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The Centers for Medicare & Medicaid Services has announced that the standard
monthly Part B premium will be $134.00 in 2017. However, most Medicare
beneficiaries will not pay this amount. By law, Part B premiums for current
enrollees cannot increase by more than the amount of the cost-of-living
adjustment for social security (railroad retirement tier I) benefits.
Since that adjustment is 0.3 percent in 2017, about 70 percent of Medicare
beneficiaries will see only a slight increase in their Part B premiums. The
higher premium amount will apply to new enrollees in the program, and certain
beneficiaries will continue to pay higher premiums based on their modified
adjusted gross income.
The monthly premiums that include income-related adjustments for 2017 will be
$187.50, $267.90, $348.30, or $428.60, depending on the extent to which an
individual beneficiary's modified adjusted gross income exceeds $85,000 (or
$170,000 for a married couple). The highest rate applies to beneficiaries whose
incomes exceed $214,000 (or $428,000 for a married couple). The Centers for
Medicare & Medicaid Services estimates that less than 5 percent of Medicare
beneficiaries pay the larger income-adjusted premiums.
Beneficiaries in Medicare Part D prescription drug coverage plans pay premiums
that vary from plan to plan. Beginning in 2011, the Affordable Care Act required
Part D beneficiaries whose modified adjusted gross income exceeds the same
income thresholds that apply to Part B premiums to also pay a monthly adjustment
amount. In 2017, the adjustment amount ranges from $13.30 to $76.20.
The Railroad Retirement Board (RRB) withholds Part B premiums from benefit
payments it processes. The agency can also withhold Part C and D premiums from
benefit payments if an individual submits a request to his or her Part C or D
insurance plan.
The following tables show the income-related Part B premium adjustments for
2017. The Social Security Administration (SSA) is responsible for all
income-related monthly adjustment amount determinations. To make the
determinations, SSA uses the most recent tax return information available from
the Internal Revenue Service. For 2017, that will usually be the beneficiary's
2015 tax return information. If that information is not available, SSA will use
information from the 2014 tax return.
Those railroad retirement and social security Medicare beneficiaries affected by
the 2017 Part B and D income-related premiums will receive a notice from SSA by
December 2016. The notice will include an explanation of the circumstances where
a beneficiary may request a new determination. Persons who have questions or
would like to request a new determination should contact SSA after receiving
their notice.
Additional information about Medicare coverage, including specific benefits and
deductibles, can be found at www.medicare.gov.
2017 PART B PREMIUMS
Less than or equal to $85,000 |
Less than or equal to $170,000 |
$0.00 |
$134.00 |
Greater than $85,000 and less than or equal to $107,000 |
Greater than $170,000 and less than or equal to $214,000 |
$53.50 |
$187.50 |
Greater than $107,000 and less than or equal to $160,000 |
Greater than $214,000 and less than or equal to $320,000 |
$133.90 |
$267.90 |
Greater than $160,000 and less than or equal to $214,000 |
Greater than $320,000 and less than or equal to $428,000 |
$214.30 |
$348.30 |
Greater than $214,000 |
Greater than $428,000 |
$294.60 |
$428.60 |
The monthly premium rates paid by beneficiaries who are married,
but file a separate return from their spouses and who lived with their spouses
at some time during the taxable year, are different. Those rates are as
follows:
Less than or equal to $85,000 |
$0.00 |
$134.00 |
Greater than $85,000 and less than or equal to $129,000 |
$214.30 |
$348.30 |
Greater than $129,000 |
$294.60 |
$428.60 |
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