I'm confused about all these different Medicare costs - premiums, deductibles, copays. How do they all work together?
Answered by 50 licensed agents
Premiums are the payments you make for the coverage. Deductibles are the amount you must pay out-of-pocket before your coverage will pay anything. Copays are the amount you pay for specific services after meeting your deductible.
Medicare Part A is free once you retire if you or your spouse worked for the last 40 quarters (10 years) before you signed up, because you paid taxes while working. Medicare Part A:
* Has a deductible for each benefit period (every 60 days) for inpatient hospital stays.
* Has copays for hospital stays longer than 60 days.
* Has daily coinsurance for days 61-90 and 91-150.
Medicare Part B has a premium that comes out of your Social Security check before it is dispersed to you. If you are not receiving Social Security, you must pay the premium for Part B out-of-pocket until you start drawing your Social Security. Medicare Part B:
* Has an annual deductible.
* Does not have copays for most services.
* Has a 20% coinsurance for most services after the deductible is met.
Medicare Supplements (Medigap) provide benefits to help cover out-of-pocket costs like deductibles, coinsurance, & copays. Each Med Sup has a premium, & each one has different benefits. Medigaps:
* Help pay the 20% coinsurance for services covered by Original Medicare Part B (medical insurance).
* Many cover the Medicare Part A (hospital insurance) deductible.
* May cover additional days in the hospital after Medicare benefits are used up.
* Some may cover costs for skilled nursing facilities, hospice care, excess charges from non-participating providers, & foreign travel health care emergencies.
Medicare Advantage usually does not have premiums, but may have a deductible(s), has copays for services, & an annual max out-of-pocket.
Answered by Diana Garner on April 29, 2025
Broker Licensed in KY, FL, IN, OH & TN
Answered by Gary Church on September 23, 2025
Broker Licensed in Ca, AZ, NV & TX
Answered by Steve and Sue Brauer on April 14, 2025
Broker Licensed in AZ & CA
Deductibles are the amount you need to pay out of pocket BEFORE your benefits take place. And Co-Insurance or Co-Pays are the required payment directly to the functionary that keeps the insurance rates lower for the insured. It seems a little redundant I know, but little things like a Co-pay sometimes stop the abuse of the system once someone has met their deductible.
Answered by Norman Smith on May 21, 2025
Agent Licensed in FL, AL, NJ & PA
Hello, somebody out there confused about all the costs associated with Medicare? Well, let me see if I can explain for you.
Number one is a premium. A premium is what you actually pay for the health care coverage. Next, there are deductibles, be it a medical deductible or a drug deductible. There are two separate things. These are what you're liable for, what you pay before the health insurance itself kicks in.
Next, there are co-pays when you go to a doctor, like a specialist or something like that. You might have to pay $30 or $40 for that visit. That's a co-pay. Co-insurance is like Medicare. Medicare is 80% and 20%. Your 20% is your co-insurance that you're liable for.
Answered by William Lawler on September 26, 2025
Broker Licensed in MO, FL, IA & 12 other states
Voss Speros here, Greek god of Medicare Talk, about Medicare. So the question is, I'm confused about all the different Medicare costs, premiums, copays, deductibles, and how do they all work together? That is a confusing topic, I'm not gonna lie.
So there are the premiums for the plans, the supplemental, and a premium for that advantage. No premium for Part A, and Part B has a premium. There are copayments and the deductibles. The deductibles come out on the Medicare rate. There is a deductible for a hospital of about $1,600 and a Part B deductible of about $100 to $200.
So you gotta pay a deductible first before the plan will kick in and pay anything else. And then this plan says no deductibles, not really. This maximum out-of-pocket, the most you pay in copayments over the course of a year, when you reach that number, the plan pays 100% past that. So deductibles are what you pay upfront, and then the plan kicks in.
Usually, you get a supplemental with a high deductible, or you get a lower premium but you pay the deductible of $2,800. You gotta pay the $2,000 first in copayments, all at the time of service. The insurance company covers so much, and you're responsible for so much. So that's a copayment.
There is a cost of insurance, a cost share on some things where you're gonna pay your share of the total cost, and the insurance will pay to share the total cost. It's like a copayment. A lot of plans offer up to a certain amount, so sometimes the copayments are 20% to 40%, depending on the plan. So keep that in mind.
Premiums are pretty easy. It's just what you pay for the plan. So how does it all work together? Depending on the plan, you get a supplemental plan, you pay a premium for it, and for Part D, you pay a premium for that. The Part D has a deductible of about $600. You pay first for your drugs before the plan steps in, and then you pay your copayment.
