Medicare Part B Premium 2026: $202.90 a Month, Plus What 2027 May Bring

The standard Medicare Part B premium for 2026 is $202.90 a month, up $17.90 from $185.00 in 2025, and the annual Part B deductible is $283, up from $257. Most people never write a check for it: the premium comes straight out of their Social Security payment. Below are the full 2026 Part A and Part B numbers from CMS, how the hold-harmless rule shields some retirees from the increase, who pays more because of income, where to get help with the cost, and what is known so far about the 2027 premium.

The Short Answer

• $202.90 a month is the 2026 standard Part B premium, or $2,434.80 for the year. Each spouse pays their own.
• $283 is the 2026 Part B deductible. After it, you usually pay 20% of the Medicare-approved amount.
• Part A is free for about 99% of beneficiaries. The hospital deductible is $1,736 per benefit period.
• Higher earners pay more: $284.10 to $689.90 a month if 2024 MAGI topped $109,000 (single) or $218,000 (joint).
• 2027: not yet announced as of October 4, 2026. The 2026 Medicare Trustees Report projects $209.50, a projection only.

Part B Premium and Deductible: 2026 vs 2025

Source: CMS 2026 Medicare Parts A & B Premiums and Deductibles fact sheet (Nov 14, 2025); Federal Register 90 FR 52063; Medicare.gov. Annual figures are our arithmetic.

The 9.7% jump is the biggest dollar increase since 2022, when the premium rose $21.60. CMS put it down mainly to projected price changes and higher expected use of services, and says the increase would have been about $11 a month larger had it not cut spending on skin substitutes in the 2026 physician fee schedule. By law the standard premium covers about 25% of Part B's expected cost for an aged enrollee; general federal revenue pays most of the rest. About 65 million people have Part B in 2026, per the Federal Register notice.

Original Medicare has no yearly limit on what you pay out of pocket, unless you add supplemental coverage such as a Medigap policy or join a Medicare Advantage plan, which has its own limit. Our healthcare costs in retirement guide covers how to budget for the gap.

Part A Costs for 2026

Source: CMS 2026 fact sheet; Federal Register 90 FR 52060. Forty quarters is about 10 years of work paying Medicare tax, yours or your spouse's.

The Part A deductible is per benefit period, not per year, so two separate hospital stays can mean paying it twice in one year.

How the Premium Comes Out of Social Security

Medicare.gov says most people have the Part B premium deducted automatically from their Social Security benefit (or Railroad Retirement Board benefit). Your benefit statement shows the gross amount, the Medicare deduction, and the net that lands in your bank account. If you owe a Part D income-related surcharge, CMS says it is either deducted from your Social Security check or paid directly to Medicare.

If you are on Medicare but not yet collecting Social Security, for example because you are delaying benefits to 70, Medicare bills you directly. Part B-only bills come every three months. You can pay through Medicare Easy Pay (an automatic debit on the 20th of the month), your bank's online bill pay, or by check, money order, credit or debit card, or HSA card.

To see how the premium compares with a typical benefit, our average Social Security check page has the current averages by benefit type.

The Hold-Harmless Rule and the COLA

Social Security got a 2.8% cost-of-living adjustment for 2026 (see our 2026 COLA guide). The Part B premium went up at the same time. The hold-harmless provision, section 1839(f) of the Social Security Act, makes sure the premium increase can never make your net Social Security deposit smaller than the year before. If your COLA raise in dollars is less than the premium increase, your premium increase is cut to match.

The 2026 Medicare Trustees Report says the rule covers roughly 70% of Part B enrollees. You are protected only if all of these are true:

• You received Social Security (retirement, survivor or disability) for November and December of the prior year.
• Your Part B premium was deducted from those payments.
• You do not pay IRMAA. The Federal Register notice is explicit that higher-income beneficiaries get no hold-harmless protection.

New enrollees, people billed directly by Medicare and IRMAA payers all pay the full new premium.

The rule matters most in years with a tiny COLA. In 2016 the COLA was 0%, and premiums for hold-harmless beneficiaries did not rise at all from 2015, per the Trustees Report.

Higher Incomes Pay More: IRMAA in Brief

If your 2024 modified adjusted gross income was above $109,000 on an individual return or $218,000 on a joint return, you pay an income-related monthly adjustment amount (IRMAA) on top of the standard premium. CMS says it affects roughly 8% of people with Part B.

Source: CMS 2026 fact sheet. Married filing separately has its own table.

A separate Part D surcharge of $14.50 to $91.00 a month applies at the same income levels. For the married-filing-separately table, the two-year lookback, a bracket calculator and how to appeal with Form SSA-44 after retiring, see our full IRMAA brackets 2026 guide.

Help Paying the Premium: Medicare Savings Programs

Medicare Savings Programs are run by state Medicaid offices and can pay your Part B premium, and in some cases deductibles and coinsurance too. The federal 2026 limits published on Medicare.gov:

Source: Medicare.gov, Medicare Savings Programs, 2026 limits. Limits are slightly higher in Alaska and Hawaii.

Many states use more generous rules than these federal floors and don't count certain income or assets, so apply even if you are a little over. Contact your state Medicaid office. Medicare also says that if you enroll in a Medicare Savings Program, you may not have to pay a Part B late enrollment penalty.

