Medicare 2015 Part B Charges Remain Unchanged, Part
A Deductible Up Some
Premiums, copays and deductibles for other Medicare
programs for 2015 also announced
Oct.
9, 2014 – There is good news for senior citizens today – the Medicare
Part B monthly premium and deductible will remain the same for 2015 as
the last two years: $104.90 and $147 respectively. Most other Medicare
charges will also remain stable with the exception of The Medicare Part
A deductible, that beneficiaries pay when admitted to the hospital, will
be $1,260 in 2015, an increase of $44 from this year's $1,216
deductible.
The announcement of the 2015 pricing by the Centers
for Medicare & Medicaid Services was made today by Secretary of Health
and Human Services (HHS) Sylvia Burwell. She said holding the line on
increases leaves more of seniors’ cost of living adjustment from Social
Security in their pockets.
Medicare Part B covers physicians’ services,
outpatient hospital services, certain home health services, durable
medical equipment, and other items. There are approximately 49 million
Americans enrolled in Medicare Part B.
According to the HHS Office of the Assistant
Secretary for Planning and Evaluation, as compared to Congressional
Budget Office (CBO) projections for 2015 made in 2009, premiums will be
more than $125 lower over the course of a year.
“Thanks to slower health care cost growth within
Medicare since the passage of the Affordable Care Act, next year’s
Medicare Part B monthly premium will remain unchanged for the second
consecutive year,” said Secretary Burwell. “The Affordable Care Act is
working to improve affordability and access to quality care for seniors
and people with disabilities.”
“The stabilization of Part B premiums is another
example of how we are containing health care costs to provide a more
sustainable and affordable health delivery system. The Administration
has taken important steps to improve the quality of care while keeping
the cost of Medicare premiums and deductibles the same,” said CMS
Administrator Marilyn Tavenner. “This means even greater financial and
health security for our seniors next year as their premiums will remain
unchanged.”
Over the past four years, per capita Medicare
spending growth has averaged 0.8 percent annually, much lower than the
3.1 percent annual increase in per capita GDP over the same period.
Changes in Medicare Part A
The Centers for Medicare & Medicaid Services also
announced today that for the small number of beneficiaries who pay
Medicare Part A monthly premiums, their monthly bill will drop $19 in
2015 to $407.
Medicare Part A covers inpatient hospital, skilled
nursing facility, and some home health care services. Although about 99
percent of Medicare beneficiaries do not pay a Part A premium since they
have at least 40 quarters of Medicare-covered employment, enrollees age
65 and over and certain persons with disabilities who have fewer than 30
quarters of coverage pay a monthly premium in order to receive coverage
under Part A.
Beneficiaries who have between 30 and 39 quarters
of coverage may buy into Part A at a reduced monthly premium rate which
is $224 for 2015, a decrease of $10 from 2014.
The Medicare Part A deductible that beneficiaries
pay when admitted to the hospital will be $1,260 in 2015, a modest
increase of $44 from this year's $1,216 deductible. The Part A
deductible covers beneficiaries' share of costs for the first 60 days of
Medicare-covered inpatient hospital care in a benefit period.
Beneficiaries must pay an additional $315 per day for days 61 through 90
in 2015, and $630 per day for hospital stays beyond the 90th day.
For beneficiaries in skilled nursing facilities,
the daily co-insurance for days 21 through 100 in a benefit period will
be $157.50 in 2015, compared to $152.00 in 2014.
Since 2007, beneficiaries with higher incomes have
paid higher Part B monthly premiums. These income-related monthly
premium rates, which affect less than 5 percent of people with Medicare,
will also remain the same as they were in 2014. They are shown in the
following table:
Beneficiaries who file an individual tax return with income:
Beneficiaries who file a joint tax return with income:
Part B income-related monthly adjustment amount
Total monthly Part B premium amount
Less than or equal to $85,000
Less than or equal to $170,000
$0.00
$104.90
Greater than $85,000 and less than or equal to $107,000
Greater than $170,000 and less than or equal to $214,000
$42.00
$146.90
Greater than $107,000 and less than or equal to $160,000
Greater than $214,000 and less than or equal to $320,000
$104.90
$209.80
Greater than $160,000 and less than or equal to $214,000
Greater than $320,000 and less than or equal to $428,000
$167.80
$272.70
Greater than $214,000
Greater than $428,000
$230.80
$335.70
Monthly premium rates to
be paid by beneficiaries who are married and lived with their spouse at
any time during the taxable year, but file a separate return, are as
follows:
Beneficiaries who are married and lived with their spouse at
any time during the year, but file a separate tax return
from their spouse:
Part B income-related monthly adjustment amount
Total monthly Part B premium amount
Less than or equal to $85,000
$0.00
$104.90
Greater than $85,000 and less than or equal to $129,000
$167.80
$272.70
Greater than $129,000
$230.80
$335.70
States have programs that
pay some or all of beneficiaries' premiums and coinsurance for certain
people who have Medicare and a limited income. Information is available
at 1-800-MEDICARE (1-800-633-4227) and, for hearing and speech impaired,
at TTY/TDD: 1-877-486-2048.
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Oct.
9, 2014 – There is good news for senior citizens today – the Medicare
Part B monthly premium and deductible will remain the same for 2015 as
the last two years: $104.90 and $147 respectively. Most other Medicare
charges will also remain stable with the exception of The Medicare Part
A deductible, that beneficiaries pay when admitted to the hospital, will
be $1,260 in 2015, an increase of $44 from this year's $1,216
deductible.
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