Cost-sharing in traditional Medicare is on the rise, and benefit designs in Medicare drug plans are changing.
The Medicare Part A deductible for inpatient hospital, skilled nursing facility and home healthcare services will increase by $44 in calendar year 2015 to $1,260, while the monthly Part A premium will decline by $19.
Medicare Part B monthly premiums and deductibles will remain unchanged. The Centers for Medicare & Medicaid Services announced the calendar year 2015 rates last week.
Daily Medicare coinsurance amounts will be $315 for days 61-90 of hospitalization in a benefit period; $630 for lifetime reserve days; and $157.50 for days 21-100 of extended care services in a skilled nursing facility in a benefit period.
The Part A premium, which is paid by just 1 percent of beneficiaries who have fewer than 40 quarters of Medicare-covered employment, will decline by $19 in CY 2015, to $407.
The base Part B monthly premium and annual deductible -- for physician and hospital outpatient services, certain home healthcare services, durable medical equipment and other items -- will be unchanged for CY 2015 at $104.90 and $147, respectively. The base Part B premium is adjusted upward for higher income beneficiaries.
In Medicare Part D, meanwhile, the average number of covered drugs is decreasing compared to 2014 and the restrictions are increasing, according to an analysis by HealthPocket.
"Both drug coverage and drug restrictions can change year to year even within the same Medicare insurance plan," said Kev Coleman, head of research and data ata at HealthPocket. "Given the number of covered drugs, the percentage of drugs with restrictions represents hundreds of on-formulary medications for the average Medicare drug plan."
An average of 34 percent of drugs in Medicare Advantage plans and 37 percent of drugs in Medicare Part D plans have certain coverage restrictions, the group found.