As noted in a September CMS press release, the average Medicare Advantage plan premium is expected to decline in 2022 with 86% of all 2022 Medicare Advantage plans having a monthly premium under $50 per month.

And in addition to overall lower-premium 2022 Medicare Advantage plans, our analysis found thirty-four percent (34%) of all 2022 Medicare Advantage plans that include prescription drug coverage (MAPDs) will have a $0 premium and $0 initial drug deductible (up from 30% in 2021).

As can be seen in the table below, in 2022, there will be 1,560 Medicare Advantage plans with prescription drug coverage (MAPDs) having a $0 Part D initial drug deductible and a $0 monthly premium ($0/$0 plans) - as compared to 1,248 $0/$0 plans available in 2021.

In other words, over one-third of all 2022 Medicare Advantage plans with drug coverage (MAPDs) will have a $0 premium and a $0 initial deductible for Medicare Part D drugs (1,560 $0/$0 plans out of a total of 4,601 MAPD plans) - as compared to 30% of MAPDs in 2021.

As might be expected, the highest concentration of  $0/$0 Medicare Advantage plans are located in Florida and California.  However, 47 different states will have one or more counties where Medicare beneficiaries will have access to at least one Medicare Advantage plan that includes prescription drug coverage with a $0 deductible and has a $0 monthly premium plan. 

As an example, Miami-Dade County, Florida offers 43 Medicare Advantage plans (MAPDs) with a $0 deductible and $0 monthly premium, 38 of these plans have some Gap (or Donut Hole) Coverage and 27 of those Medicare Advantage plans have a MOOP of $3,450 or less.

As a reminder:  Be sure to look beyond the $0 premium and $0 deductible!

As you review your 2022 Medicare plan options, be sure the Medicare Advantage plan you are considering also:

• has an acceptable annual Medicare Part A and Part B Maximum Out-of-Pocket limit (or MOOP),
  
  
• has a healthcare network including the physicians or health care providers that you can visit (with acceptable limits on out-of-network healthcare), and
  
  
• provides a formulary (drug list) most affordably covering your prescription drugs (and includes your local pharmacies in their network).

Reminder #2:  Medicare Advantage plans with Medicare Part B premium "Giveback"

Some $0/$0 Medicare Advantage plans also return a portion of your Medicare Part B premium or provide a "Giveback", "Give Back", "Dividend", or "Rebate" option to their Medicare plan members.  The amount of your Medicare Part B premium that you receive as a "Giveback" will depend on your Medicare Advantage plan and the area of the country where you are located.

For example, in 2021 about 2,600 counties (or Zip Code areas) include at least one Medicare Advantage plan with a Part B “Give Back” or refund (equating to about 9,500 unique plan/county combinations of different 2021 Medicare Advantage plans) with the amount of the give-backs ranging from $0.10 up to $144.60.

In 2022 over 2,800 counties (or Zip Code areas) include at least one Medicare Advantage plan with a Part B premium “Giveback” (equating to about 14,000 unique plan/county combinations of different 2022 Medicare Advantage plans) with the amount of the give-backs ranging from $1 up to $148.50.

However, the availability of Medicare Advantage plans with Part B premium Givebacks will depend on where you live (County, Zip Code area or partial-ZIP).

As an older 2021 example, here is a link to all counties in New York state and a total of the number of 2021Medicare Advantage plans:
https://q1medicare.com/2021/MedicareAdvantage-2021CHealthPlanMAPDHMOPPONewYork.php

And here is an “example” link to the 109 2021 Medicare Advantage plans in Queens County:
https://q1medicare.com/PartD-SearchMA-Medicare-2021PlanFinder.php?state=NY&countyCode=36081&showCounty=Queens

You will notice that Q1Medicare has a search “filter” for Medicare Part B Give-Back or rebate plans within our Q1Medicare Medicare Advantage Plan Finder (https://MA-Finder.com).

When you “check” the “Part B Giveback plans” box at the top of the page (look within the search criteria fields), you will see that five (5) 2021 Medicare Advantage plans offer the Part B rebate, --- then, when you change the “Additional Info” box to “Display Medicare Part B Giveback Amount”, you will see that the Part B premium rebates range from $5 to $70 per month.

You can change the ZIP Code from Queens County to where you live to see plans in your area.

For more information, instructions for using the filter, and screen shots please see our Frequently Asked Question:
“Do any Medicare Advantage plans refund or give back a portion of my Medicare Part B premium?”: https://Q1FAQ.com/741.html.

As always, you can also call the plans for more Give-Back information (the telephone number for Member Services is available when you click on the plan name).

Need additional help finding a plan?

If you are unsure about your Medicare Advantage plan options, contact a Medicare representative at 1-800-633-4227.

You can also use our MA-Finder to preview all $0 Premium 2022 Medicare Advantage plans with prescription drug coverage available in your area (just enter your ZIP code after clicking on the link or go to MA-Finder.com to start.)