The supplemental plan doesn't cover Part B's deductible by $280. So you're gonna come out of pocket for the first two things when you go to a doctor. And then it pays off past that. So that's premiums and deductibles.
And then it is generally no premium, no deductible, and just copayments for service. When you go see the doctor or a specialist, you pay $5 or $20. You're gonna naturally pay $120, whatever it is. So that's how they all work down.
But it's a breakdown of everything. You gotta look at both sides, all the players, and then understand how to break it down. I'm asked, try it out. Have a good day. Hope that helps. Give us a call.
Answered by Voss Speros on March 16, 2026
Broker Licensed in AZ, CA, CO & 20 other states
Deductible is the money that YOU pay before the plan pays anything.
Copays are the cost for care that you have to pay.
All the money that you spend out of your pocket for medical (not prescription) costs goes towards your max out of pocket. Once you hit your max then you don't pay any more and the plan pays the rest of your medical costs for the rest of the year before it resets in January.
Answered by Jonathan Potter on February 2, 2026
Broker Licensed in UT, AZ, CA & 14 other states
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You can also reach out to a Licensed Professional to assist in explaining your options.
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Answered by Steven Bleicher on May 24, 2025
Broker Licensed in AZ
Answered by DeeDee Whitlock on April 16, 2025
Broker Licensed in LA
What does Medicare cover and not cover? To answer this question, we need to take a look at the two different parts of Medicare. Medicare Part A is your hospital coverage, and Part B is your medical coverage. For Part A, typically people do not pay a premium unless you did not work for at least 40 quarters within your lifetime. But Part A is gonna cover your inpatient hospital care, some skilled nursing care, and hospice care. There is a deductible of $1,676 every time you go in the hospital. If you're there more than 60 days, there's a co-pay of $419 per day. From day 91 to 150, it goes up to $838 per day. After that, you'll be paying for everything as it is not covered. For skilled nursing facility care, Medicare will cover you for the first 20 days, and then after that, it's $209.50 per day up to day 100. After day 100, you're not covered, so everything will be out of pocket. Your Part B covers your doctor services, your outpatient services, including surgery and some other services and supplies that are not covered by Part A. There is a premium for your Part B. Most people will pay $185 per month, but it does go up based on your income. Part B has an annual deductible of $257. After that, 20% is what your co-insurance would be. So there are two different types of plans that you can get: Medicare Supplement and Medicare Advantage to cover the things that Medicare does not cover.
Answered by Chad Watkins on August 22, 2025
Agent Licensed in NJ, AK, AL & 48 other states
Deductibles are the money you pay before a plan pays for services. Generally, these payments count towards your maximum out-of-pocket.
Copays (and co-insurances) are the costs of your services and count toward your maximum out-of-pocket.
You can find specific amounts in your plan's summary of benefits document.
Answered by Don Golding on April 7, 2025
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Answered by Allison Chapman on November 11, 2025
Agent Licensed in NC, FL, OH, SC & TN
Deductibles are what you need to pay before the plan pays.
Copay are set amounts on what you have to pay for your medical hospital and Rx visits
Consonance are percentages you may pay instead of copays
Answered by Angela Trinidad on March 16, 2026
Broker Licensed in TX, AZ, CA & 11 other states
Original Medicare is Part A (Hospital insurance) and Part B (Medical insurance). You pay the part B premium (for 2026 the standard is $202.90/mo). There is no premium that comes with Part A for most people, but there is a deductible for both part A (about $1700) and Part B ($283). Medicare spells out all the copays/ coinsurance that come with different services, and whether they are considered a part A service or Part B service. If you're using a Medicare Supplement or Medicare Advantage plan, your costs will look different based on the way those plans interact with Medicare, but you pay the part B premium on top of whatever premium you pay with these plans. Part D (prescription drug insurance) often does not come with a premium itself unless you have a penalty, but the carriers will often have their own premiums that come with the Part D plans they offer (usually low or $0 plans) . I hope this helps, but if you get in touch I'm happy to explain these thing to you more in depth.
Answered by Toyin Adeleye on December 3, 2025
Broker Licensed in NH
Elaboration:
Premiums:
These are the monthly fees you pay to maintain your Medicare coverage, both for Part A (hospital) and Part B (medical).
