Can You Have Medicare Premiums Deducted from Your Social Security Check?

Christian Worstell
In this article...
  • You may be able to have your Medicare premiums deducted directly from your Social Security check each month. Learn more about how to have your Medicare premiums automatically deducted each month if you’re eligible.

You may receive a Social Security check each month, and you likely pay monthly premiums for Medicare Part B, which is administrated by the Centers for Medicare & Medicaid Services (CMS) and the Social Security Administration. 

So can your Medicare premiums simply be deducted right from your Social Security check?

The answer is yes, Medicare premiums may be automatically deducted from your Social Security check each month, saving you the hassle of having to pay them manually. Below is a rundown of various Medicare premiums, how they relate to Social Security and some of the options you may have for paying your Medicare premiums. 

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Can Medicare Part A Premiums Be Deducted From Social Security?

No, there may not be a Social Security Medicare deduction for Part A. 

However, most beneficiaries do not need to pay a premium for Part A. If you or your spouse have worked and paid Medicare taxes for at least 40 quarters (10 years), you will likely qualify for premium-free Part A. 

If you paid Medicare taxes for fewer than 40 quarters, you may owe monthly premium for Medicare Part A. You may pay your Part A premium in one of four ways:

  • Online through your MyMedicare account using a credit card, debit card, savings account or checking account

  • Through your bank using an online payment service

  • Medicare Easy Pay, which is an automatic withdrawal from your savings or checking account on the 20th of each month

  • By mail, using a check, money order, credit card or debit card and the paper bill that is sent to you each month by mail

Can Medicare Part B Premiums Be Deducted From Social Security?

Yes. In fact, Medicare can automatically deduct your Part B premium directly from your Social Security check if you are both enrolled in Part B and collecting Social Security benefits. 

Most Part B beneficiaries have their premiums deducted directly from their Social Security benefits. Part B premiums may also be deducted directly from Railroad Retirement Board benefits. 

The benefit of having your Part B premium deducted from your Social Security check is more than just convenience. Those who do are protected by the hold harmless provision.

The hold harmless provision mandates that Social Security benefits may not be reduced because of increases to the Part B premium that are greater than the cost-of-living adjustment (COLA) that is made to Social Security benefits each year. 

Those who do not have their Part B premium deducted from Social Security are not protected by the provision and may have experience a Part B premium increase that is greater than the COLA amount, thereby reducing the amount of their Social Security benefit.

Can Private Medicare Plan Premiums Be Deducted From Social Security?

There are three primary types of private Medicare insurance: Medicare Part C (Medicare Advantage), Medicare Part D (Prescription Drug Plans) and Medicare Supplement Insurance (Medigap). 

Two of those types, Medicare Part C and Part D, may allow you to deduct your premiums directly from your Social Security check. You will need to work with the insurance company that provides your plan to set it up. The option to deduct your plan premiums from your Social Security check may not be offered by every insurance company. 

Private Medicare insurance companies typically offer many of the same payment options as Original Medicare (Medicare Part A and Part B), such as online bill payments, mail-in payments and automatic withdrawals or payments. 

Is Part B Medicare Tax Deductible?

Medicare Part B is considered supplemental insurance and therefore the monthly premium is tax deductible based on age and tax year.   

Are Medicare Part D Premiums Tax Deductible?

Medicare Part D premiums are usually tax deductible to the degree that they surpass 7.5% of the adjusted gross income. 

Are Medicare Supplement Premiums Tax Deductible?

Medicare Supplement premiums may be deducted from your taxes if they are itemized and exceed 7.5% of your adjusted gross income when combined with your other medical expenses. 

Have Medicare questions?

Talk to a licensed agent today to find a plan that fits your needs.

Christian Worstell
About the Author

Christian Worstell is a senior Medicare and health insurance writer with HelpAdivsor.com. He is also a licensed health insurance agent. Christian is well-known in the insurance industry for the thousands of educational articles he’s written, helping Americans better understand their health insurance and Medicare coverage.

Christian’s work as a Medicare expert has appeared in several top-tier and trade news outlets including Forbes, MarketWatch, WebMD and Yahoo! Finance.

While at HelpAdvisor, Christian has written hundreds of articles that teach Medicare beneficiaries the best practices for navigating Medicare. His articles are read by thousands of older Americans each month. By better understanding their health care coverage, readers may hopefully learn how to limit their out-of-pocket Medicare spending and access quality medical care.

Christian’s passion for his role stems from his desire to make a difference in the senior community. He strongly believes that the more beneficiaries know about their Medicare coverage, the better their overall health and wellness is as a result.

A current resident of Raleigh, Christian is a graduate of Shippensburg University with a bachelor’s degree in journalism. You can find Christian’s most recent articles in our blog.

If you’re a member of the media looking to connect with Christian, please don’t hesitate to email our public relations team at Mike@MyHelpAdvisor.com.

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