Medicare Changes in 2015
Posted on January 31, 2015 by bob in Medicare
There are some changes to Medicare in 2015, and we’ll outline those here. The best news, however, is that there are no changes in Medicare’s Part B premium and deductible. The standard premium for the part of Medicare that covers doctor visits and outpatient care will remain at $104.90 per month in 2015, which means more of your Social Security cost-of-living adjustment will stay in your pocket.
A small number of people with Medicare – about 4 percent – pay surcharges on their Part B premiums because their annual incomes exceed $85,000. They, too, will see no increase in their premiums for physician visits and outpatient services. The Part B deductible for 2015 will also remain the same as in 2014 – $147. That’s what you pay out of pocket for doctor appointments and outpatient care at the beginning of each year before your Medicare coverage kicks in and helps to cover costs.
Bigger discounts on drugs in the “doughnut hole”
If you have a Medicare drug plan, the health care law is shrinking the coverage gap, or “doughnut hole,” and what you pay out of pocket when you’re in it. For 2015, the gap begins once you and your drug plan together have spent $2,960.
When you reach the doughnut hole, you’ll receive bigger discounts on brand-name drugs – 55 percent in 2015, instead of 53 percent this past year – and larger price breaks on generics – 35 percent in 2015, instead of 28 percent previously. The discounts will continue to grow, year by year, until 2020.
“Dis-enrollment” from Medicare Advantage plans
If you’re unhappy with your private Medicare Advantage health plan, an annual “dis-enrollment” period allows you to return to the traditional fee-for-service Medicare program until Feb. 14. You can also pick a drug plan to go with your new coverage.
A word of caution here: There are a few things you can’t do during the six-week “dis-enrollment” period. You can’t switch from one Medicare Advantage plan to another. Nor can you switch from the traditional Medicare program to an Advantage plan. Most people will need to wait until the annual enrollment period in the fall to make either of those changes.
If you pay a Part A premium, it’ll shrink
Part A covers inpatient hospital stays, care in a skilled nursing facility, hospice services and some home health care. Most beneficiaries, or their spouses, have worked long enough to qualify for premium-free Part A coverage. For the 1 percent who must pay, their monthly premium will drop from $426 to $407 in 2015.
The Part A deductible that beneficiaries pay when admitted to the hospital will increase modestly – from $1,216 to $1,260. Once you meet your deductible, Medicare covers the full cost of your first 60 days in the hospital – there’s no co-payment.
Medicare’s websites make comparisons easier
Medicare’s “compare” websites – found at www.medicare.gov – are good places to begin your research when looking for a nursing home, hospital, home health agency, dialysis facility or physician. This year, Medicare will make the websites even simpler to use.
The nursing home compare and the physician compare websites already display star ratings and have proved especially popular with consumers. Similar star ratings will be added in 2015 to help you compare hospitals, home health agencies and dialysis facilities.
Access to your personal health information
Having ready access to your Medicare claims data gives you a better understanding of your health information and greater control. It also makes it easier to share your medical history with doctors, caregivers or anyone else you choose.
Visit mymedicare.gov to use Medicare’s “blue button” today. You can download 12 to 36 months of claims information for Medicare Parts A and B, and 12 months of claims information for Part D, to your computer or mobile device.
This overview of the noteworthy changes to Medicare are expanded on in great detail in the “Medicare and You 2015” handbook you received in the mail. You can also visit www.medicare.gov and download a free digital version of the handbook to your e-reader.
Bob Moos is Southwest public affairs officer for the U.S. Centers for Medicare and Medicaid Services.
