How Much Are Medicare Deductibles in 2024?
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The current Medicare deductible is $240 per year for Medicare Part B and $1,632 for Medicare Part A each time you are hospitalized.
A deductible is the amount you have to pay for your health care before your Medicare coverage kicks in. While the deductibles for Parts A and B are set by the government, the deductibles for Medicare Advantage, Part D and Medigap are different depending on the plan.
Medicare deductibles in 2024
Medicare deductibles are set by either the government agency or a private insurance company, depending on the type of coverage. Deductibles can range from $0 to several thousand dollars.
Medicare plan | Deductible |
|---|---|
| Part A (inpatient care) | $1,632 for each hospital benefit period |
| Part B (outpatient care) | $240 per year |
| Part C (Medicare Advantage bundle) | Varies by plan, ranging from $0 to more than $1,000 |
| Part D (prescriptions) | Varies by plan, and can't be higher than $545 |
| Medigap (Medicare Supplement) | Plans usually have no deductible and can reduce the Part A and B deductibles |
What is a deductible?
A health insurance deductible is the amount you pay toward your health care bills or medications before your Medicare plan starts to pay its share.
For example, if you spend three days in the hospital, you pay the first $1,632 of your bills, which is the Part A deductible for 2024. Medicare will then pay for the rest of your covered Part A expenses for your three-day hospital stay.
Medicare Part A deductible for 2024
Medicare Part A has a $1,632 deductible for 2024.
Medicare Part A covers hospitalizations and skilled nursing facilities. You pay the deductible each time you are admitted to the hospital, which starts a new Medicare benefit period. If you leave the hospital and have to be readmitted within 60 days, you don't have to pay the deductible again. But if you have to stay in the hospital again after the 60 days are up, you start a new benefit period and have to pay another $1,632 deductible.
After meeting the Part A deductible, you don’t pay anything in Medicare Part A costs until day 61 in the hospital, when you have a daily coinsurance amount of at least $408.
How the Part A deductible and coinsurance work
With Medicare Part A, you could end up paying the deductible more than once a year if you have multiple hospitalizations.
For example, if you leave the hospital on June 3 and are readmitted on July 1, you won't have to pay another deductible. That's because you were readmitted less than 60 days from your last stay, so you're in the same "benefit period." But if you are readmitted on Aug. 20, more than 60 days after you were first discharged on June 3, you will have to pay the Part A deductible again because you are in a new benefit period.
Benefit periods also apply to skilled nursing care, although the time frame is 100 days instead of 60.
How much do you pay after meeting your Part A deductible?
After paying $1,632 for the Part A deductible, you won't pay anything for the first 60 days of care you get in the hospital. However, longer hospital stays can cost several hundred dollars per day. These daily charges are called coinsurance.
Part A cost | Amount |
|---|---|
| Deductible | $1,632 |
| Days 1-60 coinsurance | $0 |
| Days 61-90 coinsurance | $408 per day |
| Days 91-150 coinsurance | $816 per day |
| Days 151+ | You pay all costs |
If you are still in the hospital after 60 days, you have to pay $408 per day. If you are still in the hospital after 90 days, you start using what are called lifetime reserve days, a bank of 60 days that you can use only once during your lifetime. The cost per lifetime reserve day is $816.
Once you use your lifetime reserve days, they're gone and you won't get more. You can choose not to use your reserve days if you want to save them for the future. But if you don't use them, you have to pay the full cost of your hospital stay after 90 days.
The Medicare Part A deductible of $1,632 also applies to stays in skilled nursing facilities. The benefit period works the same way, although it is longer, at 100 days. That means if you stay in a skilled nursing home twice during the same 100-day period, you only pay the deductible once.
Part A cost | Amount |
|---|---|
| Deductible | $1,632 |
| Days 1-20 coinsurance | $0 |
| Days 21-100 coinsurance | $204 per day |
| Days 101+ | You pay all costs |
After meeting your deductible, Medicare Part A pays most of your hospitalization costs, but it doesn't pay for everything. For instance, you are still responsible for paying your share of doctor services during your hospital stay. That's covered by Part B.
Medicare Part A also does not cover a private room in a hospital or a skilled nursing facility unless it is considered medically necessary. And it will not pay for help with activities like dressing, feeding, bathing or going to the bathroom.
Medicare Part B deductible for 2024
The Medicare Part B deductible is $240 for 2024.
You'll pay in full for the first $240 of your outpatient care before Medicare will start to pay. After you meet the deductible, you'll typically pay about 20% of the cost for doctor appointments, urgent care visits, tests and other outpatient care.
Like the Medicare Part A deductible, the Medicare Part B deductible usually increases a bit every year.
But unlike the Part A deductible, the Part B deductible is for the whole year. You only have to pay the Part B deductible once each year, and a new deductible takes effect on Jan. 1.
How the Part B deductible works
You pay your Part B deductible just once each calendar year. After you reach $240, Part B starts to cover about 80% of your medical bills, and you pay the remaining 20%.
But if you qualify for Medicare late in the calendar year, you could end up paying the Medicare Part B deductible more than once within a few months or even a few weeks.
