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2018 Medicare Part A and Part B Premium & Deductible
This is archive material for research purposes. Please see PDPFinder.com or MAFinder.com for current plans.

2018 Medicare Part A (Hospital) Monthly Premium & Deductible

You usually don’t pay a monthly Premium for Medicare Part A coverage if you or your spouse paid Medicare taxes while working.

If you aren’t eligible for premium-free Part A, you may be able to buy Medicare Part A if you meet one of the following conditions:
  • You’re 65 or older, and you have (or are enrolling in) Part B and meet the citizenship and residency requirements.
  • You’re under 65, disabled, and your premium-free Part A coverage ended because you returned to work. (If you’re under 65 and disabled, you can continue to get premium-free Part A for up to 8 1/2 years after you return to work.)

The chart below shows the annual Medicare Part A deductible and the Medicare Part A monthly premium for people who do not qualify for premium-free Part A.

Medicare Part A Premium and Part A Deductible
Year Premium Deductible
2018 $422 $1,340
2019 $437 $1,364
2017 $413 $1,316
2016 $411 $1,288
2015 $407 $1,260
2014 $426 $1,216
2013 $441 $1,184
2012 $451 $1,156
2011 $450 $1,132
2010 $461 $1,100
2009 $443 $1,068
2008 $423 $1,024
2007 $410 $992





Medicare Part A Late Enrollment Penalty

If you aren’t eligible for premium-free Part A, and you don’t buy it when you’re first eligible, your monthly premium may go up 10%. You will have to pay the higher premium for twice the number of years you could have had Part A, but didn’t sign-up. For example, if you were eligible for Part A for 2 years but didn’t sign-up, you will have to pay the higher premium for 4 years. Usually, you don’t have to pay a penalty if you meet certain conditions that allow you to sign up for Part A during a Special Enrollment Period. If you aren’t eligible for premium-free Part A, and you don’t buy it when you’re first eligible, your monthly premium may go up 10%. You will have to pay the higher premium for twice the number of years you could have had Part A, but didn’t sign-up. For example, if you were eligible for Part A for 2 years but didn’t sign-up, you will have to pay the higher premium for 4 years. Usually, you don’t have to pay a penalty if you meet certain conditions that allow you to sign up for Part A during a Special Enrollment Period. Read more under Medicare Part A Special Enrollment Period.


2018 Medicare Part B (Medical) Monthly Premium & Deductible

2018 Medicare Part B Deductible
CMS announced that the annual deductible for all Part B beneficiaries once again be $183, the same as in 2017.

How Much Does Medicare Part B Coverage Cost?

You pay the Medicare Part B premium each month. Most people will pay up to the standard premium amount. However, if your modified adjusted gross income (AGI) as reported on your IRS tax return from 2 years ago (the most recent tax return information provided to Social Security by the IRS) is above a certain amount (see chart below), you may pay more. This is called the income related monthly adjustment amount (IRMAA).

Your modified adjusted gross income is your adjusted gross income plus your tax exempt interest income. Each year, Social Security will notify you if you have to pay more than the standard premium. The amount you pay can change each year depending on your income. If you have to pay a higher amount for your Part B premium and you disagree, you can appeal the IRMAA.

2018 Medicare Part B Premium
The Social Security Administration announced a 2.2 percent cost-of-living adjustment (COLA) for 2018 Social Security benefits - which translates into about a $28 increase for the average Medicare Part B beneficiary. Since the Social Security law includes a "hold-harmless" provision preventing Medicare Part B premiums from increasing faster than Social Security benefits, about 70 percent of the people with Medicare Part B will be "held harmless" from any increase in 2017 Part B premiums and will "effectively" pay a slightly higher monthly premium as compared to last year - after taking the 2.2 percent COLA increase into account. This means that the monthly Medicare Part B premium will increase from about $109 in 2017 to an average of around $130 per month in 2018 for most Medicare Part B beneficiaries. (The actual increase in Medicare Part B premiums will depend on a Medicare beneficiary's Social Security benefits, with higher earners paying more than $130 and people with lower Social Security benefits paying less than $130 per month.)

Medicare beneficiaries not subject to the "hold harmless" provision will pay $134. Medicare Part B beneficiaries not subject to the "hold harmless" provision are:
  • those not collecting Social Security benefits,
  • those who will enroll in Part B for the first time in 2018,
  • dual eligible beneficiaries who have their premiums paid by Medicaid, and
  • beneficiaries who pay an additional income-related premium.
These groups account for about 30 percent of the 52 million Americans expected to be enrolled in Medicare Part B in 2018.

Since 2007, beneficiaries with higher incomes have paid higher Part B monthly premiums. These income-related monthly adjustment amount (IRMAA) affect fewer than 5 percent of people with Medicare. To learn more, see our article: 2018 IRMAA: 35% to 58% Medicare Part D IRMAA payment increases for individual earning incomes between $133,500 - $214,000 and couples earning $267,000 - $428,000.

The IRMAA, additional amounts, and total Part B premiums for high income beneficiaries for 2018 are shown in the following table. The "You Pay" column includes the IRMAA amount.

