2019 Original Medicare Costs

Published by Mike Lovell on May 10, 2019

PART A

PREMIUM

Part A for most people is premium free.  As long as you or your spouse paid into Medicare for 40 quarters (10 years) then you will not have a premium for Medicare part A.

It is possible to buy Part A if you did not pay into Medicare for 40 quarters.

• If you buy Part A, you’ll pay up to $437 each month.
• If you paid Medicare taxes for less than 30 quarters, the standard Part A premium is $437.
• If you paid Medicare taxes for 30-39 quarters, the standard Part A premium is $240.

DEDUCTIBLE AND CO-INSURANCE

Medicare part A does have a deductible of $1,364 per period.  It’s unique because many deductibles are for the calendar year.  This deductible lasts for a period of 60 days.  So it’s possible you could have to pay that deductible multiple times per year.

After you meet your deductible you still have some additional costs associated with part A.

• $170.50 per day for days 21-100 in a skilled nursing facility
• $341 per day for days 61-90 in the hospital
• $682 per day for 60 days lifetime days before 90 in the hospital

PART B

PREMIUM

The average person starting Medicare in 2019 will be $135.50 per month for part B.  This premium can vary based off your income so some people may pay different amounts.

IRMMA

If your modified adjusted gross income as reported on your IRS tax return from 2 years ago is above a certain amount, you’ll pay the standard premium amount and an Income Related Monthly Adjustment Amount (IRMAA). IRMAA is an extra charge added to your premium

It’s important to note that the income from 2 years ago is what is being used.  So if you recently retired and expect your income to be below these levels then it may be a good idea to attempt to appeal the IRMAA decision.

Please contact me if you need assistance working on an IRMAA appeal.

Here is some more information from Social Security about  IRMAA.

Part B premium assistance

If your income and resources are below a certain limit then there are options for assistance with both Part A and Part B.  To see if you qualify you can view this page with the different tiers of help as well as instructions on how to apply.

Do you qualify

DEDUCTIBLE AND CO-INSURANCE

Part B has a calendar year deductible of $185.  Once you meet this deductible Medicare pays 80% of your part B charges and you pay 20%

RECAP

Part A and B make up Original Medicare. Most people on Medicare decide to add additional coverage than just Original Medicare.  One option is Medicare supplements to fill in the gaps of Original Medicare combined with a prescription drug plan.  Another option is enrolling in a Medicare Advantage plan.

You can check out your options further by calling me at 608-571-4461.

Mike Lovell
608-571-4461
Mike@askMedicareMike.com