To qualify for a "Medicare Part B giveback" (which reduces your monthly premium, sometimes by over $100), you must have both Medicare Parts A and B, pay your own Part B premium (not covered by Medicaid), and enroll in a specific Medicare Advantage plan in your service area that offers this benefit.
To get money back on your Medicare, you need to enroll in a Medicare Advantage (Part C) plan that offers a Part B premium reduction (the "$144 back" benefit), meaning you must be in Original Medicare (Parts A & B), pay your own Part B premium (not covered by Medicaid), and live in the plan's service area; the money is then returned as a credit on your Social Security check or a lower bill, effectively lowering your premium.
You qualify for a Medicare premium refund (often through an Income-Related Monthly Adjustment Amount, or IRMAA, reduction) if a major life change drastically lowers your income, like retirement, divorce, or spouse's death, allowing you to apply for a lower premium; or for specific Medicare Advantage plan "giveback" benefits if you're enrolled in Parts A & B and pay your own premium in a plan's service area, or through employer/union plans like the Federal Employee Program (FEP).
You qualify for a Medicare premium refund (often through an Income-Related Monthly Adjustment Amount, or IRMAA, reduction) if a major life change drastically lowers your income, like retirement, divorce, or spouse's death, allowing you to apply for a lower premium; or for specific Medicare Advantage plan "giveback" benefits if you're enrolled in Parts A & B and pay your own premium in a plan's service area, or through employer/union plans like the Federal Employee Program (FEP).
Scope of Benefits Covered
The Medicare Give Back Program offers a reduction in your Medicare Part B premiums, which can lower your overall healthcare costs. Eligibility for this benefit includes various Medicare Advantage plans, allowing all ZIP codes in the United States to participate.
What ZIP Codes Have the Medicare Give Back Program? Medicare Advantage benefits, including Part B give backs, vary by plan and location. This is because insurance companies use local provider networks.
You must be enrolled in a Medicare Advantage or a Medicare Supplement Insurance (Medigap) plan through Via Benefits Insurance Services to qualify for Part B Automatic Premium Reimbursement.
Participating Medicare Advantage plans can afford partial premium refunds because the Centers for Medicare & Medicaid Services (CMS) gives them money back in rebates.
Medicare Reimbursement Account (MRA)
Basic Option members who pay Medicare Part B premiums can be reimbursed up to $800 each year. You must submit proof of Medicare Part B premium payments through the online portal, EZ Receipts app or by fax or mail.
To get your Medicare Part B premium back, you need to enroll in a specific Medicare Advantage (MA) plan (Part C) that offers a "giveback" or "premium reduction" benefit, which returns some or all of your Part B premium as a credit on your Social Security check or a reduced bill. You must be enrolled in Original Medicare (A & B) and pay your own premiums, not receive premium assistance from Medicaid. The benefit amount varies by plan and location, and it's crucial to compare plan details during enrollment periods, as the offer isn't guaranteed each year.
A giveback can put money back in your wallet each month. It's like a rebate — you get money back just for being a member of the plan. This benefit can also be referred to as “Social Security giveback,” “Part B premium reduction,” “Part B giveback,” or even just “money back in your Social Security check.”
Submit your claim
You can submit proof of premium payments through the online portal, EZ Receipts mobile app (available at the App Store® and Google Play™) or by mail or fax. You have until December 31 of the following benefit year to submit your claim for reimbursement.
You qualify for a Medicare premium refund (often through an Income-Related Monthly Adjustment Amount, or IRMAA, reduction) if a major life change drastically lowers your income, like retirement, divorce, or spouse's death, allowing you to apply for a lower premium; or for specific Medicare Advantage plan "giveback" benefits if you're enrolled in Parts A & B and pay your own premium in a plan's service area, or through employer/union plans like the Federal Employee Program (FEP).
In most cases, to get Extra Help you must have income and resources below a certain limit. These limits may change each year. Even if you don't qualify for Extra Help now, you can reapply for Extra Help at any time during the year if your income and resources change. Visit SSA.gov/extrahelp to apply for Extra Help.
Am I eligible to receive a Medicare Part B reimbursement? State and California State University (CSU) retirees and their dependents enrolled in a CalPERS Medicare health plan may be eligible for a reimbursement of all or part of their Medicare Part B premium*.
If you have enrolled for a Medicare Advantage Plan, you may be eligible for a Medicare giveback benefit. The giveback benefit reduces your Medicare Part B premiums, and it can add up to big-time savings for most people since they put money back into their monthly Social Security check.
For example, say your Social Security check is $1,400 and you qualify for a $125 giveback. Once the giveback is applied, the amount deducted from your Social Security check for your Part B premium will be $125 lower. This will increase your Social Security check to $1,525.
Yes, you can get a tax refund on Social Security if too much tax was withheld (by requesting it from the SSA via Form W-4V or if overpaid due to multiple employers), or if you paid income tax on benefits and had other deductions that reduce your taxable income, but if your only income is Social Security below the taxable threshold, you usually won't need to file or get a refund because no tax was paid in the first place. Refunds are for overpaid taxes, so if you had no tax liability, you just get back what you (or the SSA) paid in.
If your Part B coverage has already been dropped, you can reenroll during certain Medicare enrollment periods. The primary time to do this is during Medicare's open enrollment period, which runs from October 15 to December 7.
If you are a new Medicare Part B enrollee in 2025, you will be reimbursed the standard monthly premium of $185.00 and do not need to provide additional documentation to LAFPP.