The Late Enrollment Penalty

If you don't sign up for Part B when first eligible and don't qualify for a Special Enrollment Period (for example, because you had group health coverage through your or your spouse's current job), your premium goes up 10% for each full 12-month period you could have had Part B but didn't. You pay it for as long as you have Part B.

Only full 12-month periods count. In Medicare's own example, someone who went 27 months without Part B gets a 20% penalty. In 2026, a 20% penalty adds $40.58 to the $202.90 standard premium, for a total of $243.48 a month, and the penalty grows each year as the premium rises.

Part A buyers face a similar rule: 10% added for twice the number of years they delayed. The Part D penalty is 1% of the national base beneficiary premium ($38.99 in 2026) for every month without creditable drug coverage.

The 2027 Part B Premium: What We Know

As of October 4, 2026, CMS has not announced the 2027 Part B premium. The Medicare & You 2027 handbook says the 2027 premium amounts "weren't available at the time of printing," and there is no 2027 premium notice in the Federal Register yet. The 2026 figures were released on November 14, 2025, and earlier years' notices came out between late September and mid-November, so the 2027 numbers are likely to arrive this fall.

What exists is a projection. The 2026 Medicare Trustees Report (June 9, 2026), under its intermediate assumptions, estimates:

Source: 2026 Medicare Trustees Report, Tables V.E1 and V.E2, intermediate estimates. Projections, not official 2027 figures.

The projected rise of $6.60 a month would be far smaller than 2026's $17.90. The Trustees themselves say actual amounts "are likely to be somewhat different as experience emerges." Treat $209.50 as a planning placeholder only. The 2027 Social Security COLA, which decides whether anyone is held harmless, is also announced in October. We'll update this page when both are official.

If you're building a retirement budget, use the 2026 figures plus a buffer, and check our average health insurance cost page if you or a spouse will need coverage before 65.

Sources & Methodology

• CMS, 2026 Medicare Parts A & B Premiums and Deductibles (Nov 14, 2025), for all 2026 and 2025 Part A and Part B amounts and the IRMAA table.
• Federal Register, 90 FR 52063, for the hold-harmless rules and enrollment count, and 90 FR 52060 for Part A premiums.
• SSA, Cost-of-Living Increase and Other Determinations for 2026 (90 FR 49047), for the 2.8% COLA.
• Medicare.gov, Medicare costs; Pay premiums; Late enrollment penalties; Medicare Savings Programs.
• Medicare & You 2027, for the penalty example and the 2027 status.
• 2026 Medicare Trustees Report, for the hold-harmless share and the 2027 projections.

Method notes. Annual totals, the penalty example and the hold-harmless break-even are our arithmetic from the official monthly amounts. The hold-harmless example ignores Social Security's rounding of benefits down to the dime. 2027 figures are Trustees Report projections, not official amounts.

This article is for general information and is not financial or tax advice. Figures are from CMS, Medicare.gov, the Social Security Administration and the Federal Register, checked against the primary sources on 2026-10-04. Your own premium can differ because of IRMAA, late enrollment penalties, hold-harmless protection or state assistance; your Social Security or Medicare notice shows your actual amount.

FAQ

What is the Medicare Part B premium for 2026?
$202.90 a month for most people, up from $185.00 in 2025. People with 2024 MAGI above $109,000 (single) or $218,000 (joint) pay $284.10 to $689.90.

What is the Part B deductible for 2026?
$283 for the year, up from $257. After that you generally pay 20% of the Medicare-approved amount for covered services.

What will the Part B premium be in 2027?
Not announced as of October 4, 2026. The 2026 Medicare Trustees Report projects $209.50 and a $292 deductible under intermediate assumptions, but those are estimates. CMS usually publishes the real figures in the fall.

Is the Part B premium taken out of Social Security?
Yes, for most people it is deducted automatically from the monthly Social Security or Railroad Retirement benefit. If you aren't receiving benefits yet, Medicare bills you, every three months for Part B alone.

Why didn't my Social Security check go up by the full 2.8%?
The COLA is applied to your gross benefit, and the higher Part B premium is subtracted from it. The $17.90 premium increase eats part of the raise. On a $1,800 benefit, the $50.40 raise nets to $32.50.

What is the hold-harmless provision?
A rule that stops a Part B premium increase from reducing your net Social Security payment. It applies if you got benefits in November and December with the premium deducted, and you don't pay IRMAA. The Trustees say it covers roughly 70% of Part B enrollees.

Do married couples pay one premium or two?
Two. Each spouse with Part B pays their own premium, so a couple on the standard rate pays $405.80 a month in 2026.

Can I get help paying the Part B premium?
Yes, through your state's Medicare Savings Programs. For 2026 the federal income limits start at $1,350 a month for one person under QMB and go up to $1,816 under QI, with a $9,950 resource limit. Many states are more generous.

How much is the Part B late enrollment penalty?
10% of the standard premium for each full 12 months you went without Part B when you could have had it, for as long as you have Part B. Two full years late adds $40.58 a month in 2026.

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"Medicare Part B Premium 2026: $202.90 a Month, Plus What 2027 May Bring." Wealthy Pot, 2026. https://wealthypot.com/medicare-part-b-premium-2026/