The Medicare Part B Give Back Benefit is a rebate that some Medicare Advantage plans may offer. It involves the plan carrier paying some or all of the Medicare Part B monthly premium.
Medicare Advantage plans, also known as Medicare Part C, are bundled plans that private insurers administer. Generally, these plans combine Medicare parts A and B, known as Original Medicare, with additional benefits.
Some additional benefits include routine dental, vision, hearing, and fitness services. One extra benefit that some plans may offer is the Give Back Benefit. This is a Part B premium reduction that may cover some or the majority of the Part B monthly premium.
Some Medicare Advantage plan providers offer Medicare Give Back, a benefit that reduces the Part B premium by adding money to an individual’s Social Security check. If a person does not receive Social Security benefits, their Part B premium will be lower.
Some insurers refer to Medicare Part B Give Back as “money back.”
Medicare provides private insurers with a specific amount of funding, known as the bid, for each Medicare Advantage member. The insurers will bid for a specific figure, but they can sometimes connect people with medical care that costs less than the bid amount.
This difference between a higher bid and lower service costs is known as a rebate. In 2025, the average rebate per enrollee is around $188.
Insurers must use the rebate to provide services to the enrollee. They sometimes put this rebate toward additional benefits, such as lowering out-of-pocket costs or extra dental, vision, hearing, or fitness benefits.
The rebate may instead result in lower premiums, forming the Give Back Benefit. The KFF estimates that in 2024, 19% of all Medicare Advantage plans reduced the Part B premium for their enrollee in some way.
Any individual eligible for Medicare is also eligible for a Part B Give Back Benefit, so long as they enroll in Medicare Advantage through a company and plan that offers it.
To be eligible for Medicare, a person must be at least 65 years old or live with a qualifying disability. People who receive disability or retirement benefits from Social Security before age 65 are automatically eligible, while others must apply directly.
People with Medicare Advantage must first have enrolled in Medicare Part A and Part B, also known as Original Medicare.
An eligible person can apply for a Medicare Advantage plan during three specific enrollment periods:
- Initial enrollment: This starts 3 months before a person’s 65th birthday month, continues throughout their birth month, and ends 3 months later.
- Open enrollment: This runs from October 15 to December 7 yearly. People can drop Original Medicare and join Medicare Advantage for the first time or switch between Medicare Advantage plans if they would like other benefits, such as the Part B rebate.
- Medicare Advantage open enrollment: This window runs from January 1 to March 31 every year. During this time, people with Medicare Advantage have the same opportunities as those in open enrollment to switch or join Medicare Advantage plans.
In certain circumstances, a person may also be able to change their Medicare Advantage plan during a Special Enrollment Period.
Medicare Advantage plans often have specific service areas, so not all plans with Part B Give Back will be available everywhere.
The Part B reimbursement often appears as a lower premium.
People who receive monthly Social Security benefits may receive the reimbursement as a higher monthly Social Security check.
According to the Centers for Medicare and Medicaid Services (CMS), the first Give Back payment may take up to 2 months to become visible as a higher Social Security check or discounted premium.
If this has not appeared within 2 months, an individual can contact their plan provider. The insurer can refund the difference between the full and discounted premium.
Any amounts due for refund will appear either as a higher monthly Social Security payment or a one-off check.
Any plan offering a Give Back Benefit will be a Medicare Advantage plan from a private insurer.
For this reason, a person must consider crucial factors of different Medicare Advantage plans that affect the premium, coverage, and service area.
When picking a Medicare Advantage plan, a person can ask the plan provider about the following elements and about any benefits, such as Give Back, that may make it more appealing:
- Are a person’s preferred or local healthcare facilities and doctors within the plan’s network?
- Can a person use out-of-network healthcare services?
- Does the plan include prescription drug coverage, including the drugs a person currently takes or may need in the future?
- What other benefits does the plan offer besides Give Back? These may include fitness memberships, meal services, and hearing, vision, or dental services.
- What is the plan premium?
- What are the associated out-of-pocket plan costs?
Medicare offers a helpful tool to help people work out the best Medicare Advantage plan for their needs.
Some Medicare Advantage plans offer a Medicare Part B Give Back Benefit. This means that the insurer reimburses or reduces part of the Part B premium that people must pay, along with their Medicare Advantage premium.
Medicare gives each Medicare Advantage plan provider a set amount per enrollee. If the care costs are less than the set amount, the insurer will transfer this into other plan benefits or reimburse the member through Give Back.
A person can discuss Give Back Benefits with an insurance provider when considering enrollment in a Medicare Advantage plan.