By Kate Ashford
This is reprinted by permission from .
Open enrollment for Medicare goes from Oct. 15 to Dec. 7 each year, when Medicare beneficiaries choose their coverage for the next plan year. As Medicare enrollees contemplate their choices for 2022, here are overall Medicare changes to keep in mind.
Original Medicare costs are going up
Original Medicare includes Part A and Part B. A separate Medicare drug plan, called Part D, is also available. Here’s how deductibles, premiums and coinsurances are changing in 2022:
Medicare Part A (hospital insurance)
Although most Medicare beneficiaries don’t pay a premium for Medicare Part A , those who do will see higher costs, paying $499 a month in 2022, up from $471 a month in 2021. This premium applies to you if you worked and paid Medicare taxes for less than 30 quarters. If you worked and paid Medicare taxes for 30 to 39 quarters, you’ll pay $274 a month for Part A in 2022, up from $259 in 2021. If you paid Medicare taxes for 40 quarters or more, you won’t owe a premium.
The Part A inpatient hospital deductible is increasing to $1,556 in 2022 for each benefit period, up from $1,484 in 2021. Coinsurance is also rising as follows:
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Hospitalization days 1 to 60: Members pay $0 coinsurance for each benefit period.
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Hospitalization days 61 to 90: Members pay $389 coinsurance per day for each benefit period, up from $371 in 2021.
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Hospitalization days 91 and up: Members pay $778 coinsurance per every “lifetime reserve day” after day 90 for each benefit period, up from $742 in 2021. Members get up to 60 lifetime reserve days over the span of their life.
Coinsurance for skilled nursing facility care will remain at $0 for days 1 to 20 for each benefit period, and will be $194.50 per day for days 21 to 100 of each benefit period in 2022, up from $185.50 per day in 2021.
Medicare Part B (medical insurance)
All Medicare members pay a Part B premium, and that is increasing to $170.10 per month in 2022, up from $148.50 in 2021. You may pay a higher premium, depending on your income. For example, those who file taxes individually with a modified adjusted gross income of more than $91,000 (or those who file joint tax returns with a modified adjusted gross income of more than $182,000) will pay an additional $68 to $408.20 per month on top of the Medicare Part B premium.
The Part B deductible is increasing to $233 in 2022, up from $203 in 2021. Once you meet your deductible, you generally will pay 20% of Medicare-approved costs for Part B services.
Also read: You might save money with Medigap Plan N—here’s how it works
Medicare Part D (prescription drug coverage)
The average Medicare Part D premium in 2022 will be $33 per month, versus $31.47 in 2021. Those with higher incomes will pay more: Those who file taxes individually with a modified adjusted gross income of more than $91,000 (or those who file joint tax returns with a modified adjusted gross income of more than $182,000) will pay an additional $12.40 to $77.90 per month on top of their Part D premium.
