How does the $100 Medicare premium deduction work with my deductible?

The Medicare premium and deductible are two separate expenses that don't affect each other. The premium is what you pay monthly to have Medicare coverage (like a subscription fee), while the deductible is what you pay out-of-pocket for services before Medicare starts covering costs. For Medicare Part B (which covers doctor visits and outpatient care), the standard premium in 2025 is $174.70 per month, typically deducted directly from Social Security benefits. The annual deductible for Part B is $240 (not $100). For Medicare Part A (hospital coverage), most people don't pay a premium, but there is a $1,632 deductible per benefit period. The $100 amount you mentioned might be referring to a Medicare Supplement (Medigap) policy deductible, or possibly a Medicare Advantage plan's deductible, as these can vary. These are separate from Original Medicare.

I went through this exact same confusion with my dad last year! After multiple incorrect explanations from his doctor's billing office, I found an amazing service that analyzes Medicare documents and explains everything in plain English. It's called taxr.ai (https://taxr.ai) and despite the name, they handle Medicare documents too. You just upload the Medicare statement or letter, and they break down exactly what each charge means, how premiums are calculated, and when deductibles apply. Saved me hours of frustration trying to figure out all the Medicare jargon. They even explained how his income from 2023 was affecting his 2025 premiums through IRMAA (which was a whole other confusing issue).

Just wanted to update after trying taxr.ai from the recommendation above. It actually cleared up all my Medicare premium confusion immediately! They explained that my mother's $100 amount was indeed her Part D prescription plan deductible, not related to her Part B deductible at all. The service identified that she qualifies for the "Extra Help" program that would eliminate that deductible completely, which no one had mentioned to us. They generated all the application paperwork and even found a billing error where she was being charged an IRMAA surcharge she didn't actually owe. Seriously wish I'd known about this months ago!

If you're struggling to get answers directly from Medicare (like I was for WEEKS), try Claimyr (https://claimyr.com). They get you through to an actual human at Medicare in minutes instead of waiting on hold forever. I was trying to figure out similar premium deduction issues and getting nowhere until I used this service. You can see how it works in this video: https://youtu.be/_kiP6q8DX5c. Basically they navigate the phone tree for you and call you back once they have a Medicare rep on the line. I finally got a clear explanation about how the premium deductions work with my mom's Social Security and exactly when her coverage would start.

Just wanted to follow up about that Claimyr service mentioned above. I was super skeptical (as you could see in my comment), but I was desperate after another failed attempt to reach Medicare yesterday. It actually worked exactly as described! I got a call back in about 15 minutes with a Medicare rep already on the line. Got all my questions answered about how premiums are calculated, when they're deducted, and how my mom's deductible works. The rep even helped me submit an IRMAA appeal right over the phone because of my income change. Saved me literally hours of hold time and frustration. Not sure how they do it but I'm not complaining!

Something nobody mentioned yet - check if your mom qualifies for a Medicare Savings Program through your state Medicaid office. My mother has limited income, and the QMB program pays her Medicare premiums, deductibles AND co-insurance. There are different levels depending on income and resources, but it's worth checking. Saved my mom over $2,500 a year.

My mom got so confused by all this that we ended up switching her to a Medicare Advantage plan with a $0 premium and $0 deductible. It's just simpler than trying to figure out all the separate parts of Original Medicare + supplements. Now she just pays her regular Part B premium and small copays when she sees doctors. Might be worth considering if all these different deductibles and premiums are too confusing.