Medicare Part B – Medical Insurance

Medicare Part B covers a portion of:

• Outpatient speech therapy
• Certain home health care
• Certain ambulance services
• Certain medical equipment and supplies

Part B coverage is optional. If you or your spouse is still working and covered by your employer group health plan, you may not need this part of Medicare until you or your spouse retires. Learn more.

The standard Medicare Part B premium for 2017 is $134.00. Yet, most people (70% of Medicare beneficiaries) will pay $109.00, compared to $104.90 for the past 4 years. Most people have it automatically deducted from their Social Security check every month. The remaining 30% of beneficiaries will pay the higher premium. These people include:

• People newly eligible for Medicare (whose Medicare becomes effective January 1, 2017 or later)
• Beneficiaries with higher income (see below)
• Beneficiaries who do not have their Part B premium deducted from their Social Security check, and
• Beneficiaries who also qualify for full Medi-Cal benefits or a Medicare Savings Program (because Medi-Cal pays the Part B premium).

NOTE: If you don’t receive Social Security benefits, you will be billed for Part B. Also, people with higher incomes (individuals with annual incomes over $85,000 and couples with incomes over $170,000) will pay a higher Part B premium than the standard $134.00 amount. See table below.

2017 Part B Premiums & Deductibles

The chart below lists the Part B premiums and deductibles. For a comprehensive list of both Part A and Part B costs, see our summary chart, Medicare Benefits & Cost-Sharing for 2017.

* Premium is per person

** Approximately 70% of Medicare beneficiaries are “held harmless” and will pay $109.00. The other 30% pay the 2017 standard premium amount of $134.00 (or higher depending on their income). These beneficiaries include those who are new to Medicare in 2017, those with higher incomes, and those who do not have the Part B premium deducted from their Social Security check, which includes beneficiaries who also qualify for Medi-Cal or a Medicare Savings Program. Medi-Cal pays the Part B premium for this last group.

Note: Income categories for the Part B premiums will be frozen through 2019 and will not be adjusted annually for inflation. This means that more people will reach the threshold and pay a higher amount for their Part B premium.

See also:

• Medicare Part A
• Enrolling in Medicare Parts A and B
• Chart on Medicare Benefits and Cost-Sharing