The standard Medicare Part B monthly premium will be $110.50 in 2010.
The Medicare Part B premium amounts for 2010 are determined by the Department of Health and Human Services. The premiums paid by beneficiaries enrolled in Medicare Part B cover physician services, outpatient hospital services, certain home health services, durable medical equipment and other items. For most beneficiaries, the government pays a substantial portion-about 75 percent-of the Part B standard premium and the beneficiary pays the remainder.
Most beneficiaries will continue to pay the standard premium. Since 2007, higher income beneficiaries have been paying a larger percentage of their Part B premium based on income they reported to the Internal Revenue Service (IRS). In 2010, a small number of beneficiaries with higher incomes (individuals with income exceeding $85,000 and married couples with income exceeding $170,000) will pay a monthly premium equal to 35, 50, 65 or 80 percent of the total cost, depending on what they reported to the IRS. However, the higher premium affects less than 5 percent of Medicare beneficiaries, so most people newly enrolled for Medicare will pay the standard premium without an income-related adjustment. For information on the increase for other income levels, see "Medicare Part B Monthly Premiums in 2010," an FAQ on the Medicare website.
For more information, see Social Security's publication, Medicare Part B Premiums: New Rules For Beneficiaries With Higher Incomes, call us toll-free at 1-800-772-1213 (TTY 1-800-325-0778) or visit your local Social Security office.
More information about Medicare can be found at http://www.medicare.gov/.
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