For example, if you enroll in Medicare in December 2024 and you have a few doctor appointments late in the year, you still have to meet the Part B deductible of $240 for 2024 before Part B starts paying. But the deductible resets in January, so if you have more doctor visits in the new year, you have to pay the deductible again.
If your Medicare coverage begins late in the calendar year, you may want to postpone nonurgent medical visits until the new year to avoid paying the Medicare Part B deductible twice within a short window of time.
Do I always have to pay the Part B deductible?
Medicare Part B pays the full cost of some preventive and wellness care, whether or not you've met the deductible.
Medicare provides a free "Welcome to Medicare" visit during your first 12 months after you enroll in Medicare Part B. The Welcome to Medicare visit is a preventive doctor visit. It includes a review of your medical and social history as well as education and counseling about preventive services. You don't have to pay a deductible, but you might have to pay part of the cost if your doctor orders tests or you receive a service that isn't considered preventive.
In addition, Medicare includes a free yearly wellness visit if you have been enrolled in Part B for more than 12 months.
Like the Affordable Care Act, Medicare Part B also covers recommended preventive services at no cost. This includes many screenings and vaccinations, like the yearly flu shot. To qualify for free preventive services, you have to see a doctor or medical office that accepts Medicare.
Medicare Advantage deductible for 2024
Deductibles on Medicare Advantage plans can range from $0 to more than $1,000.
Medicare Advantage, also called Medicare Part C, is sold by private insurance companies. Because the companies create their own plans, the deductibles vary based on the plan you buy.
Many Medicare Advantage plans charge separate deductibles for medical and prescription drug coverage. That means you have to reach your medical deductible before the plan starts paying for your health care and your drug deductible before you have coverage for your medications.
But if you have a Medicare Advantage plan, you don't have to pay the Part A or Part B deductible. The deductibles for the plan you buy are the only ones you have to meet.
For example, if you are admitted to the hospital and you have a Medicare Advantage plan, you don't have to pay the $1,632 Part A deductible or any of the Part A coinsurance amounts. Instead, you pay the Medicare Advantage plan's deductible (if you haven't met it already) and the plan's daily copays for hospital care. Copays vary based on the plan, and they usually start after just a few days in the hospital. But after the first several days of hospitalizations, many Advantage plans charge nothing.
Other costs with a Medicare Advantage plan
Medicare Advantage plans charge their own monthly premiums and copays for medical care.
In addition to any monthly rate for the Medicare Advantage plan, you also have to pay for Part B, which is $174.70 for 2024.
Medicare Part D deductible for 2024
The average Part D plan deductible is $391 for 2024.
By law, Medicare Part D plans cannot charge more than $545 for the 2024 deductible. About half of all drug plans charge the maximum amount. About 30% of drug plans for 2024 do not have a deductible.
Like Medicare Part C, Medicare Part D comes from private insurance companies. The deductible will vary based on the company you pick and the plan you buy, but it will not be over $545 each year.
Medigap deductible for 2024
Most Medigap plans don't have deductibles, but they can help pay for your Part A and B deductibles.
Medigap plan | Part A deductible coverage | Part B deductible coverage |
|---|---|---|
| Plan A | ||
| Plan B | ||
| Plan C | ||
| Plan D | ||
| Plan F |
Only three Medigap plans, Plans C, F and J, cover both the Part A and the Part B deductible. Plan J was discontinued in 2010, but anyone who already had the plan was allowed to keep it. And you can only get Plan C or F if you were eligible for Medicare before 2020. The Medigap plans that are sold to people who are new to Medicare do not include coverage for the Part B deductible.
When do Medigap plans have their own deductibles?
Only three Medicare Supplement plans, the high-deductible versions of Plans F, G and J, have a deductible. For 2024, you have to pay $2,800 of your medical expenses before the plan will start paying toward your Part A and B costs.
Before your medical costs reach the Medigap deductible, you will still have coverage from Medicare Parts A and B. You pay the deductibles, coinsurance and copays for your medical care until those amounts hit $2,800. Then, your Medigap plan starts paying its share of your bills.
Frequently asked questions
What is the Medicare deductible?
For 2024, Medicare Part A has a $1,632 deductible for each time you are hospitalized. Part B has a yearly $240 deductible. The deductible for Part D and Medicare Advantage plans varies depending on the company you choose and the plan you buy.
Does everyone on Medicare have to pay a deductible?
Most people on Medicare have to pay a deductible. If you have just Parts A and B, you'll pay the deductibles that are set by the government. But if you have a Medicare Advantage plan, you might have coverage for your Medicare deductibles, depending on the plan. If you have a Medicare Advantage plan or Part D plan, the deductibles are set by the company.
How do you check if you’ve met your Medicare deductible?
If you are enrolled in Original Medicare, Medicare will send you a Medicare Summary Notice (MSN) every three months. The notice lists all of the services billed to Medicare, the portion Medicare paid and whether you have met your deductibles. If you are enrolled in a Medicare Advantage plan, your insurance company can tell you what has been paid and if you met your deductible.
Methodology and sources
Monthly rates, deductibles, coinsurance and copay amounts for Medicare Parts A and B are sourced from Medicare.gov. Information on Medicare Advantage and Part D plans is from public use files provided by the Centers for Medicare & Medicaid Services (CMS).
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