Costs | Medicare (2024)

$0 for most people(because they or a spouse paid Medicare taxes long enough while working - generally at least 10 years). If you get Medicare earlier than age 65, you won’t pay a Part A premium. This is sometimes called “premium-free Part A.”

Do I qualify for premium-free Part A?

If you don’t qualify for premium-free Part A: You might be able to buy it. You’ll pay either $278or $506 ($278 or $505 in 2024)each month for Part A, depending on how long you or your spouse worked and paid Medicare taxes.

Remember:

• You also have to sign up for Part B to buy Part A. Learn more about how Medicare works.
• If you don’t buy Part A when you’re first eligible for Medicare (usually when you turn 65), you might pay a penalty. Find out more about how to avoid the Part A penalty.

$1,600($1,632 in 2024) for each inpatient hospital benefit period, before Original Medicare starts to pay.

There’s no limit to the number of benefit periods you can have in a year. This means you may pay the deductible more than once in a year. How do benefit periods work?

• Days 1-60: $0 after you pay your Part A deductible.
• Days 61-90: $400($408 in 2024) copayment each day.
• Days 91-150: $800 ($816 in 2024)copayment each day while using your 60 lifetime reserve days.
• After day 150: You pay all costs.

What's not covered?

What will I pay if I get mental health services as an inpatient?

• Days 1-20: $0 copayment.
• Days 21-100: $200 ($204 in 2024) copayment each day.
• Days 101 and beyond: You pay all costs.

$0 for covered home health care services.

20% of the Medicare-approved amountfordurable medical equipment (like wheelchairs, walkers, hospital beds, and other equipment)

$0 forcovered hospice care services.

You may also pay:

• A copayment of up to $5 for each prescription drug and other similar products for pain relief and symptom controlwhile you're at home.
  What if my hospice care doesn't pay for my drug?
• 5% of the Medicare-approved amount for inpatient respite care.
  What's not covered?

$164.90 each month($174.70 in 2024) (or higher depending on your income). The amount can change each year. You’ll pay the premium each month, even if you don’t get any Part B-covered services.

Who pays a higher Part B premium because of income?

You might pay a monthly penalty if you don’t sign up for Part B when you’re first eligible for Medicare (usually when you turn 65). You’ll pay the penalty for as long as you have Part B. The penalty goes up the longer you wait to sign up. Find out how the Part B penalty works and how to avoid it.

• $0 for covered home health care services.
• 20% of the Medicare-approved amount for durable medical equipment (like wheelchairs, walkers, hospital beds, and other equipment).

• $0 for your yearly depression screening.
• 20% of the Medicare-approved amount for visits to your doctor or other health care provider to diagnose or treat your condition.
• If you get your services in a hospital outpatient clinic or hospital outpatient department, you may have to pay an additional amount to the hospital.

After you meet the Part B deductible:

• 20% of the Medicare-approved amount for each service you get from a doctor or certain other qualified mental health professional
• Coinsurance for each day of partial hospitalization services you get in a hospital outpatient setting or community mental health center

• Usually 20% of the Medicare-approved amount for doctor and other health care providers’ services.

• You’ll also pay a copayment to the hospital for each service you get in a hospital outpatient setting (except for certain preventive services). In most cases, your copayment won’t be more than the Part A hospital stay deductible amount.
  

  This additional hospital copayment means you may pay more for an outpatient service you get in a hospital than you’d pay if you got the same service in a doctor’s office.

Compare outpatient procedure costs under Original Medicare.

Varies by plan. These amounts can change each year.

Compare costs for specific health care plans.

Varies by plan. You may have to pay more, depending on your income.

Who pays a higher Part D premium because of income?

Avoid paying a penalty:

• Join a Medicare drug plan when you first get Medicare Part A and/or Part B,and
• Don’t go 63 days or more without creditable drug coverage(coverage that’s similar in value to Part D).

Find out more about the Part D penalty.

Varies based on which Medigap policy you buy, where you live, and other factors. The amount can change each year.

• Medigap usually helps pay your portion of the costs (like deductibles and coinsurance) for services that Part A and Part B cover in Original Medicare. The amount you’ll pay for Part A and Part B services if you have a Medigap policy varies depending on the policy you buy.
• Some Medigap policies include extra benefits to lower your costs, like coverage when you travel out of the country.