Medicare Changes for 2010: What Recipients Need to Know About Upcoming Medicare Benefits Changes

Every year there are a few changes to Medicare that Medicare recipients should know about.  With all the confusion about health care reform, the information for 2010 is as important as ever.

One of the things that will happen in 2010, unfortunately – but not totally unexpectedly – is that the Premiums for Medicare Part B will rise.  Since income determines your premiums, if you are single and your income is less than $85,000 your premiums will go up from the 2009 figure of $96.40 to $110.50 per month in 2010.

It becomes a bit confusing when it comes to filing a joint tax return.  If filing joint and your income is $170,000 or less, each beneficiary will pay $110.50 per month.  The individuals who file a single return and whose income is between $85,000 to $170,000 will pay $154.70 per month.

This is the same for those filing jointly whose income is between $170,000 and $214,000.  If your information isn’t listed here, you can check with Centers for Medicare and Medicaid (CMS) or www.medicare.com, or in the Medicare and You booklet which has a chart explaining premiums.
As for Medicare part A and B there are also changes coming.  Medicare Part A which covers hospital bills has a deductible that will go up from $1,068 in 2009 to $1,100 in 2010.  It is important to be aware that this deductible applies to every hospital visit, so each time you are in the hospital, then out for 60 days and have to go in after the 60 days is up, you are charged with another deductible.  If you go back into the hospital within the 60 days, you don’t get charged again for the deductible.

Part B covers medical expenses and will go up in 2010 from $135 per year to $155 per year.

If you have a Medigap policy, it is important to know that Part J will be discontinued as of June 2010.  If you already have the policy, however, you can keep it and maintain it if you pay the premiums and keep the coverage in force.

Most likely Plan J will become very expensive – in fact, it will be more expensive than people can afford to pay – especially as they sign up for Medigap policies, which are much more affordable.  As this happens more and more – less people using Part J because they go to Medigap or pass away – the rates for Part J will continue to rise, eventually making it too expensive for most seniors to enroll in. Plan J will eventually be eliminated along with Plans E, H and I.

If you have to get coverage, the minimum suggested is Plan C.  In addition, if you need more coverage, 100 percent coverage is offered after basic Medicare through Plan F.  Plan C and Plan F will continue to be available and the government will be adding Plans M and N.   There is no information on the approximate cost or which states they will be available in.

Plan M will pay up to half of the deductible for Part A if you go into the hospital.

Regarding office visits, Plan N will have a co-payment of $20 per office visit and a sliding scale of up to $50 for emergency room visits.  Plan K and L will also stay available, but offer benefits that are somewhat limited.

The various plans are created and offered by the federal government.  The issue is that these plans are available, whether or not they are available in your state is up to the Insurance Commissioner in your state, so different states can have different plans available.

Regardless of any changes or proposed changes, your coverage will stay the same for a while.  Medigap plans will not have changes until June 1, 2010, so you can purchase any of the plans available in your state until then.

Filed under: General-Medicare

Tags: medicare benefits, medicare benefits 2010, Medicare changes, medicare changes 2010, medicare part b premiums, medicare premiums, medicare updates, medigap changes