Medicare costs at a glance

Listed below are basic costs for people with Medicare. If you want to see and compare costs for specific health care plans, visit the Medicare Plan Finder.

For specific cost information (like whether you've met your 

, how much you'll pay for an item or service you got, or the status of a 

), visit MyMedicare.gov. 

Find out if Medicare covers a specific test, item or service that's not listed under the detailed Medicare cost information section of this page.

Detailed Medicare cost information for 2018 & 2019

Medicare Part A (Hospital Insurance) costs

• Monthly
  Premium
  :

   

  Most people don't pay a monthly premium for Part A (sometimes called "premium-free Part A"). If you buy Part A, you'll pay up to $422 each month in 2018 ($437 in 2019). If you paid Medicare taxes for less than 30 quarters, the standard Part A premium is $422 ($437 in 2019). If you paid Medicare taxes for 30-39 quarters, the standard Part A premium is $232 ($240 in 2019).

   

  Learn more about Part A costs.
• Late enrollment penalty:

  • If you don't buy it when you're first eligible, your monthly premium may go up 10%. (You'll have to pay the higher premium for twice the number of years you could have had Part A, but didn't sign up.)

Part A costs if you have Original Medicare

Note

All Medicare Advantage Plans must cover these services. If you're in a Medicare Advantage Plan, costs vary by plan and may be either higher or lower than those in Original Medicare. Review the "Evidence of Coverage" from your plan.

• Home health care

   

  • $0 for home health care services.
  • 20% of the
    Medicare-approved amount
    for
    Durable medical equipment (DME) [Glossary]
    (DME).

• Hospice care

  • $0 for
    Hospice
    care.
  • You may need to pay a
    Copayment
    of no more than $5 for each prescription drug and other similar products for pain relief and symptom control while you're at home. In the rare case your drug isn’t covered by the hospice benefit, your hospice provider should contact your Medicare drug plan to see if it's covered under Part D.
  • You may need to pay 5% of the
    Medicare-approved amount
    for inpatient
    Respite care
    .
  • Medicare doesn't cover room and board when you get hospice care in your home or another facility where you live (like a nursing home).

• Hospital inpatient stay

  • $1,340 ($1,364 for 2019)
    Deductible [glossary]
    for each
    Benefit period
    .
  • Days 1–60: $0
    Coinsurance
    for each benefit period.
  • Days 61–90: $335 ($341 for 2019) coinsurance per day of each benefit period.
  • Days 91 and beyond: $670 ($682 for 2019) coinsurance per each "lifetime reserve day" after day 90 for each benefit period (up to 60 days over your lifetime).
  • Beyond
    Lifetime reserve days
    : all costs.

  Note

  You pay for private-duty nursing, a television, or a phone in your room. You pay for a private room unless it's medically necessary.

• Mental health inpatient stay

  • $1,340 ($1,364 for 2019)
    Deductible [glossary]
    for each
    Benefit period
    .
  • Days 1–60: $0
    Coinsurance
    per day of each benefit period.
  • Days 61–90: $335 ($341 for 2019) coinsurance per day of each benefit period.
  • Days 91 and beyond: $670 ($682 for 2019) coinsurance per each "lifetime reserve day" after day 90 for each benefit period (up to 60 days over your lifetime).
  • Beyond
    Lifetime reserve days
    : all costs.
  • 20% of the
    Medicare-approved amount
    for mental health services you get from doctors and other providers while you're a hospital inpatient.

  Note

  There's no limit to the number of benefit periods you can have when you get mental health care in a general hospital. You can also have multiple benefit periods when you get care in a psychiatric hospital. Remember, there's a lifetime limit of 190 days.

• Skilled nursing facility stay

  • Days 1–20: $0 for each
    Benefit period
    .  
  • Days 21–100: $167.50 ($170.50 for 2019)
    Coinsurance
    per day of each benefit period.
  • Days 101 and beyond: all costs.

