CNN —
Medicare beneficiaries will see their Part B premiums decrease in 2023, the first time in more than a decade that the tab will be lower than the year before, the Centers for Medicare and Medicaid Services announced Tuesday.
The standard monthly premiums will be $164.90 in 2023, a decrease of $5.20 from 2022.The reduction, which was signaled earlier this year by Health and Human Services Secretary Xavier Becerra, comes after a large spike in 2022 premiums. Medicare beneficiaries had to contend with a 14.5% increase in Part B premiums for 2022, which raised the monthly payments for those in the lowest income bracket to $170.10, up from $148.50 in 2021.
President Joe Biden highlighted the drop in premiums at an afternoon event in the Rose Garden on Tuesday, using the announcement to tout Democrats as the party that will protect Social Security and Medicare.
That message – targeted toward the key demographic of older voters – comes six weeks before the midterm elections.
Biden criticized the plan laid out last week by House Minority Leader Kevin McCarthy and Republicans, calling their agenda a “thin set of policy rules, with little or no detail.” The President also slammed Republican Sens. Ron Johnson of Wisconsin and Rick Scott of Florida for their plans that suggest Social Security and Medicare should be discretionary spending rather than mandatory programs.
“What do you think they’re gonna do when the House Budget Committee started talking about cost of Medicare and Social Security and why we can’t afford it?” Biden asked the audience in the garden.
A key driver of the 2022 hike was a projected jump in spending due to a costly new drug for Alzheimer’s disease, Aduhelm. However, since then, Aduhelm’s manufacturer has cut the price and CMS limited coverage of the drug. The agency said it would factor the lower-than-forecast spending into the 2023 premium.
Also, spending was lower than projected on other Part B items and services, which resulted in much larger reserves in the Part B trust fund, allowing the agency to limit future premium increases.
The annual deductible for Medicare Part B beneficiaries will be $226 next year, a decrease of $7 from 2022.
Medicare Part B covers physician services, outpatient hospital services, certain home health services, durable medical equipment and certain other medical and health services not covered by Medicare Part A.
One of the benefits of the Inflation Reduction Act, which Congress passed in August, will also kick in next year for Medicare beneficiaries. Starting July 1, cost-sharing will be capped at $35 for a one-month supply of covered insulin. Also, people with Medicare who take insulin through a pump won’t have to pay a deductible. This benefit will be available to people with pumps supplied through the durable medical equipment benefit under Part B.
The Medicare Part B premiums comes as seniors are also expecting a larger-than-usual increase in their Social Security payments. The annual cost of living adjustment, which will be announced next month, is being fueled by high inflation.
For 2022, seniors received a 5.9% increase, the largest in decades, but it was quickly overrun by soaring price increases.
The Senior Citizens League projects that the 2023 increase could be 8.7%, which would bump up the average retiree benefit by $144.10 to $1,656.
CNN’s Allie Malloy and Maegan Vazquez contributed to this report.
Part A (Hospital Insurance) costs
Premium | $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.” Who qualifies for Part A without paying a monthly premium? If you don’t qualify for premium-free Part A: You might be able to buy it. You’ll pay either $274 or $499 each month for Part A ($278 or $506 in 2023), depending on how long you or your spouse worked and paid Medicare taxes. Remember:
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Deductible | $1,556 ($1,600 in 2023) 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? |
Inpatient stay |
What's not covered? What will I pay if I get mental health services as an inpatient? |
Skilled nursing facility stay |
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Home health care | $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) |
Hospice care | $0 for covered hospice care services. You may also pay:
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Part B (Medical Insurance) costs
Premium | $170.10 each month ($164.90 in 2023) (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. |
Deductible | $233 ($226 in 2023), before Original Medicare starts to pay. You pay this deductible once each year. |
General costs for services (coinsurance) | Usually 20% of the cost for each Medicare-covered service or item after you’ve paid your deductible (and as long as your doctor or health care provider accepts the Medicare-approved amount as full payment – called “accepting assignment”). Find out how assignment affects what you pay. |
Clinical laboratory services | $0 for covered clinical laboratory services. |
Home health care |
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Inpatient hospital care | 20% of the Medicare-approved amount for most doctor services while you’re a hospital inpatient. |
Outpatient mental health care |
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Partial hospitalization mental health care | After you meet the Part B deductible:
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Outpatient hospital care |
Compare outpatient procedure costs under Original Medicare. |
Get help with Part A & Part B costs
If you have limited income and resources, you may be able to get help from your state to pay your premiums and other costs. Learn more about help with costs.
Medicare Advantage Plan (Part C) costs
Premiums & other costs (like deductibles, copayments, & coinsurance) | Varies by plan. These amounts can change each year. You must have Part B and keep paying your Part B premium to stay in your plan. Will my Medicare Advantage Plan help pay my Part B premium? Compare costs for specific health care plans. |
Out-of-pocket limit | Varies by plan. Once you pay the plan’s limit, the plan pays 100% of your covered health services for the rest of the calendar year. |
Where can I get more cost details from my plan?
Learn more about Medicare Advantage Plans.
Part D (Drug Coverage) costs
Premium | 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:
Find out more about the Part D penalty. |
Deductibles, copayments, & coinsurance | Varies by plan and pharmacy. Find Medicare drug plans in your area, and compare their costs and coverage. |
Get help with drug costs
If you have limited income and resources, you may be able to get Extra Help to pay your plan premiums and other drug costs. If you qualify, you won’t have to pay the Part D late enrollment penalty.
Learn more about help with costs.
Learn more about Part D.
Medicare Supplemental Insurance (Medigap)
Premium | Varies based on which Medigap policy you buy, where you live, and other factors. The amount can change each year. You must have Part B and keep paying your Part B premium to keep your Medigap policy. |
Other costs |
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Learn more about Medigap and its costs.
What do you want to do next?
- Next Step: Get help with costs
- Take Action: Talk to someone
- Get details: Learn about the parts of Medicare