What is the Part B deductible?
The short answer
The Medicare Part B deductible is the amount you pay each calendar year before Medicare starts covering your outpatient medical costs. It resets every January 1 and the amount adjusts annually.
The full explanation
Part B covers outpatient services, things like doctor visits, lab work, preventive care, and durable medical equipment. Before Medicare pays its share of those services, you first pay the Part B deductible for the year. Once you meet the deductible, Medicare generally covers 80 percent of approved costs and you are responsible for the remaining 20 percent, which is called coinsurance. The deductible amount changes from year to year, so the figure that applied last year may not be accurate today. It is worth confirming the current amount at Medicare.gov or with a licensed agent. One thing that often surprises people: some preventive services, like the Welcome to Medicare visit and certain screenings, are covered without requiring you to first meet the deductible. That is worth knowing if you are newly enrolled and wondering whether to schedule routine care right away. If covering the 20 percent coinsurance after the deductible feels like a lot of financial exposure, a Medicare Supplement plan may help, though those plans come with their own premiums and eligibility rules.
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