Part B is optional. Part B helps pay for covered medical services and items when they are medically necessary. Part B also covers some preventive services like exams, lab tests, and screening shots to help prevent, find, or manage a medical problem. Cost: If you have Part B, you pay a Part B premium each month.
Part B (Medical Insurance) costs. $174.70 each month ($185 in 2025) (or higher depending on your income). The amount can change each year. You'll pay the premium each month, even if you don't get any Part B-covered services.
To drop Part B (or Part A if you have to pay a premium for it), you usually need to send your request in writing and include your signature. Contact Social Security.
Most people pay no premiums for Part A. For Medicare Part B in 2025, most beneficiaries will pay $185 per month. Certain factors may require you to pay more or less than the standard Medicare Part B premium in 2025.
You have to pay a monthly premium for Medicare Part B (medical insurance). If you already have other health insurance when you become eligible for Medicare, you may wonder if it's worth the monthly premium costs to sign up for Part B. The answer varies with each person and the kind of other health insurance you have.
Enrollees who have Medicaid, employer-sponsored health coverage, or retiree health benefits from an employer generally don't have to pay the full Medicare Part B deductible, as the other coverage picks up some or all of the cost (this varies depending on the plan).
There could be several reasons why Social Security stopped withholding your Medicare Part B premium. One common reason is that your income has exceeded the threshold for premium assistance. Another reason could be that there was a mistake or error in your records.
Part B helps cover medically necessary services like doctors' services, outpatient care, and other medical services that Part A doesn't cover. Part B also covers many preventive services. Part B coverage is your choice. However, you need to have Part B if you want to buy Part A.
All told, you'll have a three-month period to pay an initial Medicare Part B bill. If you don't, you'll receive a termination notice informing you that you no longer have coverage.
If you don't have insurance, find a family planning clinic in your area. They may provide emergency contraception for free or at low cost. To see if you are eligible for low-cost or no-cost health insurance, visit HealthCare.gov.
If you've been covered by an active employer group health plan (either yours or your spouse's) since turning 65, and it ended within the last 8 months, you can enroll in Part B without any penalty. This is considered a “Special Enrollment Period.”
If you have a higher income, you'll pay an additional premium amount for Medicare Part B and Medicare prescription drug coverage. We call the additional amount the “income-related monthly adjustment amount.” Here's how it works: Part B helps pay for your doctors' services and outpatient care.
The only time you need to enroll in Medicare Part B if you have other insurance is if you work for a company with fewer than 20 employees. You can face penalties if you don't enroll during your Initial Enrollment Period. If you have both Medicare and other health insurance, you can have more comprehensive coverage.
Each year, the Medicare Part B premium, deductible, and coinsurance rates are determined according to provisions of the Social Security Act. The standard monthly premium for Medicare Part B enrollees will be $185.00 for 2025, an increase of $10.30 from $174.70 in 2024.
To qualify to get $144 added back to your Social Security check, you can enroll in a Medicare Advantage plan that offers a Part B premium reduction or giveback benefit.
To find out more about how to terminate Medicare Part B or to schedule a personal interview, contact us at 1-800-772-1213 (TTY: 1-800-325-0778) or visit your nearest Social Security office.
Part B is a voluntary program that requires the payment of a monthly premium for all parts of coverage. Eligibility rules for Part B depend on whether a person is eligible for premium-free Part A or whether the individual has to pay a premium for Part A coverage.
Stopping Medicare Part B:
You do not have to pay for Medicare Part B to keep Medi-Cal. Stopping Medicare Part B coverage is generally not recommended. If you want to talk to someone about stopping Medicare Part B, call the SSA at 1-800-772-1213.
You must continue to pay your Part B premium while in a Medicare Advantage Plan. (Part D) and other benefits that Original Medicare doesn't cover. If you have a Medicare Advantage Plan, you do not need a Medigap policy. Period” that begins the month that you no longer have employer-sponsored health coverage.
Once you stop working (or lose your health insurance, if that happens first) you have an 8-month Special Enrollment Period (SEP) when you can sign up for Medicare (or add Part B to existing Part A coverage).
The Centers for Medicare & Medicaid Services (CMS) has announced that the standard monthly Part B premium will be $185.00 in 2025, an increase of $10.30 from $174.70 in 2024.
You may refuse Part B without penalty if you have creditable coverage, but you have to do it before your coverage start date. Follow the directions on the back of your Medicare card if you want to refuse Part B.
If you are approaching age 65 and you already receive Social Security or Railroad Retirement benefits through early retirement, you will be automatically enrolled in Medicare Parts A (hospital insurance) and B (medical insurance) when you turn 65.
This means individuals can have any amount of assets and still qualify for a Medicare Savings Program. Assets are things that you own, such as bank accounts, cash, second homes and vehicles.