What does the benefit period for Medicare coverage start and end with?

The benefit period for Medicare coverage specifically begins when a beneficiary enters a hospital or skilled nursing facility and ends when they have not received any inpatient hospital or skilled nursing facility care for 60 consecutive days. This period is crucial as it determines how benefits are paid; if the beneficiary is hospitalized again after a break of 60 days, a new benefit period would start. Thus, the correct answer reflects a clear understanding of how Medicare’s benefit structure is designed to manage and limit coverage based on continuous care needs.

The other options do not accurately capture the structure of the benefit period in Medicare. For example, hospital admission to discharge refers to a single hospitalization episode, which does not encompass the entire benefit period. Application submission to approval concerns the enrollment process rather than the benefit period itself. Lastly, the timeframe from first payment to last payment does not relate to the specific rules governing how and when Medicare benefits are provided.