Guides · Updated September 27, 2026

Does the Medicare premium count for VA Pension?

Yes. It is one of the most commonly missed costs, because nobody writes a check for it. The Medicare premium comes out of the Social Security payment before it ever reaches the bank.

This guide is general information, not legal advice. VetCareLog is not affiliated with the U.S. Department of Veterans Affairs. Confirm your situation with an accredited representative.

Why it counts

VA Pension, Aid and Attendance, and Survivors Pension are based on income. The VA lowers the income it counts by the medical costs the family paid and was not paid back for. VA Form 21P‑8416 lists medical insurance premiums as a medical expense, and it names the monthly Medicare deduction as an example.

So if Social Security takes the Medicare Part B premium out every month, that is money the family paid for medical care, even though it never passed through their hands.

How to find the amount

• Look at the yearly Social Security benefit letter, which lists the Medicare premium deducted.
• Or sign in to your my Social Security account at ssa.gov and open the benefit verification letter.
• The premium usually changes every January, so check the amount for each year you report.

How it goes on the form

It goes in Section V, Other medical expenses. Because it is paid every month, it is a recurring expense. The form says to report a recurring expense on one line, marked Monthly, with the date it started, rather than twelve separate lines. If the amount changes, the form asks for a new line for the new amount.

• Paid to: Medicare
• Purpose: health insurance premium (Medicare Part B)
• Frequency: Monthly

Other premiums people forget

• Medicare Part D drug plan premiums
• Medicare supplement (Medigap) premiums
• Long-term care insurance premiums
• Dental and vision plan premiums

Each one is its own line, as long as the family paid it and it was not paid back.

Keep it all in one place

VetCareLog has a one-tap Medicare premium entry. Set it once as a monthly cost and it lands on the worksheet as a single recurring line, the way the form asks.

No card needed.

More guides

• What counts as a medical expense for VA Pension
• VA Pension mileage: how drives to the doctor count
• Paying a family caregiver and VA Pension
• Aid and Attendance and medical expenses