes FDA-authorized or approved:

Medicare beneficiaries have expanded access to telehealth care until December 31, 2024. After this period, you must meet certain criteria to receive telehealth services.

You may be able to receive in-home vaccinations and diagnostic testing for COVID-19 if you meet certain criteria.

Part D

Part D covers prescription drugs that you take outside of a healthcare facility.

This includes oral antiviral medications FDA-authorized or approved for COVID-19, such as nirmatrelvir-ritonavir (Paxlovid) and molnupiravir (Lagevrio).

Medicare Advantage

Part C (Medicare Advantage) plans bundle hospital and medical insurance with prescription drug coverage. They’re required to cover the same basic services as Original Medicare, including inpatient and outpatient COVID-19 care.

Medicare Advantage plans cover the COVID-19 vaccine at no out-of-pocket cost to you, aside from your plan’s monthly premium.

Unlike Original Medicare, some Medicare Advantage plans may require you to pay part of the cost for COVID-19 tests and treatments.

The following section breaks down your anticipated cost based on the part of Medicare that would provide coverage:

Part A

Most people do not have to pay a monthly premium for Part A. If you don’t meet the criteria for premium-free Part A, you’ll pay $285 or $518 each month.

Here are the basic costs for an inpatient hospital stay in 2025:

  • $1,676 deductible for each benefit period
  • $0 coinsurance for days 1 to 60 of treatment after you pay your deductible
  • $419 coinsurance per day for days 61 to 90 of treatment
  • $838 coinsurance per day for days 91 to 150 of treatment while using your 60 lifetime reserve days
  • 100% of the treatment costs for days 151+

For a skilled nursing facility stay:

  • $0 coinsurance for days 1 to 20
  • $209.5 coinsurance per day for days 21 to 100 of treatment
  • 100% of the treatment costs for days 101+

Part B

In 2025, most people will pay a monthly premium of $185. Your premium may be higher depending on your income.

After you pay a $257 deductible, you’ll generally pay 20% of all Medicare-approved costs for covered services. However, there are no out-of-pocket costs for outpatient COVID-19 care covered by Original Medicare.

That means you’ll pay $0 for COVID-19 vaccinations, tests, and treatments if you go to a healthcare professional who accepts Medicare assignment.

Providers who accept assignment agree to Medicare-approved rates, which are usually lower than standard prices. You can use this tool to find a Medicare-approved provider near you.

What is Medigap?

Medigap can help cover some costs associated with parts A and B, such as premiums, deductibles, and copays. You can only enroll in Medigap if you have an Original Medicare plan.

You can’t enroll in Medigap if you have a Part C plan.

Part C

Each Part C plan sets its own cost and coverage amounts. Your premiums, deductibles, copayments, and coinsurance amounts depend on your specific plan.

Staying in network — which means seeking care from a predetermined list of healthcare professionals and facilities — usually costs less than going out of network.

When it comes to no-cost services like the COVID-19 vaccine, you’ll likely need to stay in the network to avoid being charged the full cost.

Part D

Each Part D plan sets its own cost and coverage amounts. The amount of coverage each plan provides depends on its formulary and tier system.

A formulary is a list of medications the plan covers. Those medications are then divided into groups or tiers, typically based on cost. All Part D plan formularies include Paxlovid, and most include Lagevrio.

Can you still get free COVID tests?

Every U.S. household can still receive four free COVID-19 tests by visiting www.COVIDTests.gov.

How much does Paxlovid cost on Medicare?

Under Part D, Paxlovid was available at no out-of-pocket cost until December 31, 2024, at which point it was to become available as a tiered medication with a set copay, like Lagevrio. That said, the government and Pfizer, which manufactures the drug, have extended their agreement to allow Medicare enrollees who take Paxlovid to continue getting the drug for free through February 28, 2025.

Does Medicare cover 100% of hospital bills?

Your Part A deductible is $1,676 per hospital stay in 2025. If your hospital stay exceeds 60 days, you will have an additional out-of-pocket cost for each extra day. Most individuals don’t pay a premium for Part A unless they’ve worked and paid taxes in the US for less than 10 years.

Original Medicare and Medicare Advantage cover a range of vaccinations, tests, and treatments for COVID-19.

Your inpatient and outpatient costs will depend on your individual plan, the type of care you receive, and where you receive care.