A person enrolled in original Medicare can pay their premiums online. There are several secure options, and some payment options can be automatic.
People who do not get benefit payments from the Social Security Administration or Railroad Retirement Board (RRB) receive bills for Medicare premiums.
Individuals can pay their bills online through their MyMedicare account, and there is no fee to use the service.
A person can pay for premiums for:
- Medicare Part A (if applicable)
- Medicare Part B
- Medicare Part D (if applicable)
Medicare bills usually arrive on or around the 10th day of the month.
The bill will list the dates for which a person is paying, which is usually a 1-month period for Part A and Part D but a 3-month period for Part B. Medicare must receive payment by the 25th day of the month.
A Medicare premium bill tells a person how much to pay for parts A, B, and D, or for all three.
Part A
A person will not pay for Part A if they or a qualifying family member has worked for 40 quarters or more over their lifetime.
If someone does not qualify for premium-free Medicare, they will receive a bill each month for the premium amount due.
Part B
Everyone enrolled in Part B must pay at least the basic premium every 3 months.
The amount varies depending on how much a person earns, and the bill will confirm the amount.
Part D
As private insurance companies administer Part D plans, a person will not receive a bill from Medicare for these costs. They should pay plan premiums directly to their plan provider.
Those who earn above a certain amount may have to pay more for their Part D premium.
However, rather than paying the extra amount, known as the income-related monthly adjustment amount (IRMAA), to the private insurer, they pay it directly to Medicare. Medicare will include this portion of the cost within a bill.
Medicare Advantage
As with Part D, private insurance companies administer Medicare Advantage plans, and a person will pay their premiums directly to their plan provider.
However, Medicare still requires a person to pay their Part B premium and send a bill for this part.
When does Medicare not send a bill?
Some people receive Social Security retirement benefits or RRB benefits.
In these cases, Medicare premiums come out of the benefits, so Medicare will not send the person a monthly bill.
Using MyMedicare, a person can pay their premium with a credit or debit card.
Once they have logged into their account, they select “Pay my premium” and enter the amount they would like to pay.
The website will then direct the person to the Department of the Treasury’s payment program — Pay.gov — to complete the payment.
After a person has completed their payment, they will receive a reference number for their records, and the credit card, debit card, or bank statement will show a transaction to “CMS Medicare.”
While credit and debit card payments may go through more quickly, individuals may also use their bank’s online payment service to move money from their savings or checking account to Medicare.
When payments come from checking or savings accounts, it can take up to 5 business days to process them.
Some banks will charge a fee for paying bills online, but Medicare will not charge a fee to process the payments.
To set up a payment through a bank, a person should take care to provide the right information to the bank, including:
- the amount to be paid
- the individual 11-character Medicare Number, which is on a person’s Medicare card or bill
- the name of the payment recipient — in this case, CMS Medicare Insurance
- Medicare’s premium collection address:
Medicare Premium Collection Center
PO Box 790355
St. Louis, MO 63179-0355
Some banks may also be able to set up automatic payments to Medicare, and a person should check with their bank to discuss the payment options available.
Anyone who receives a bill for Medicare premiums and has a bank account is eligible for Medicare Easy Pay.
Easy Pay automatically deducts a person’s Medicare premiums from a savings or checking account.
To sign up, a person should complete the Authorization Agreement for Preauthorized Payments form, SF-5510. The form is available in English and Spanish.
A person should mail their completed form to the Medicare Premium Collection Center. Completion of the sign-up process takes about 6–8 weeks.
After a person has successfully registered for Medicare Easy Pay, they will receive a Medicare statement that includes the text, “This is not a bill.” This statement advises the person that Medicare will take the premium from their bank account.
An individual can expect to see the payment leave their bank account on or close to the 20th day of the month.
A Medicare bill will tell a person if their payments are late. There are usually three billing attempts:
- First bill: This bill comes every month if a person is paying on time (or every 3 months for those who just pay for Part B). Medicare must receive payment on or before the due date.
- Second bill: If Medicare does not receive payment from the first bill, a person will receive a second bill to pay in full by the specified due date.
- Delinquent: If Medicare does not receive payment for 90 days, a person must pay the total amount by the specified due date or risk losing their Medicare coverage.
A person has several options to pay their premiums online, including:
- MyMedicare.gov, using a credit or debit card
- online banking
- Medicare Easy Pay
Many people automatically pay their Medicare premiums directly from their Social Security or RRB benefits.
People who do not receive these benefits must pay their parts A and B premiums and the Part D IRMAA each month. Those who only pay for Part B will pay every 3 months.
Medicare bills arrive on or around the 10th day of the month, and the payment is due by the 25th.
Medicare gives a person 90 days to pay before stopping their coverage.