2024 Medicare Parts A & B Premiums and Deductibles
On October 12, 2023, the Centers for Medicare & Medicaid Services (CMS) released the2024 premiums, deductibles, and coinsurance amounts for the Medicare Part A and Part B programs, and the 2024 Medicare Part D income-related monthly adjustment amounts.
The Medicare Savings Programs (MSPs) help more than 10 million people with coverage of Medicare premiums and, in most cases, other cost sharing. In their continued efforts to improve access to health care and lower costs for millions of Americans, the Department of Health and Human Services (HHS), through CMS, recently finalized a rule to streamline enrollment in MSPs, making coverage more affordable for an estimated 860,000 people. In addition, the Part D low‑income subsidy (LIS) helps pay for the Part D premium and lowers the cost of prescription drugs. Further, the Inflation Reduction Act recently expanded the number of people eligible for full LIS.
Medicare Part B Premium and Deductible
Medicare Part B covers physicians’ services, outpatient hospital services, certain home health services, durable medical equipment, and certain other medical and health services not covered by Medicare Part A.
Each year, the Medicare Part B premium, deductible, and coinsurance rates are determined according to provisions of the Social Security Act. The standard monthly premium for Medicare Part B enrollees will be $174.70 for 2024, an increase of $9.80 from $164.90 in2023. The annual deductible for all Medicare Part B beneficiaries will be $240 in 2024, an increase of $14 from the annual deductible of $226 in 2023.
The increase in the 2024 Part B standard premium and deductible is mainly due to projected increases in health care spending and, to a lesser degree, the remedy for the 340B-acquired drug payment policy for the 2018-2022 period under the Hospital Outpatient Prospective Payment System.
Beginning in 2023, individuals whose full Medicare coverage ended 36 months after a kidney transplant and who do not have certain other types of insurance coverage can elect to continue Part B coverage of immunosuppressive drugs by paying a premium. For 2024,the standard immunosuppressive drug premium is $103.00.
Late Enrollment Penalty
In most cases, if you don’t sign up for Part B when you’re first eligible, you’ll have to pay a late enrollment penalty. You’ll have to pay this penalty for as long as you have Part B. Your monthly premium for Part B may increase 10% of the standard premium for each full 12-month period that you could have had Part B but didn’t sign up for it. Also, you may have to wait until the General Enrollment Period (from January 1 to March 31) to enroll in Part B. Coverage will start July 1 of that year.
Medicare Part B Income-Related Monthly Adjustment Amounts
Since 2007, a beneficiary’s Part B monthly premium has been based on his or her income. These income-related monthly adjustment amounts affect roughly 8 percent of people with Medicare Part B. The 2024 Part B total premiums for high-income beneficiaries with full Part B coverage are shown in the following table:
Medicare Part A Premium and Deductible
Medicare Part A covers inpatient hospitals, skilled nursing facilities, hospice, inpatient rehabilitation, and some home health care services. About 99 percent of Medicare beneficiaries do not have a Part A premium since they have at least 40 quarters of Medicare-covered employment, as determined by the Social Security Administration.
The Medicare Part A inpatient hospital deductible that beneficiaries pay if admitted to the hospital will be $1,632 in 2024, an increase of $32 from $1,600 in 2023. The Part A inpatient hospital deductible covers beneficiaries’ share of costs for the first 60 days of Medicare-covered inpatient hospital care in a benefit period. In 2024, beneficiaries must pay a coinsurance amount of $408 per day for the 61 through 90 day of a hospitalization ($400 in 2023) in a benefit period and $816 per day for lifetime reserve days ($800 in 2023). For beneficiaries in skilled nursing facilities, the daily coinsurance for days21 through 100 of extended care services in a benefit period will be $204.00 in 2024 ($200.00 in 2023).
Enrollees age 65 and older who have fewer than 40 quarters of coverage and certain persons with disabilities pay a monthly premium in order to voluntarily enroll in Medicare Part A. Individuals who had at least 30 quarters of coverage or were married to someone with at least 30 quarters of coverage may buy into Part A at a reduced monthly premium rate, which will be $278 in 2024, the same amount as 2023. Certain uninsured aged individuals who have less than 30 quarters of coverage and certain individuals with disabilities who have exhausted other entitlement will pay the full premium, which will be$505 a month in 2024, a $1 decrease from 2023.
Medicare Part D Income-Related Monthly Adjustment Amounts
Since 2011, a beneficiary’s Part D monthly premium has been based on his or her income. These income-related monthly adjustment amounts affect roughly 8 percent of people with Medicare Part D. These individuals will pay the income-related monthly adjustment amount in addition to their Part D premium. Part D premiums vary plan and regardless of how a beneficiary pays their Part D premium, the Part D income-related monthly adjustment amounts are deducted from Social Security benefit checks or paid directly to Medicare. Roughly two-thirds of beneficiaries pay premiums directly to the plan while the remainder have their premiums deducted from their Social Security benefit checks. The 2024 Part D income-related monthly adjustment amounts for high-income beneficiaries are shown in the following table:
Late Enrollment Penalty
You may owe a late enrollment penalty if, for any continuous period of 63 days or more after your Initial Enrollment Period is over, you go without one of these:
• A Medicare Prescription Drug Plan (Part D)
• A Medicare Advantage Plan (Part C) (like an HMO or PPO) or another Medicare health plan that offers Medicare prescription drug coverage
• Creditable prescription drug coverage
In general, you’ll have to pay this penalty for as long as you have a Medicare drug plan. The cost of the late enrollment penalty depends on how long you went without Part D or creditable prescription drug coverage.
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