Does Medicare Offer Family Plans?
Many Americans are currently enrolled in family health care plans either through the exchange or through their employer-provided health insurance. It is not uncommon for entire families to be covered under one policy. Medicare, however, only provides individual coverage to single beneficiaries. Two spouses can be both enrolled in Medicare, but must each have their own individual plans. This means that beneficiary’s families will need separate coverage, because they cannot be added to the Medicare policy.
Therefore, the short answer is no, Medicare does not offer family plans. But it’s more complicated than that. Although over half of all Medicare eligible Americans aged 65 and older are married, Medicare is not dependent on marital status.
The beneficiary and their spouse must enroll in their own separate Medicare plans, at whatever time they become eligible as individuals. Married partners may even need to enroll at different times, depending on factors such as age, health, and disability. However, marital status can influence some Medicare costs.
The reason that marital status can influence some of the Medicare costs is this: for Medicare Part B, the combined household income is what is considered for determining the premium. In most cases, each beneficiary will still pay the standard monthly part B premium, which is $164.90 per month for this year (2023). This premium is adjusted annually by the Centers for Medicare & Medicaid Services (CMS). If the beneficiary’s tax returns show a combined household income of $194,000, then each beneficiary will pay more for their monthly premiums. The higher the family’s combined annual income, the higher their individual Medicare Part B premiums will be. The additional premium amount is known as the Part B IRMAA (Medicare income-related monthly adjustment amount). Like the Part B premium, IRMAA amounts are also adjusted annually.