408.20—Monthly premiums.

(a) Statutory provisions. (1) The law established a monthly premium of $3 for the initial period of the program. It also set forth criteria and procedures for the Secretary to follow each December, beginning with December 1968, to determine and promulgate the standard monthly premium for the 12-month period beginning with July of the following year.

(2) The law was amended in 1983 to require that the Secretary promulgate the standard monthly premium in September of that year, and each year thereafter, to be effective for the 12 months beginning with the following January.

(3) The standard monthly premium applies to individuals who enroll during their initial enrollment periods. In other situations, that premium may be increased or decreased as specified in this subpart.

(4) The law was further amended in 1984 to include a temporary “hold harmless” provision (set forth in paragraph (e) of this section), that was subsequently extended and finally made permanent in 1988.

(5) The law was further amended in 2003 to ensure that amounts payable from the Transitional Assistance Account described in § 403.822 of this chapter shall not be taken into account in computing actuarrial rates or premium amounts.

(b) Criteria and procedures for the period from July 1976 through December 1983, the period from January 1991 through December 1995, and for periods after December 1998. (1) For periods from July 1976 through December 1983 and after December 1998, the Secretary determines and promulgates as the standard monthly premium (for disabled as well as aged enrollees) the lower of the following:

(i) The actuarial rate for the aged.

(ii) The monthly premium promulgated the previous December for the year beginning July 1, increased by a percentage that is the same as the latest cost-of-living increase in old age insurance benefits that occurred before the current promulgation. (Because of the change in the effective dates of the premium amount (under paragraph (a)(2) of this section), there was no increase in the standard monthly premium for the period July 1983 through December 1983.)

(2) For periods after December 1998, the Secretary determines the standard monthly premium in the manner specified in paragraph (b)(1) of this section, but promulgates it in September for the following calendar year.

(3) The premiums for calendar years 1991 through 1995 are those amounts as specified by section 1839(e)(1)(B) of the Act as follows:

(i) In 1991, $29.90;

(ii) In 1992, $31.80;

(iii) In 1993, $36.60;

(iv) In 1994, $41.10; and

(v) In 1995, $46.10.

(4) In no case shall payment made for transitional assistance costs under part 403, subpart H of this chapter be included in the formula used to calculate actuarial rates or standard monthly premiums.

(c) Premiums for calendar years 1984 through 1990 and 1996 through 1998. For calendar years 1984 through 1990 and 1996 through 1998, the standard monthly premium for all enrollees—

(1) Is equal to 50 percent of the actuarial rate for enrollees age 65 or over, that is, is calculated on the basis of 25 percent of program costs without regard to any cost-of-living increase in old age insurance benefits; and

(2) Is promulgated in the preceding September.

(d) Limitation on increase of standard premium: 1987 and 1988. If there is no cost-of-living increase in old age or disability benefits for December 1985 or December 1986, the standard monthly premiums for 1987 and 1988 (promulgated in September 1986 and September 1987, respectively) may not be increased.

(e) Nonstandard premiums for certain cases— (1) Basic rule. A nonstandard premium may be established in individual cases only if the individual is entitled to old age or disability benefits for the months of November and December, and actually receives the corresponding benefit checks in December and January.

(2) Special rules: Calendar years 1987 and 1988. For calendar years 1987 and 1988, the following rules apply:

(i) A nonstandard premium may be established if there is a cost-of-living increase in old age or disability benefits but, because the increase in the standard premium is greater than the cost-of-living increase, the beneficiary would receive a lower cash benefit in January than he or she received in December.

(ii) A nonstandard premium may not be established if the reduction in the individual's benefit would result, in whole or in part, from any circumstance other than the circumstance described in paragraph (e)(2)(i) of this section.

(3) Special rule: Calendar years after 1988. (i) Beginning with calendar year 1989, a premium increase greater than the cost-of-living increase is still a prerequisite for a nonstandard premium.

(ii) However, a nonstandard premium is not precluded solely because the cash benefit is further reduced as a result of government pension offset or workers' compensation payment.

(iii) Beginning with CY 2007, a nonstandard premium may not be applied to individuals who are required to pay an income-related monthly adjustment amount described in § 408.28 of this part.

(4) Amount of nonstandard premium. The nonstandard premium is the greater of the following:

(i) The premium paid for December.

(ii) The standard premium promulgated for January, reduced as necessary to compensate for—

(A) The fact that the cost-of-living increase was less than the increase in the standard premium; or

(B) The further reduction in benefit because of government pension offset or workers' compensation payments.

(5) Effective dates of nonstandard premium. A nonstandard premium established under this paragraph (e) continues in effect for the rest of the calendar year even if later there are retroactive adjustments in benefit payments. (The nonstandard premium could be affected by a determination that the individual had not established, or had lost, entitlement to monthly benefits for November or December, or both.)

(6) Effect of late enrollment or reenrollment. A nonstandard premium is subject to increase for late enrollment or reenrollment as required under other sections of this subpart. The increase is computed on the basis of the standard premium and added to the nonstandard premium.

[56 FR 8839, Mar. 1, 1991, as amended at 59 FR 26959, May 25, 1994; 68 FR 69927, Dec. 15, 2003; 73 FR 36468, June 27, 2008]

CFR

408.20—Monthly premiums.