Medicare Part B Costs in 2022

Medicare Part B covers the bulk of your healthcare expenses through two types of services: medically necessary and preventive. Understanding how those services translate into your care and what you will pay out of pocket is essential in planning a 2022 budget.

Part B Deductible

The annual deductible for Part B is $233 in 2022, a $30 increase from 2021. You are required to pay the full deductible amount before Medicare will start paying toward your health expenses.

Part B Premiums

You pay monthly premiums for Medicare. If you do not pay your premiums in a timely manner, your coverage will be taken away. You are given a 90-day grace period to make payments before your Part B coverage is canceled.

In 2018, Part B premium rates stayed at 2017 rates across income levels. What changed were the income brackets themselves. Many people were surprised to find out they were paying considerably more for the same income. Price hikes predominantly affected people in the top three income brackets.

In 2019, not only did the premium rates increase across all income brackets, but the brackets changed again. Instead of five income brackets, there were six. The change in brackets affected those at the highest income level only. From 2020 to 2022, the income categories were adjusted for inflation, and premium rates were increased accordingly.

Note that income brackets are based on your last completed income tax return. For 2022, refer to your 2020 filing.

2022 Part B Premiums for Individuals

2022 Part B Premiums for Married Couples

2022 Part B Premiums for Married People Filing as Individuals

Although the premium rates are set by marital status, these values represent how much each individual will pay for Medicare Part B each month.

Part B Premiums and Social Security

You cannot be expected to pay more for Medicare if there is not also a proportionate rise in Social Security benefits. The hold harmless provision of the Social Security Act protects recipients from paying higher Medicare Part B premiums if those premiums will cause their Social Security benefits to be lower than they were the year before.

Simply put, increases in Part B premiums cannot exceed the annual cost-of-living adjustment for Social Security.

In those cases, the Medicare Part B premium will be decreased to maintain the same Social Security benefit amount. However, keep in mind that the hold harmless provision does not apply to Medicare Part D. If the Medicare Part D Income-Related Monthly Adjustment Amount increases, a beneficiary may still see a decrease in their overall Social Security benefits.

Not everyone is eligible for the hold harmless provision. Only people in the lowest income category who have already been on Medicare Part B and have had their premiums directly deducted from their Social Security checks for at least two months in the past year are considered. Beneficiaries new to Medicare and people on Medicaid will be subjected to the current premium rate.

The Social Security cost-of-living adjustment for 2022 is 5.9%. This is estimated to be an additional $92 per month for the average recipient. This amount would be able to cover the rise in Medicare premiums in the new year.

For those who are dual eligible, Medicaid will pay their Medicare premiums.

Part B Premiums and Medicare Advantage

You can elect to have Original Medicare (Parts A and B) or a Medicare Advantage (Part C) plan. Medicare Advantage plans are offered by private insurance companies and will cover everything that Original Medicare offers and more.

Even if you decide on a Medicare Advantage plan and pay premiums to the insurance company, you still have to pay Part B premiums to the government. You must take that added cost into consideration.

Part B Coinsurance

The Part B coinsurance remains unchanged. Medicare pays 80% and you pay 20% with the exception of preventive screening tests. As long as your healthcare provider accepts assignment, your preventive screening tests will be free.

A Word From Verywell

The majority of your health care will be paid for by Medicare Part B. Likewise, the majority of your out-of-pocket expenses will relate to Medicare Part B. Knowing what you are expected to pay for deductibles, premiums, and coinsurance in 2022 will help you budget appropriately.