Deductibles:
Before Medicare begins to pay for services, you'll usually have to pay an annual deductible for Part A and Part B. For example, in 2025, the Part A deductible for hospital stays is $1,676.
Copays:
These are fixed amounts you pay for specific services, like a doctor's visit or a prescription. For example, you might pay $20 for a doctor's visit or $30 for a prescription.
Coinsurance:
This is a percentage of the cost you pay for services after you've met your deductible. For example, you might pay 20% of the cost of a hospital stay after you've paid your deductible.
How they work together:
Pay Premiums: You pay monthly premiums to ensure your Medicare coverage is active.
Meet Deductible: Before Medicare pays for most services, you'll need to meet an annual deductible.
Pay Copays/Coinsurance: After meeting the deductible, you'll pay copays (fixed amounts) or coinsurance (a percentage) for each service.
In simpler terms:
Think of it like car insurance. You pay a monthly premium to keep your coverage active. If you get in an accident, you pay a deductible before your insurance kicks in to cover the rest of the repair costs. Similarly, with Medicare, you pay monthly premiums, meet a deductible, and then pay copays or coinsurance for your healthcare.
Answered by Fred Manas on May 16, 2025
Agent Licensed in NY, CT, DC & 7 other states
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Answered by Meghan Blankenship on November 13, 2025
Broker Licensed in FL, MD & OH
My name is Marcie Barnes. I would be happy to break everything down in simple terms for you
Answered by Marcie Barnes on April 19, 2025
Agent Licensed in TX, AK, AL & 48 other states
Deductible is what you pay before the insurance company will pay.
Copays are a dollar amount you pay when you use your insurance and CoInsurance is a percentage you pay.
Answered by Dean Chiapetto on October 31, 2025
Broker Licensed in VA, MD, NC, TN & WV
Answered by Jack Mayer on September 1, 2025
Agent Licensed in CA & NV
• Premiums:
This is your monthly payment just to have the coverage (like Part B or a Part D drug plan).
• Deductibles:
This is what you pay first each year before Medicare or your plan starts paying.
• Copays/Coinsurance:
After your deductible is met, this is your share of the cost for each visit, test, or medication.
Answered by Antonio Rodriguez on December 3, 2025
Broker Licensed in OR
Answered by Charles Borg on April 9, 2025
Agent Licensed in FL & NY
Deductibles are what you pay first before Medicare kicks in.
Copays/coinsurance are your share of the cost after that.
Answered by Sam Silva on April 10, 2025
Broker Licensed in FL, GA, NJ & 7 other states
Yes, this can be very confusing and I’ll simplify it the best I can.
If you have a Medicare Advantage plan (Part C), there’s a max out-of-pocket limit — once you hit it, the plan covers 100% of your approved medical costs for the rest of the year.
What counts toward it: things like copays, coinsurance, deductibles, ER visits, hospital stays, and specialist visits.
What doesn’t count: your monthly premiums, prescription drug costs, or extras like dental and vision.
If you have a PPO plan out of network may have a seperate out of network Max out of pocket.
Your max out of pocket for prescription drugs for 2025 is $2,000.
Answered by Toni Chavez on June 8, 2025
Broker Licensed in AZ, CA, NM, NV & UT
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Broker Licensed in TX
Answered by Adam Morillo on July 9, 2025
Broker Licensed in FL, AK, AL & 48 other states
There could be differing premium, deductible &/or copay amounts for any of the Parts A, B, C and/or D of Medicare.
Answered by William Murray on April 6, 2026
Broker Licensed in CA, AZ, CO & 31 other states
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Answered by Robert Rowe on May 12, 2025
Broker Licensed in MI
Answered by Sophia Davis on April 16, 2025
Broker Licensed in OH & PA
Deductibles are the amount you have to pay before the plan you enroll in begins to pay. Not all plans have deductibles and not all deductibles apply to all services.
Copays are the dollar amounts you have to pay your providers.
Coinsurance is the percentage you have to pay your providers. This is one or the other, not both.
Examining your needs and budget is the best way to make a choice!
Answered by Jacquie Wolf on June 1, 2025
Broker Licensed in NY
Deductibles are the out-of-pocket expenses that must be met before coverage can begin.
Copays are the amount of money you pay when you visit a provider - be it a doctor, hospital, or pharmacy.
The copays do not count towards the deductible but the remainder of the bill will. Once the deductible is met, the policy pays the agreed upon percentage.
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Broker Licensed in MO, IA, KS & NE
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Tags: Coverage Medicare Part B New To Medicare
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