2022 Medicare Part B premium increase being reconsidered
There’s a chance that your Medicare Part B premiums for 2022 could be reduced.
Health and Human Services Secretary Xavier Becerra on Monday announced that he is instructing the Centers for Medicare & Medicaid Services to reassess this year’s standard premium, which jumped to $170.10 from $148.50 in 2021.
About half of the larger-than-expected increase was attributed to the potential cost of covering Aduhelm — a drug that battles Alzheimer’s disease — despite not knowing yet to what extent the program would cover it. Either way, the manufacturer has since cut in half its estimated per-patient price tag to $28,000 annually from $56,000 — meaning Medicare’s cost estimate was based on now-dated information.
“It is unconscionable for a single outrageously priced drug to drive up premiums for all Medicare beneficiaries – many of whom are already struggling to make ends meet,” said Nancy LeaMond, AARP executive vice president and chief advocacy and engagement officer.