You can use Social Security benefits to pay for some of your Medicare premiums. You can also pay your Medicare bills online or by mail without a fee.

If you receive Social Security retirement or disability benefits, your Medicare premiums can be automatically deducted. The premium amount will be taken from your check before it is sent to you or deposited.

This automatic deduction generally applies to your Part B premium, but you can also set it up for many Part C and Part D plans.

Sometimes, your premiums can be automatically deducted If you receive Social Security Disability Insurance (SSDI) or Social Security retirement benefits.

But this doesn’t apply to all Medicare premiums. Each part of Medicare has its own premiums and rules for interacting with Social Security.

Medicare Part A

Most people receive Medicare Part A (inpatient hospital insurance) without paying a premium.

You’re eligible to enroll in Medicare Part A and pay nothing for your premium if you’re age 65 or older and one of these situations applies:

  • You’ve earned at least 40 Social Security work credits. You earn 4 work credits (also called quarters of coverage) each year you work and pay taxes. Most people have earned 40 credits after 10 years of work over their lifetime.
  • You have a spouse of at least 1 year who has earned 40 work credits and is eligible for SSDI or Social Security retirement benefits.
  • You’re legally single after spending 10 or more years married to your former spouse, who earned at least 40 work credits and is eligible for SSDI or Social Security retirement benefits.
  • You were married for at least 9 months but are now widowed and haven’t remarried. Your deceased spouse must have earned at least 40 work credits and met the SSDI or Social Security retirement benefits criteria.

You can also receive Part A without paying a premium if you qualify because of a disability. You can qualify for Medicare because of a disability at any age.

You’ll receive premium-free Part A if:

You can still get Medicare Part A if none of these situations apply, but you’ll need to pay a premium. Your premium will depend on how many work credits you have.

In 2025, if you have fewer than 30 work credits, you’ll pay $518 per month for Part A. If you have between 30 and 39 credits, you’ll pay $285 per month.

If you need to pay a Part A premium, you’ll get a bill every month. You can pay this bill online or by mail.

Medicare Part B

Medicare Part B (outpatient medical insurance) premiums are typically deducted from any Social Security or RRB benefits you receive. In this case, your Part B premiums will be automatically deducted from your total benefit check

You must manually pay your premium if you don’t receive Social Security or RRB benefits. Medicare sends you a bill every 3 months, which you can pay online or by mail.

The standard 2025 Part B premium is $185. However, depending on your income, the premium might be higher.

In 2025, you’ll pay more for Part B if you have an individual income of $106,000 or more or a joint income of $212,00 or more. This adjusted amount is called an income-related monthly adjustment amount (IRMAA).

If you have a limited income, you might be eligible to receive Part B at a lower cost or even for free. In that case, you can apply for a Medicare savings program to help cover your expenses.

Medicare Part C and Part D

Medicare Advantage (Part C) and Medicare Part D prescription drug plans are administered by private insurance companies that contract with Medicare.

Medicare Advantage plans must cover everything that Original Medicare (parts A and B) covers. They often include coverage for extra services and coverage from Part D prescription drug plans.

Stand-alone Medicare Part D plans work alongside Original Medicare and cover take-home prescription medications.

Medicare Advantage and Part D plans are optional. If you want either, you’ll have multiple options with varying costs, some starting at $0 per month. The Medicare website has a tool that you can use to shop for both plan types in your area.

You can deduct your Medicare Advantage or Part D plan premiums from Social Security. To set it up, you’ll need to contact the company that administers your plan.

But it can take some time for automatic payments to begin. This means your first payment could be very large, since it may cover multiple months at once. Your insurer will walk you through the details and let you know roughly how long it should take.

If it looks like it’s going to take a few months, consider putting some money aside for the premiums. This way, you’ll have a buffer if the first payment is larger than usual.

Your premiums will be deducted once per month after everything is set up.

Medicare premiums are tax-deductible. However, you can deduct premiums only once your out-of-pocket medical expenses reach a certain limit.

The IRS has set that limit at 7.5% of your adjusted gross income (AGI), which is the amount you make after taxes are deducted from each paycheck.

So, if you have an AGI of $50,000, you could deduct healthcare expenses after you’ve paid $3,750 in medical expenses. Depending on your premiums and other healthcare spending, you might not reach this number.

If your spending is less than 7.5% of your AGI, you can’t deduct any healthcare expenses, including premiums.

It’s a good idea to track your out-of-pocket medical expenses carefully throughout the year to make the proper deductions when taxes are due.

If your Medicare bills aren’t automatically deducted, you can pay them online or by mail. You won’t pay an added fee for parts A, B, or D, depending on your payment method.

You have several ways to pay:

  • online with a credit or debit card using your MyMedicare account
  • automatic payments using Medicare Easy Pay, with your premiums deducted from your checking account
  • your bank’s automatic bill pay feature, meaning your payments will be automatically sent to Medicare
  • a check or money order that you can mail to Medicare along with the tear-off portion of your Medicare bill
  • your credit or debit card, by writing your information on the tear-off portion of your bill and mailing it back to Medicare for payment

What about Medicare Advantage (Part C) and Part D?

You’ll pay your Medicare Advantage or Part D bill directly to the insurer administering the plan. Each company has its own preferred methods, and not all companies accept all payment types.

Generally, you should be able to:

  • pay online with a debit or credit card
  • set up automatic payments
  • mail a check
  • use your bank’s automatic bill-pay feature

You might also be able to set up a direct deduction for your retirement or disability payments.

You can contact your plan provider to learn about payment options. They can also tell you about any added fees or time delays associated with each payment type.

Medicare Part B premiums are usually taken out of your Social Security benefits. You can also set up your Medicare Advantage (Part C) and Part D premiums to be deducted from your benefits.

If your premiums aren’t automatically deducted from your Social Security or Railroad Retirement Board benefits, you can pay Medicare online or by mail.