You can pay your Medicare premiums in several ways, including through your online Medicare account or Medicare Easy Pay. If you qualify, Medicare savings programs can help you with costs.

If you’re considering retirement, knowing how you’re going to pay for Medicare is an important first step.

It’s a good idea to start planning at least 3 months before you turn age 65. This will help you make an informed decision about the types of plans you can enroll in, what costs you can expect, and how to manage them.

Payment methods for Medicare depend on the plan you’re enrolled in, but Medicare plans offer more than one way to pay premiums.

Original Medicare and Medicare Part D

Most people have their Medicare Part B premiums deducted from their Social Security or Railroad Retirement benefit payments.

If you’re not receiving these benefits, Medicare will send you a bill for your premiums on the following schedule:

  • Medicare Part A premiums: You’ll receive a bill every month.
  • Medicare Part B premiums: You’ll receive a bill once every 3 months.
  • Medicare Part D IRMAA (income-related monthly adjustment amounts): You’ll receive a bill every month.

Medicare provides four ways to pay the above bills:

  1. Through your online Medicare account: To pay through your online Medicare account, log in to (or create) your personal Medicare account. Select “Pay My Premium” and choose your payment method and the amount you would like to pay. You will be linked to the U.S. Treasury’s Pay.gov site to complete your transaction.
  2. Through Medicare Easy Pay: You can set up automatic payments online through Medicare Easy Pay. Log in to your personal Medicare account and select “My Premiums.” Then select “Sign Up” and fill out, print, and mail the Authorization Agreement for Pre-authorized Payments form (SF-5510). The form is available in English or Spanish.
  3. Through the mail: You can pay through the mail by credit card, debit card, money order, or health savings account (HSA) card. Fill out the payment coupon at the bottom of your bill, sign it if using a credit or debit card, and mail it back using the return envelope that came with your bill.
  4. Through your bank: You can use your bank’s online bill payment service to set up a one-time or recurring payment from your checking or savings account. However, not every bank offers this service, and some may charge a service fee. Your bank will need the following info:
    • your 11-character Medicare number
    • your payee name: CMS Medical Insurance
    • your payment amount
    • your payee address: Medicare Premium Collection Center, P.O. Box 790355, St. Louis, MO 63179-0355

Medicare Advantage (Part C) and Medigap

If the Medicare Advantage (Part C) plan or Medigap plan you’ve chosen has a monthly premium, you’ll receive a bill from the private insurance company associated with your plan.

Payment options may differ across insurance providers, but generally, you can pay your Medicare Advantage premiums in the following ways:

  • Mailed check: You can mail your payment using the coupon and return envelope your provider gave you.
  • Automatic debit: You can sign up with your insurance provider to have Medicare Advantage premiums automatically deducted from your checking account.
  • Credit card over the phone: You can follow the payment instructions at the bottom of your provider bill to pay with a credit card.

If you have questions about billing

For billing or payment questions, call Medicare at 800-633-4227 (TTY: 877-486-2048).

Most Medicare bills (parts A, B, and D) are due on the 25th of each month.

Payments must be received by this date, so you’ll want to make sure that your payment arrives on time. Consider submitting your payment at least 5 days before your due date to ensure it arrives on time, and you don’t incur a late penalty fee.

If you’ve enrolled in a Medicare Advantage (Part C) or Medigap plan, you’ll need to contact the insurance provider associated with the plan to learn when payments are due. You’ll typically receive a bill each month (from both Medicare and insurance providers) that tells you when payment is due.

If you miss a payment or your payment doesn’t arrive on time, your next Medicare bill will include your past due amount.

Important note about late payments

If you receive a Medicare bill that says “Delinquent Bill” at the top, you’ll need to pay the total amount due as soon as possible to ensure you do not lose your Medicare coverage.

Medicare costs can be daunting to consider, especially if you’re retired and on a fixed income. However, there are some things you can do to help lower the cost of your premiums, deductibles, coinsurance, and copayments. For example, you can:

  • see if you qualify for a Medicare savings program like Extra Help or Medicaid
  • shop around to compare the cost and coverage of different Medicare plans
  • make sure to enroll on time and pay your bills on time to avoid penalty fees

Apply for a Medicare savings program

Medicare savings programs (MSPs) can help with the costs of Medicare premiums. You may qualify for an MSP if you are eligible for Medicare Part A, have an income at or below an MSP-specified limit, or have limited resources, such as money in your savings or checking account.