If Your Yearly Income Is    
File Individual Tax Return File Joint Tax Return IRMAA You Pay
Less than or equal to $85,000 and you are subject to "hold harmless" Less than or equal to $170,000 and you are subject to "hold harmless" $0.00 Slightly higher than you paid in 2017 when considering your 2.2 percent Social Security benefit COLA - the average premium would be around $130
Less than or equal to $85,000 and you are NOT subject to "hold harmless" Less than or equal to $170,000 and you are NOT subject to "hold harmless" $0.00 $134.00*
$85,001 - $107,000 $170,001 - $214,000 $53.50 $187.50*
$107,001 - $133,500 $214,001 - $267,000 $133.90 $267.90*
$133,500 - $160,000 $267,001 - $320,000 $214.30 $348.30*
Greater than $160,000 Greater than $320,000 $294.60 $428.60*
*If you pay a late-enrollment Penalty, your monthly premium is higher.



Medicare Part B Late Enrollment Penalty

If you don’t sign up for Part B when you’re first eligible, you may have to pay a late enrollment penalty for as long as you have Medicare. Your monthly premium for Part B may go up 10% for each full 12-month period that you could have had Part B, but didn’t sign up for it. Usually, you don’t pay a late enrollment penalty if you meet certain conditions that allow you to sign up for Part B during a special enrollment period.

Example: Mr. Smith’s initial enrollment period ended September 30, 2014. He waited to sign up for Part B until the General Enrollment Period in March 2017. His Part B premium penalty is 20%. (While Mr. Smith waited a total of 30 months to sign up, this included only two full 12-month periods.)

Ways to Pay If you get Social Security, RRB, or Civil Service benefits, your Part B premium will get deducted from your benefit payment. If you don’t get these benefit payments and choose to sign up for Part B, you will get a bill. If you choose to buy Part A, you will always get a bill for your premium. You can mail your premium payments to the Medicare Premium Collection Center, P.O. Box 790355, St. Louis, Missouri 63179-0355. If you get a bill from the RRB, mail your premium payments to RRB, Medicare Premium Payments, P.O. Box 9024, St. Louis, Missouri 63197-9024.
*If you pay a late-enrollment Penalty, this amount is higher.

You can read more about the 2018 Medicare Part A & B premiums and deductibles in our article: Changes in 2018 Medicare Part B Premium and Deductible.





2018 Part C (Medicare Advantage) Monthly Premium & Deductible

Medicare Advantage plan premiums*, deductibles, and benefits will depend on the Medicare Advantage plans available in your service area (county or ZIP code). Along with your Medicare Advantage plan premium, you must continue to pay your Part B premium (and Part A premium if you do not receive your Medicare Part A coverage premium-free).

The 2018 Medicare Advantage plan premiums range from $0 to $376.


*If you pay a late-enrollment Penalty, your monthly premium is higher.


2018 Part D (Medicare Prescription Drug Plan) Monthly Premium & Deductible

Medicare Prescription Drug Plan (Part D) premiums*, deductibles, and benefits vary by plan and state. Remember that you can receive Part D prescription drug coverage from a stand-alone Medicare Part D plan (PDP) or a Medicare Advantage plan that includes drug coverage (MAPD).

The 2018 Part D plan premiums range from $12 to $198.

The 2018 standard Part D plan deductible is $405, however the actual plan deductible can be anywhere from $0 to $405.


*If you pay a late-enrollment Penalty, this amount is higher.

(Primary Source: Centers for Medicare and Medicaid Services - Medicare and You Handbook. This content may have been enhanced by Q1Group LLC to include further examples, explanations, and links.)


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  • The benefit information provided is a brief summary, not a complete description of benefits. For more information contact the plan.
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  • When enrolling in a Medicare Advantage plan, you must continue to pay your Medicare Part B premium.
  • Medicare beneficiaries with higher incomes may be required to pay both a Medicare Part B and Medicare Part D Income Related Monthly Adjustment Amount (IRMAA). Read more on IRMAA.
  • Medicare Advantage plans that include prescription drug coverage (MAPDs) are considered Medicare Part D plans and members with higher incomes may be subject to the Medicare Part D Income Related Monthly Adjustment Amount (IRMAA), just as members in stand-alone Part D plans. In certain situations, you can appeal IRMAA.
  • You must be enrolled in both Medicare Part A and Part B to enroll in a Medicare Advantage plan. Members may enroll in a Medicare Advantage plan only during specific times of the year. Contact the Medicare plan for more information.
  • If you are enrolled in a Medicare plan with Part D prescription drug coverage, you may be eligible for financial Extra Help to assist with the payment of your prescription drug premiums and drug purchases. To see if you qualify for Extra Help, call: 1-800-MEDICARE (1-800-633-4227). TTY users should call 1-877-486-2048, 24 hours a day/ 7 days a week or consult www.medicare.gov; the Social Security Office at 1-800-772-1213 between 7 a.m. and 7 p.m., Monday through Friday. TTY users should call, 1-800-325-0778; or your state Medicaid Office.
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  • Disclaimer for Institutional Special Needs Plan (SNP): This plan is available to anyone with Medicare who meets the Skilled Nursing Facility (SNF) level of care and resides in a nursing home.
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  • Medicare MSA Plans do not cover prescription drugs. If you join a Medicare MSA Plan, you can also join any separate (stand-alone) Medicare Part D prescription drug plan
  • There are additional restrictions to join an MSA plan, and enrollment is generally for a full calendar year unless you meet certain exceptions. Those who disenroll during the calendar year will owe a portion of the account deposit back to the plan. Contact the plan provider for additional information.
  • Medicare beneficiaries may enroll through the CMS Medicare Online Enrollment Center located at www.medicare.gov.
  • Medicare beneficiaries can file a complaint with the Centers for Medicare & Medicaid Services by calling 1-800-MEDICARE 24 hours a day/7 days or using the medicare.gov site. Beneficiaries can appoint a representative by submitting CMS Form-1696.
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