Medicare Part B (Medical Insurance) costs

• Monthly premium: 

2018

The standard Part B premium amount in 2018 is $134 (or higher depending on your income). However, some people who get Social Security benefits pay less than this amount ($130 on average). You'll pay the standard premium amount (or higher) if:

• You enroll in Part B for the first time in 2018.
• You don't get Social Security benefits.
• You're directly billed for your Part B premiums (meaning they aren't taken out of your Social Security benefits).
• You have Medicare and Medicaid, and Medicaid pays your premiums. (Your state will pay the standard premium amount of $134 for 2018.)
• Your modified adjusted gross income as reported on your IRS tax return from 2 years ago is above a certain amount. If so, you'll pay the standard premium amount and an Income Related Monthly Adjustment Amount (IRMAA). IRMAA is an extra charge added to your premium.

If you're in 1 of these 5 groups, here's what you'll pay:

If your yearly income in 2016 (for what you pay in 2018) was			You pay each month (in 2018)
File individual tax return	File joint tax return	File married & separate tax return
$85,000 or less	$170,000 or less	$85,000 or less	$134
above $85,000 up to $107,000	above $170,000 up to $214,000	Not applicable	$187.50
above $107,000 up to $133,500	above $214,000 up to $267,000	Not applicable	$267.90
above $133,500 up to $160,000	above $267,000 up to $320,000	Not applicable	$348.30
above $160,000	above $320,000	above $85,000	$428.60

Get more information about your Part B premium from Social Security [PDF, 341 KB].

2019

The standard Part B premium amount in 2019 will be $135.50. Most people will pay the standard Part B premium amount. 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.

If your yearly income in 2017 (for what you pay in 2019) was			You pay each month (in 2019)
File individual tax return	File joint tax return	File married & separate tax return
$85,000 or less	$170,000 or less	$85,000 or less	$135.50
above $85,000 up to $107,000	above $170,000 up to $214,000	Not applicable	$189.60
above $107,000 up to $133,500	above $214,000 up to $267,000	Not applicable	$270.90
above $133,500 up to $160,000	above $267,000 up to $320,000	Not applicable	$352.20
above $160,000 and less than $500,000	above $320,000 and less than $750,000	above $85,000 and less than $415,000	$433.40
$500,000 or above	$750,000 and above	$415,000 and above	$460.50

• Late enrollment penalty: 

In most cases, if you don't sign up for Part B when you're first eligible, you'll have to pay a late enrollment penalty. You'll have to pay this penalty for as long as you have Part B. Your monthly premium for Part B may go up 10% for each full 12-month period that you could have had Part B, but didn't sign up for it. Also, you may have to wait until the General Enrollment Period (from January 1 to March 31) to enroll in Part B. Coverage will start July 1 of that year.

Learn more about the Part B late enrollment penalty.

Part B costs if you have Original Medicare

Note

All Medicare Advantage Plans must cover these services. If you're in a Medicare Advantage Plan, costs vary by plan and may be either higher or lower than those in Original Medicare. Review the "Evidence of Coverage" from your plan.

 

• Part B annual deductible:

  You pay $183 per year in 2018 ($185 in 2019) for your Part B 

  Deductible [glossary]

  . After your deductible is met, you typically pay 20% of the 

  Medicare-approved amount

   for these:

  • Most doctor services (including most doctor services while you're a hospital inpatient)
  • Outpatient therapy
  • Durable medical equipment (DME) [Glossary]

• Clinical laboratory services:

  You pay $0 for Medicare-approved services.

• Home health services:

  • $0 for home health care services.
  • 20% of the
    Medicare-approved amount
     for
    Durable medical equipment (DME) [Glossary]
    .

• Medical and other services:

   

  You pay 20% of the 

  Medicare-approved amount

   for most doctor services (including most doctor services while you're a hospital inpatient), outpatient therapy, and 

  Durable medical equipment (DME) [Glossary]

  .

• Outpatient mental health services:

  • You pay nothing for your yearly depression screening if your doctor or health care provider accepts assignment.
  • 20% of the
    Medicare-approved amount
    for visits to your doctor or other
    Health care provider
    to diagnose or treat your condition. The Part B
    Deductible [glossary]
    applies.
  • If you get your services in a hospital outpatient clinic or hospital outpatient department, you may have to pay an additional
    Copayment
     or
    Coinsurance
    amount to the hospital.