Medicare provides four types of MSPs:

To see whether you qualify for an MSP, contact Medicare or your state’s Medicaid office.

Apply for the Medicare Extra Help program

Medicare’s Extra Help program can help with Medicare prescription drug costs. To qualify for Extra Help in 2024, your:

  • Yearly income needs to be less than $23,475 if you are single or less than $31,725 if you are married and living together. If your yearly income is higher, you may still qualify if you live in Alaska or Hawaii or if other people who live with you rely on your income for support.
  • Your collective resources (money in a bank, stocks, or bonds) need to be less than $17,600 if you are single or less than $35,130 if you are married and living together. Things you own, such as your house, car, or life insurance, do not count toward your resource amount.

To apply for Extra Help or to get more information about the program, contact Social Security at 800-772-1213 (TTY: 800-325-0778).

Enroll in a Medicaid program

Medicaid is a joint state and federal program that can help people with lower incomes pay for their healthcare costs. Medicaid may also cover services that aren’t normally covered by Medicare, such as long-term care.

To see whether you qualify and to find out more about the Medicaid programs in your state, contact your state’s Medicaid office.

Compare the cost and coverage of Medicare plans in your area

While the premiums for Original Medicare (parts A and B) are fixed, you can shop around for other parts of Medicare that are offered by private companies. These include:

Monthly premiums for these plans vary according to the company offering them and where you live. To compare plans in your area, use this online Medicare tool.

Make sure to enroll in Medicare on time to avoid penalties

Certain parts of Medicare have late enrollment penalties. This means you may have to pay extra for your monthly premiums if you don’t enroll when you’re first eligible.

Late enrollment penalties, as they apply to different parts of Medicare, include:

  • Part A: Your monthly premium may increase by up to 10%. You’ll pay this increased premium for twice the number of years you could have enrolled in Part A but didn’t.
  • Part B: Your monthly premium may increase by 10% of the standard Part B premium for each 12-month period that you could have enrolled in Part B, but chose not to. You’ll pay this the entire time you have Part B.
  • Part D: You may also pay additional costs for Part D premiums if you go 63 days or longer after your initial enrollment period without some form of qualifying prescription drug coverage.

Here are the Medicare costs to know about in 2025:

Medicare Part A inpatient hospital insurance

For most people, Part A is provided at no charge. If you don’t qualify for a premium-free Part A, you’ll pay either $285 or $518 each month for 2025.

You’ll also need to pay a deductible amount of $1,676 for each inpatient hospital benefit period before Original Medicare starts to pay.

Copayments are based on the number of days you spend in a hospital. Days 1 through 60 are free after you pay your Part A deductible.

There’s no out-of-pocket maximum for the amount you pay.

Medicare Part B outpatient medical insurance

Part B premiums are $185 per month for 2025. People with a higher income level may need to pay more. The 2025 deductible is $257 per year. After your deductible is met, you typically pay 20% of the cost of the services.

You can expect to pay:

  • $0 for Medicare-approved laboratory services
  • $0 for home healthcare services
  • 20% of the Medicare-approved amount for durable medical equipment, such as a walker, wheelchair, or hospital bed
  • 20% for outpatient mental health services
  • 20% for outpatient hospital services

Late enrollment fees can be equal to 10% of your premium amount. The fees are payable for twice the number of years you were not enrolled. There’s no out-of-pocket maximum for the amount you pay.

Medicare Advantage plans (Part C)

Part C monthly premiums and deductibles vary based on your reported income for 2 years, the benefit options, and the plan itself.

Like Original Medicare, Advantage Plans make you pay part of the cost for covered medical services. Your share of the bill typically ranges from 20% to 40% or more, depending on the care you receive.

Medicare Part D prescription drug plans

The Part D monthly premiums vary by the plan you choose and the area of the country you live in. They can range from $10 to $100 per month. Premiums may be higher based on your reported income for 2 years before enrollment.

You can find Medicare drug plans in your area and compare cost and coverage with this online search tool.

Most people are eligible to begin enrolling in Original Medicare 3 months before their 65th birthday, so this is a great time to start considering all your Medicare options.

You might consider preparing a binder or a folder with all your research information so it’s together in one easy-to-locate place.

The more informed you are about Medicare plans, coverage, and payment options, the better decisions you can make regarding cost savings.