The Centers for Medicare and Medicaid Services (CMS) recently announced the 2019 premiums for Medicare Parts A & B.
2019 Medicare Part B Premiums/Deductibles
Medicare Part B covers physician services, outpatient hospital services, certain home health services, durable medical equipment, and certain other medical and health services not covered by Medicare Part A.
The standard monthly premium for Medicare Part B enrollees will be $135.50 for 2019, an increase of $1.50 from $134 in 2018.
An estimated 2 million Medicare beneficiaries (about 3.5%) will pay less than the full Part B standard monthly premium amount in 2019 due to the statutory hold harmless provision, which limits certain beneficiaries’ increase in their Part B premium to be no greater than the increase in their Social Security benefits.
The annual deductible for all Medicare Part B beneficiaries is $185 in 2019, an increase of $2 from the annual deductible $183 in 2018. Premiums and deductibles for Medicare Advantage and Medicare Prescription Drug plans are already finalized and are unaffected by this announcement.
Since 2007, a beneficiary’s Part B monthly premium is based on his or her income. These income-related monthly adjustment amounts (IRMAA) affect roughly 5 percent of people with Medicare Part B. The total premiums for high income beneficiaries for 2019 are shown in the following table:
| Beneficiaries who file individual tax returns with income: |
Beneficiaries who file joint tax returns with income: |
Income-related monthly adjustment amount | Total monthly premium amount |
|---|---|---|---|
| Less than or equal to $85,000 | Less than or equal to $170,000 | $0.00 | $135.50 |
| Greater than $85,000 and less than or equal to $107,000 | Greater than $170,000 and less than or equal to $214,000 | $54.10 | $189.60 |
| Greater than $107,000 and less than or equal to $133,500 | Greater than $214,000 and less than or equal to $267,000 | $135.40 | $270.90 |
| Greater than $133,500 and less than or equal to $160,000 | Greater than $267,000 and less than or equal to $320,000 | $216.70 | $352.20 |
| Greater than $160,000 and less than $500,000 | Greater than $320,000 and less than $750,000 | $297.90 | $433.40 |
| Greater than or equal to $500,000 | Greater than or equal to $750,000 | $325.00 | $460.50 |
Premiums for high-income 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 spouses at any time during the year, but who file separate tax returns from their spouses: | Income-related monthly adjustment amount | Total monthly premium amount |
|---|---|---|
| Less than or equal to $85,000 | $0.00 | $135.50 |
| Greater than $85,000 and less than $415,000 | $297.90 | $433.40 |
| Greater than or equal to $415,000 | $325.00 | $460.50 |
You pay a premium each month for Part B. Your Part B premium will be automatically deducted from your benefit payment if you get benefits from one of these:
- Social Security
- Railroad Retirement Board
- Office of Personnel Management
If you don’t get these benefit payments, you’ll get a bill.
Most people will pay the standard premium amount. If your modified adjusted gross income is above a certain amount, you may pay an Income Related Monthly Adjustment Amount (IRMAA). Medicare uses the modified adjusted gross income reported on your IRS tax return from 2 years ago. This is the most recent tax return information provided to Social Security by the IRS.
