What are Out-of-Pocket Costs?
Most health insurance, including Medicare, has deductiblesA deductible is an amount a beneficiary must pay for their health care expenses before the health insurance policy begins to pay its share., copaymentsA copayment, also known as a copay, is a set dollar amount you are required to pay for a medical service., and/or coinsuranceCoinsurance is a percentage of the total you are required to pay for a medical service. that are paid when healthcare services are used. These are health insurance out-of-pocket costs.1Medicare.gov, “What’s Medicare Supplement Insurance (Medigap)?“, Accessed September 9, 2021
Key Takeaways
- Out-of-pocket costs are deductibles, copayments, and coinsurance paid when healthcare services are received.
- Some health plans put an annual cap on out-of-pocket costs. When the cap is reached, the plan picks up all remaining out-of-pocket costs for the rest of the year.
- In Original MedicareOriginal Medicare is private fee-for-service health insurance for people on Medicare. It has two parts. Part A is hospital coverage. Part B is medical coverage., there are no limits on out-of-pocket costs. Medicare supplement insuranceMedicare Supplements are additional insurance policies that Medicare beneficiaries can purchase to cover the gaps in their Original Medicare (Medicare Part A and Medicare Part B) health insurance coverage. limits the risk of high out-of-pocket costs.
- All Medicare Advantage plansMedicare Advantage (MA), also known as Medicare Part C, are health plans from private insurance companies that are available to people eligible for Original Medicare (Medicare Part A and Medicare Part B). have a maximum out-of-pocket (MOOP) limit. For 2021, a plan’s MOOP cannot exceed $7,550.
What is the Maximum Out-of-Pocket for Medicare in 2021 for a Person with Part A and Part B?
There is no maximum out-of-pocket limit for Original Medicare, the sky is the limit for what beneficiaries can expend outside of what Medicare covers. There are, however, Medicare Supplement Insurances like Medigap to help protect beneficiaries from excessive insurance payments1Medicare.gov, “What’s Medicare Supplement Insurance (Medigap)?“, Accessed September 9, 2021.
To enroll in a Medigap plan, beneficiaries will have to have both Medicare Part AMedicare Part A is hospital coverage for Medicare beneficiaries. It covers inpatient care in hospitals and skilled nursing facilities. It also covers limited home healthcare services and hospice care. and Part B, and they will have an additional monthly premium along with their Orginal Medicare premium. Medigap also does not help cover health care services that are not strictly medically necessaryServices or supplies that are needed for the diagnosis or treatment of your medical condition and meet accepted standards of medical practice., such as vision and dental services1Medicare.gov, “What’s Medicare Supplement Insurance (Medigap)?“, Accessed September 9, 2021.
What is the Average Out-of-Pocket Cost for Medicare?
For Original Medicare, which is Medicare Part A (hospital insurance) and Medicare Part BMedicare Part B is medical coverage for people with Original Medicare benefits. It covers doctor visits, preventative care, tests, durable medical equipment, and supplies. Medicare Part B pays 80 percent of most medically necessary healthcare services. (medical insurance), the beneficiary’s monthly premiumsA premium is an amount that an insurance policyholder must pay for coverage. Premiums are typically paid on a monthly basis. In the federal Medicare program, there are four different types of premiums. would be $471 and $148.50 respectively2Medicare.gov, “Medicare costs at a glance“, Accessed September 9, 2021. The beneficiary’s deductibles are what they must pay completely before their coverage kicks in, which does not include their monthly premiums.
For Part A, the deductible is based on each time the beneficiaryA person who has health care insurance through the Medicare or Medicaid programs. is admitted into inpatient careInpatient care refers to care provided in a hospital or other inpatient facility. Inpatients are admitted and stay at least one night depending on their condition. called a benefit periodA benefit period is a method used in Original Medicare to measure a beneficiaries use of hospital and skilled nursing facility (SNF) services. With each new benefit period, the beneficiary is charged a new benefit.... Each benefit period has a $1,484 deductible before their insurance starts covering costs. Once that deductible for their hospital stay has been reached the beneficiary begins a copay where they pay a set amount of money each day they are in the hospital; $371 for the 61st-90th days and $742 for the 91st day onward3Medicare.gov, “Part A costs“, Accessed September 9, 2021.
The Part B deductible is $203, after which Part B starts to provide coverage with coinsurance4Medicare.gov, “Part B costs“, Accessed September 9, 2021. The beneficiary’s Part B coinsurance will cover 80% of their outpatient medical expenses, not including their monthly premiums.
What are the Costs for Medicare for Individuals with Disabilities?
The out-of-pocket costs for Original Medicare for individuals with disabilities are no different than for those without disabilities. Enrolling in MedicaidMedicaid is a public health insurance program that provides health care coverage to low-income families and individuals in the United States. can provide additional health care coverage on top of the coverage provided by Medicare5Medicare.gov, “Medicaid“, Accessed September 9, 2021. Dual-eligibleDual-eligible beneficiaries are those who receive both Medicare and Medicaid benefits. It includes beneficiaries enrolled in Medicare Part A and/or Part B while receiving full Medicaid and/or financial assistance through a Medicare Savings Program.... beneficiaries qualify for both Medicare and Medicaid Services which can provide a greater range of covered services for their health care expenses.
If a beneficiary has both Medicare and Medicaid, their Medicare coverage pays first for the services they cover, and only once they no longer provide further coverage does Medicaid step in to cover what they can. If they get Medicaid and still have trouble affording their Medicare Part DMedicare Part D plans are an option Medicare beneficiaries can use to get prescription drug coverage. Part D plans provide cost-sharing on covered medications in four different phases: deductible, initial coverage, coverage gap, and catastrophic. Each... (Prescription Drugs) costs, they may be eligible for the Social Security program Extra HelpSocial Security's Low-Income Subsidy (LIS) program helps Medicare beneficiaries pay for their Medicare Part D prescription drugs by paying some of the costs. Also known as "Extra Help", beneficiaries who qualify for LIS receive premium... which can help mitigate their prescription drug costs6Medicare.gov, “Find your level of Extra Help (Part D)“, Accessed September 9, 2021.
Beneficiaries may also join a Medicare Advantage plan, which are private health insurances that have Special Needs Programs that tailor to specific disabilities7Medicare.gov, “Special Needs Plans (SNP)“, Accessed September 9, 2021. Because Medicare Advantage plans are private insurance, their fees are not strictly regulated by the federal government. Their healthcare costs may end up being higher for the medical services their members need if they chose the wrong plan.
Citations
- 1Medicare.gov, “What’s Medicare Supplement Insurance (Medigap)?“, Accessed September 9, 2021
- 2Medicare.gov, “Medicare costs at a glance“, Accessed September 9, 2021
- 3Medicare.gov, “Part A costs“, Accessed September 9, 2021
- 4Medicare.gov, “Part B costs“, Accessed September 9, 2021
- 5Medicare.gov, “Medicaid“, Accessed September 9, 2021
- 6Medicare.gov, “Find your level of Extra Help (Part D)“, Accessed September 9, 2021
- 7Medicare.gov, “Special Needs Plans (SNP)“, Accessed September 9, 2021