• Partial hospitalization mental health services:

  You pay a percentage of the 

  Medicare-approved amount

   for each service you get from a doctor or certain other qualified mental health professionals if your health care professional accepts 

  Assignment

  . You also pay 

  Coinsurance

   for each day of partial hospitalization services provided in a hospital outpatient setting or community mental health center, and the Part B 

  Deductible [glossary]

   applies.

• Outpatient hospital services:

  • You usually pay 20% of the
    Medicare-approved amount
    for the doctor or other health care provider's services. For services that can also be provided in a doctor’s office, you may pay more for services you get in a hospital outpatient setting than you’ll pay for the same care in a doctor’s office. However, the hospital outpatient
    Copayment
    for the service is capped at the inpatient deductible amount.
  • In addition to the amount you pay the doctor, you’ll also usually pay the hospital a copayment for each service you get in a hospital outpatient setting, except for certain preventive services that don’t have a copayment. In most cases, the copayment can’t be more than the Part A hospital stay
    Deductible [glossary]
    for each service.
  • The Part B deductible applies, except for certain preventive services. If you get hospital outpatient services in a critical access hospital, your copayment may be higher and may exceed the Part A hospital stay deductible.

Medicare Part C (Medicare Advantage)

• Monthly premium:
   

  The Part C monthly 

  Premium

   varies by plan.

• Deductibles, copayments, & coinsurance:

  The amount you pay for Part C deductibles, copayments, and/or coinsurance varies by plan. Look for specific Part C plan costs, and then call the plans you're interested in to get more details.

Medicare Part D (Medicare prescription drug coverage)

• Monthly premium:
   

  The Part D monthly 

  Premium

   varies by plan (higher-income consumers may pay more).

   

  Part D premiums by income

  The chart below shows your estimated prescription drug plan monthly premium based on your income as reported on your IRS tax return. If your income is above a certain limit, you'll pay an income-related monthly adjustment amount in addition to your plan premium. 

  2018

  If your filing status and yearly income in 2016 was
  File individual tax return	File joint tax return	File married & separate tax return	You pay each month (in 2018)
  $85,000 or less	$170,000 or less	$85,000 or less	your plan premium
  above $85,000 up to $107,000	above $170,000 up to $214,000	not applicable	$13.00 + your plan premium
  above $107,000 up to $133,500	above $214,000 up to $267,000	not applicable	$33.60 + your plan premium
  above $133,500 up to $160,000	above $267,000 up to $320,000	not applicable	$54.20 + your plan premium
  above $160,000	above $320,000	above $85,000	$74.80 + your plan premium

  2019

  If your filing status and yearly income in 2017 was
  File individual tax return	File joint tax return	File married & separate tax return	You pay each month (in 2019)
  $85,000 or less	$170,000 or less	$85,000 or less	your plan premium
  above $85,000 up to $107,000	above $170,000 up to $214,000	not applicable	$12.40 + your plan premium
  above $107,000 up to $133,500	above $214,000 up to $267,000	not applicable	$31.90 + your plan premium
  above $133,500 up to $160,000	above $267,000 up to $320,000	not applicable	$51.40 + your plan premium
  above $160,000 and less than $500,000	above $320,000 and less than $750,000	above $85,000 and less than $415,000	$70.90 + your plan premium
  $500,000 or above	$750,000 and above	$415,000 and above	$77.40 + your plan premium

   

   

• Late enrollment penalty: 
   

  You may owe a late enrollment penalty if, for any continuous period of 63 days or more after your Initial Enrollment Period is over, you go without one of these:

  • A Medicare Prescription Drug Plan (Part D)
  • A Medicare Advantage Plan (Part C) (like an HMO or PPO)
  • Another Medicare health plan that offers Medicare prescription drug coverage
  • Creditable prescription drug coverage
   

  In general, you'll have to pay this penalty for as long as you have a Medicare drug plan. The cost of the late enrollment penalty depends on how long you went without Part D or creditable prescription drug coverage. Learn more about the Part D late enrollment penalty.

• Deductibles, copayments, & coinsurance:

  The amount you pay for Part D deductibles, copayments, and/or coinsurance varies by plan. Look for specific Medicare drug plan costs, and then call the plans you're interested in to get more details.