Medicare Part B monthly premiums and deductibles will remain unchanged in 2015, the U.S. Department of Health and Human Services announced. This marks the second year that the plan’s premiums and deductibles have not been increased.
Premiums will again be set at $104.90 and deductibles at $147 for the 49 million people covered by Medicare Part B plans. “This leaves more of seniors’ cost of living adjustment from Social Security in their pockets,” HHS said in a release.
“Thanks to slower health care cost growth within Medicare since the passage of the Affordable Care Act, next year’s Medicare Part B monthly premium will remain unchanged for the second consecutive year,” said Health and Human Services Secretary Sylvia Burwell. “The Affordable Care Act is working to improve affordability and access to quality care for seniors and people with disabilities.”
HHS said Medicare spending has grown an average of 0.8 percent annually during the last four years, “much lower than the 3.1 percent annual increase in per capita GDP over the same period.”
Monthly premiums will decrease by $19 for Medicare Part A members who do pay a premium, to $407 in 2015. Most Medicare Part A plan members don't pay premiums, because they have more than 40 quarters of Medicare-covered employment. But for the few that do, the government said, rates will decrease.
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Dan Cook
Dan Cook is a journalist and communications consultant based in Portland, OR. During his journalism career he has been a reporter and editor for a variety of media companies, including American Lawyer Media, BusinessWeek, Newhouse Newspapers, Knight-Ridder, Time Inc., and Reuters. He specializes in health care and insurance related coverage for BenefitsPRO.
