How much are Medicare premiums?

[QuarterMillionMan]

Does anyone have insights into Medicare premiums (ie, A, B, C, or D) and experiences with Medicare in general? I always thought Medicare premiums (part B) was free, except of course for the deductibles and 20% co-pays. As for Medicare part A (hospital coverage), I sort of knew there would be no monthly premiums due to seeing it as a tax (hospital tax) in my paystub every pay period. This is a website that shows Medicare at a glance. As it stands if I were to be eligible for Medicare part B as of today, I would have a $104.90 monthly premium. Also, I was wondering if I were to get additional coverage above and beyond Medicare, would my Medicare premium be reduced? Or could I refuse to get Medicare and go with my own coverage?

http://www.medicare.gov/your-medicar...#collapse-4809

[JulieAlbright]

I have no idea how it is calculated or if it is just a flat rate but my Mom's are

A: $0
B: $104.90
C: Not Covered
D: Not Covered

She doesn't have any sort of supplement or prescription because she has Retiree Health Benefits as part of the retiree benefits that my Father accumulated with his employer.

[marvholly]

I am on Medicare.
Part A is automatic w/no charge (hospital)
Part B is $95 (Dr)
Part C is advantage plans which is what I have and the Part B $95 pays the entire premium
Pard D is Rx and included in my advantage plan.

I KNOW my late Dad was paying >$250/mointh for his BC/BS medigap coverage in addition to the Part B and his Part D was about $30/month. Parents wanted the freedom of choice for Dr & hospitals - didn't believe in HMO type plans (which is what advantage plans really are). I have had & been happy w/HMO style plans & my Dr & choice of hospitals is included.

[wendykw]

Medicare costs

My husband's medicare premium is withheld from his Social Security check each month. His PartA/B is $86/month and his part D is $42.80. We also have a supplement which costs $98.80 per month. To put this in perspective as to it's value, he had a 2 week hospital stay in March including 4 days in intensive care. The bill was over $80,000. We paid $0! He went from the hospital to a nursing home/rehab facility to get his strength and balance back. He was there for 19 days. We paid $0. The part D covers about half the cost of his medications. He is not an old man, he is only 65. He had an infection. For us the benefits of paying those premiums is very obvious.

I know lots of people assume that they paid into Medicare for decades so it should be free. That's not how it works.

[Gailete]

My Medicare amount is

A&B $104.90 taken directly out of my SS check.
C supplement $170
D supplement $114

I'm on Medicare because I am disabled and feel like I spend half my life at the doctor's and take oodles of pills so I can't go without my medication.

Before refusing Medicare A$B be very sure you understand what you will be doing to yourself. If you don't go on the program when you are initially eligible, then when you do sign up (and I believe this holds true with the D prescription plan) the cost will be higher than if you had signed up at the right time.

No matter what other coverage you may get (unless possibly it is from your old job) I don't think you would get any discount on your Medicare premium. Part of how the program is paid for is everyone paying in and the healthy help cover the sick. Whatever the tax is on your paycheck, we all pay into the fund, but we still have to keep paying when the paychecks stop.

As the other poster mentioned. With Medicare and the proper supplements, I've had two knee replacements with no charge. I get IV medications every 6 weeks that are very expensive and Medicare and my supplement covers it all. That is the point of the supplement, it covers what Medicare doesn't. As to the D policy that fluctuates depending on your actual medications and what state you live in. I figured my in laws out last year for them and they had to be on two different policies as my MIL had completely different drugs than my FIL and they had different needs than me.

I can be confusing initially but I do believe that they try to make the reading material at a 6th grade level, as much as you can keep something like that for a kid to understand. My C supplement is AARP and let me tell you, when I first got that card, all the office staff smiled when they saw it. It might be a tad more but they pay promptly which obviously helps out any doctor office.