What is the Medicare Give Back Benefit and How Does It Work?
Key Takeaways
- Some Medicare AdvantageMedicare Advantage (Medicare Part C) is health insurance for Americans aged 65 and older that blends Medicare benefits with private health insurance. This typically includes a bundle of Original Medicare (Parts A and B) and Medicare Prescription Drug Plan (Part D). plans offer Medicare give back benefits that help pay part or all of your Medicare Part B monthly premium. In 2025, the Part B premiumA premium is a fee you pay to your insurance company for health plan coverage. This is usually a monthly cost. starts at $185 per month.
- The Medicare give back benefit is also called the Medicare Part BMedicare Part B is medical insurance that covers Medicare-approved services — such as medically necessary treatment and preventive services — and certain other costs, like durable medical equipment. Medicare Part B is part of Original Medicare. premium reduction.
- You do not need to qualify for a give back benefit. Eligibility is based on whether or not a plan in your area offers this benefit.
- Plans with give back benefits may not provide other coverages you need, like prescription drugs, dental, vision, or hearing.
The Medicare give back benefit is a Part B premium reduction offered by certain Medicare Advantage plans. The normal Medicare Part B premium is $185 a month in 2025, but with the give back, your insurance company pays part or all of that.
About a third of Medicare Advantage plans are offering Part B premium reimbursement in 2025. Of these, 28% are offering a monthly Part B give back of $100 or more, while 30% are offering a monthly Part B give back of $10 or less.
In this article, we’ll explain how a Medicare give back benefit works and help you decide whether this savings provides the right kind of value for your healthcare.
What Is the Medicare Give Back Benefit?
The Medicare give back benefit is a way for you to pay less on your Medicare Part B premiums. It’s only available to people who sign up with a Medicare Advantage plan.
Medicare Advantage plans are different than Original Medicare. Original Medicare is federal health insurance and includes Part A (hospital coverage) and Part B (medical coverage). While there’s usually no premium for Part A coverage, Part B costs most people $185 a month.
Medicare Advantage plans also include Part A and Part B coverage, but they’re sold by private insurers. You might also hear them called Part C coverage. They typically include additional benefits, like dental, vision, and hearing coverage. There’s sometimes a small monthly premium for these benefits, and you also still have to pay your Part B premium to Medicare.
Medicare offers private insurers a set amount of funding, known as the bid, to provide services for each Medicare Advantage member. In 2024, insurance companies received an average of $2,329 per enrollee. They can use some or all of this money to help reduce your Part B premiums.
The benefit amount varies by plan, and the maximum benefit you can get is the full Part B premium. However, nearly a third of plans are participating in the Medicare give back program in 2025 — up from 19% in 2024. Over half are offering a rebate of at least $50. If you signed up for one of these plans, the most you’d pay for your Part B premium would be $135 a month.
Still have questions? GoHealth has the answers you need.
Call Today
How Do You Qualify for the Medicare Give Back Benefit?
To receive a Part B premium reduction, you must be enrolled in a Medicare Advantage plan that features this benefit. Anyone who qualifies for Medicare Part A and Part B can sign up for a Medicare Advantage plan. You also need to live in a service area that has the Medicare give back benefit.
What ZIP Codes Have the Medicare Give Back Program?
Medicare Advantage benefits, including Part B give backs, vary by plan and location. This is because insurance companies use local provider networks. These are in-network groups of doctors, hospitals, and other providers that have agreed to treat an insurance company’s clients. Different networks may have higher costs, reducing the availability of the Part B premium reimbursement.
You can find out about Medicare Advantage plans with a give back benefit in your area by:
- Searching on Medicare.gov. Medicare allows you to search for plans by ZIP Code. After you answer a few questions, you can see all the plans available in your area. However, there’s no specific option to sort by Part B premium rebate.
- Contacting an insurance carrier. They’ll look at options in your area and see if any of their policies feature Part B premium reductions. The only drawback? They probably won’t show you options from their competitors.
- Exploring options with a licensed insurance agent. They can give a more well-rounded view of your choices as they often have access to plans from several different carriers and can compare more options in your area.
If there are no plans offering Medicare give back benefits in your area, you’ll need to enroll in another plan.
How You Receive Part B Premium Reimbursement
Most people have their Part B premium deducted directly from their Social Security check each month. So if your Social Security benefits are $1,500 a month, you’d receive a check for $1,315 after your Part B premium deduction.
With the senior giveback plan, your premium rebate is added back into your Social Security check each month. Using the same example as above, if your Medicare Advantage plan had a Part B give back of $100, your check would increase to $1,415 each month.
Some people pay their Part B premium directly to Medicare each month. If you’re in this boat, you’ll simply owe less each month.
Find the Medicare Plan that works for you.
Find My Ideal Plan
Is a Medicare Advantage Plan With Part B Giveback Right for You?
Choosing Medicare Advantage plans with the Part B give back may sound appealing, but it’s just one of the factors you should consider. If the plan lacks other benefits you need, you may end up paying more than you’d save in the long run. Here’s a list of what to consider when choosing a Medicare Advantage plan:
- Total cost of the plan: Part B premiums are just one portion of what you have to pay for a plan. You also need to think about the deductibles (what you pay before coverage kicks in), coinsurance (your portion of costs when you use services), and out-of-pocket maximums (the total amount you pay in medical bills each year before they’re all covered).
- Prescription drug coverage: If you take prescription drugs, it may be important to find a plan that covers them. You may also see this called Part D prescription drug coverage.
- Provider networks: Private insurance companies often have a specific network of providers they partner with. Make sure the doctors you see are in this network, or you may have to pay more to visit them.
- Additional benefits: Medicare Advantage plans can offer a wide range of additional benefits beyond what Original Medicare covers. If you want these services, make sure your plan includes them.
Putting It All Together
The Medicare give back program can help you lower Part B premium costs if you choose a Medicare Advantage plan. It can be a good choice for people on Medicare who might otherwise have trouble affording the full premium each month. However, it’s important to consider everything a Medicare Advantage plan offers before making the switch.
If you need help determining your coverage options and finding a Medicare Advantage plan with the Part B give back, consider working with a broker or licensed insurance agent. They can browse plans from the different carriers in your area to find the plan that makes the most sense for your needs.
Is the Medicare give back benefit income-based?
How much money can I get back from a give back benefit?
This depends on the Medicare Advantage plan you choose, and how much of a give back benefit it offers. Give back benefits can cover up to $185 per month in 2025, which is the full Part B monthly premium for most people. However, many plans offer less than the full Part B premium. You may be able to select a plan that offers $50 or $100 back each month. If so, you’ll pay the remaining amount each month out of your Social Security check. For example, if you receive a monthly $100 give back benefit, the $85 difference will be deducted from your Social Security check each month.
Medicare give back benefits aren’t offered in my area. How can I save money on my Medicare?
If income is a concern, you may qualify for dual eligibility in both Medicare and Medicaid. Medicaid is health insurance for Americans with low income. Qualifying for dual eligibility often allows you to enroll in a D-SNP, or Dual Eligible Special Needs Plan. With these plans, your state will often help pay a portion of your Medicare costs. But because Medicaid is partially run by the states, eligibility will depend on where you live.
Looking for a plan with prescription drug coverage?
Find My Ideal MA Plan
Sources
- Costs | Medicare. Medicare.gov.
- Medicare Advantage 2025 Spotlight: A First Look at Plan Premiums and Benefits. KFF.org.
- The Medicare Advantage program: Status report. MedPAC.gov.
- Explore your Medicare coverage options. Medicare.gov.