News Release
U.S. Department of Health &
Human Services
News
Division
202-690-6343
FOR IMMEDIATE RELEASE
Thursday, October 9, 2014
Thursday, October 9, 2014
2015 Medicare Part B Premiums and Deductibles to Remain the Same as Last Two Years
Premiums, copays
and deductibles for other Medicare programs for 2015 also announced
Secretary of Health and Human
Services (HHS) Sylvia Burwell announced today that next year’s standard
Medicare Part B monthly premium and deductible will remain the same as the last
two years. Medicare Part B covers physicians’ services, outpatient hospital services,
certain home health services, durable medical equipment, and other items. For
the approximately 49 million Americans enrolled in Medicare Part B, premiums
and deductibles will remain unchanged in 2015 at $104.90 and $147 respectively.
This leaves more of seniors’ cost of living adjustment from Social Security in
their pockets.
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.
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.
No comments:
Post a Comment