Medicare Announces Slight Rise in 2019 Premiums
Beneficiaries will pay a bit more for Parts A and B
Maria Dryfhout / Alamy Stock Photo
En español | Medicare premiums and deductibles for Parts A and B will increase slightly in 2019, the Centers for Medicare and Medicaid Services announced Friday. Standard monthly premiums will cost $1.50 more: $135.50, up from $134 in 2018.
Because premiums are based on income, beneficiaries with annual incomes greater than $85,000 will pay more ($189.60 for individuals with incomes between $85,000 and $107,000, for instance).
Annual deductibles will rise $2 next year to $185, up from this year’s $183, according to CMS.
Medicare Part B covers outpatient care and doctor visits; Part A covers hospitalization and some nursing home and home health care services. The inpatient deductible for hospital stays will increase by $24, to $1,364, next year.
The increase information comes just a few days before open enrollment begins on October 15, when beneficiaries can make changes to their coverage through December 7, and just a day after Social Security announced a 2.8 percent cost-of-living adjustment, or COLA, for 2019.
The COLA average increase is $39 every month for a retired worker, and $67 for retired couples. It’s the highest jump in 7 years.