Andrew Bird
Medicare and Insurance

By Andrew Bird

Every year, the Centers for Medicare and Medicare Services (CMS) publishes updates to Medicare’s deductibles and copays for the following year.

CMS recently released the changes for 2018 and there are some worthy of note if you are on Medicare.

Medicare consists of two parts, A and B. Part A is the hospital coverage and Part B is the doctor coverage. The part B deductible will remain the same at $183. The majority of the changes apply to Part A side of Medicare.

Part A deductible is going from $1,316 to $1,340. Additionally, the copay for hospital stays is increasing.

In days 61-90 of a hospital stay, the daily copay is going from $329 to $335 and in days 91-150 of the stay the daily copay is increasing from $658 to $670.

The daily copay for a stay in a skilled nursing facility is also increasing during days 21 to 100. That daily amount is going from $164.50 to $167.50

The good news is that the monthly premium for Part B will remain unchanged at $134 for the standard rate.

The income-related Part B premiums will vary depending on the portion of your income that exceeds $85,000, or $170,000 for a married couple. However, those rates are also remaining unchanged.

As you can see, there are quite a few out-of-pocket expenses that can add up quick with Medicare. If you don’t have a supplement plan to cover these costs, you are leaving yourself exposed to financial risk if something should happen to you.

Speak to your local insurance professional to help you compare and show you what plans are available and help you decide if a Medicare Supplement (Medi-Gap) is right for you.

Andrew Bird, an agent at Financial Concepts in Mesquite, specializes in Medicare and Insurance services. Andrew Bird can be reached at 702-346-7025 or by email at Abird@fcimesquite.com