How do I pay my Medicare premiums?

2. Sign up for Medicare Easy Pay. With this free service, Medicare automatically deducts the premium payments from your savings or checking account each month. Deductions are made on the 20th of the month or the next business day.

To sign up for Medicare Easy Pay, log into your online Medicare account, select My premiums and then Sign up to complete a short online form. You also can enroll by mailing a paper form. It may take six to eight weeks for your automatic deductions to start, and you’ll need to pay your premiums another way until then.

Once your account is established, you’ll receive a monthly statement letting you know the amount Easy Pay will deduct from your bank to CMS Medicare Premiums.

3. Pay directly from your checking or savings account through your bank’s online bill payment service, if available. Your bank will need your 11-character Medicare number, which is the number on your Medicare card but without the dashes. The payee name is CMS Medicare Insurance and the payee address is:

Medicare Premium Collection Center

P.O. Box 790355

St. Louis, MO 63179-0355

4. Mail your payment to Medicare. You can pay your bill by mail using a check, credit or debit card, or money order. Write your Medicare number on your payment and fill out your payment coupon. Send it to the address on the bill (same as above).

If you receive your Medicare bill from the Railroad Retirement Board rather than Social Security, you'll need to mail your premium payments to a different address.

What about Part D, Medicare Advantage or Medigap?

If you choose to get extra coverage from a private insurer, you may have to pay additional premiums to the plan:

Part D prescription drug coverage. You pay your regular Part D premiums to the drug plan, not to Social Security or Medicare. Ask your plan about your options. You may receive monthly bills or be able to pay electronically.

You can ask your plan to deduct your premium from your monthly Social Security benefits, called “premium withholding.” The automatic payments can take up to three months to take effect after your request; you may have to pay premiums directly to your plan until then.

If you have to pay a high-income surcharge for Part D, also called an Income-Related Monthly Adjustment Amount (IRMAA), that extra monthly premium goes to Medicare rather than to the plan. If you receive Social Security benefits, the IRMAA is deducted automatically from your payments. Otherwise, you’ll receive a monthly bill from Medicare for the extra amount and will have the same payment options as listed in Part B above.

Medicare Advantage plans. If you have coverage from a private Medicare Advantage plan rather than original Medicare, you still need to sign up for Medicare parts A and B and pay the monthly premiums. You may have to pay an additional monthly premium to your Medicare Advantage plan, although many plans don’t charge more. Ask your Medicare Advantage plan about your payment options.

If you must pay a high-income surcharge for the drug portion of the coverage, you can either have the IRMAA deducted automatically from your Social Security benefits or RRB benefits, or Medicare will bill you monthly for that amount.

Medicare supplement plans. If you buy a Medigap policy to help cover Medicare’s deductibles and copayments, you’ll have to pay premiums directly to the plan. Contact your plan to find out more.

Keep in mind

If you have trouble affording your Medicare Part A or Part B premiums or out-of-pocket costs, you may qualify for a Medicare Savings Program. Eligibility is based on income and assets, and varies by state. You can find out more from your State Health Insurance Assistance Program (SHIP).

If you need help paying your Medicare Part D premium and out-of-pocket costs, you may qualify for the Extra Help program.

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