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Part B Premium 2026: $202.90 a Month, and What You Really Pay

Retiree reviewing Medicare premium and benefit statements

The standard Medicare Part B premium for 2026 is $202.90 per month, up $17.90 from $185.00 in 2025. The annual Part B deductible is $283. Most people pay exactly that standard amount. If your income is higher, or you signed up late, you pay more.

Below, we walk through who pays what, how Social Security collects it, and the moves that can lower your bill.

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TL;DR

The standard 2026 Part B premium is $202.90 a month, and the Part B deductible is $283 before Medicare starts paying its share.
Higher earners pay an income-related adjustment: total premiums run from $202.90 up to $689.90 a month, based on your tax return from two years earlier.
Enrolling late can add a permanent penalty of 10% of the standard premium for each full 12-month period you went without Part B.
Low-income beneficiaries may get the premium paid through a state Medicare Savings Program, but many never apply.

The 2026 Part B premium and deductible at a glance
A worked example: what $202.90 means over a year
How you pay: Social Security deduction or a quarterly bill
Income-related surcharges (IRMAA)
The late enrollment penalty
Ways to lower or offset what you pay
Perspective: what we see at our desk
Get help with your Medicare costs
FAQ
Sources

The 2026 Part B premium and deductible at a glance

Part B item 2025 2026 Standard monthly premium $185.00 $202.90 Annual deductible $257 $283 Coinsurance after deductible 20% 20%

The premium and deductible figures come from the CMS 2026 fact sheet. The 20% coinsurance on most covered outpatient services is listed on Medicare.gov’s cost page.

CMS says the increase was driven mainly by projected price changes and assumed higher use of services. A final decision on spending for skin substitutes kept the jump smaller than it would have been.

What the premium actually buys

Part B is the medical insurance side of Original Medicare: doctor visits, outpatient care, preventive services, lab work and durable medical equipment. The premium is not a fee for services you use. You owe the full amount even in a month when you see no doctor.

The deductible is separate. Until you have paid $283 in approved costs in a calendar year, you pay those costs yourself. After that, you generally pay 20% of the Medicare-approved amount, with no annual cap on that 20% in Original Medicare. That gap is the reason many people add a Medigap plan or choose Medicare Advantage. More on that below.

What the premium actually buys — overview diagram

A worked example: what $202.90 means over a year

Twelve months at the standard rate comes to $2,434.80. Add the $283 deductible and your fixed Part B cost before any 20% coinsurance is $2,717.80 for the year.

The 2026 Social Security cost-of-living adjustment was 2.8%. The Part B increase was $17.90 on $185.00, just under 10%. So for many retirees, the premium rise absorbs a large share of the raise in the monthly check. That is worth checking against your own benefit statement, because the premium comes out of the same payment.

How you pay: Social Security deduction or a quarterly bill

If you collect Social Security, Railroad Retirement or federal retiree benefits, Medicare automatically deducts the Part B premium from that payment once coverage starts. Social Security will tell you the exact amount.

If your benefit is too small to cover the whole premium, or you have not started benefits, you are billed directly every three months. No deduction does not mean no premium. Missed bills can cost you your coverage, so set a reminder the day you enroll.

Income-related surcharges (IRMAA)

About 8% of Part B enrollees pay an Income-Related Monthly Adjustment Amount on top of the standard premium, according to Social Security. For 2026, it applies when modified adjusted gross income is above $109,000 for single filers or $218,000 for joint filers.

2026 income (single / joint) Total monthly Part B premium $109,000 or less / $218,000 or less $202.90 Just above those lines Starts at $284.10 (a $81.20 surcharge) $500,000 or more / $750,000 or more $689.90 (a $487.00 surcharge)

Social Security places everyone between those two ends into steps, each with its own surcharge. The adjustment ranges from $81.20 to $487.00 a month, and the top bracket totals $689.90.

Why last-minute income changes catch people out

Social Security uses the most recent tax return the IRS gives it, usually from two years back. Your 2026 premium rests on your 2024 return. A one-time event in 2024, like selling a house or a large IRA withdrawal or Roth conversion, can raise your premium two years later.

If your income has since dropped because of retirement, the death of a spouse, or loss of income-producing property, you can ask Social Security to use a more recent figure. We cover brackets and the appeal steps in our guide to Medicare IRMAA in 2026.

The late enrollment penalty

If you skip Part B when you first become eligible and have no qualifying Special Enrollment Period, the penalty is 10% of the standard premium for every full 12-month period you could have had it. It is permanent. You pay it for as long as you have Part B.

The math for a 24-month delay in 2026: 20% of $202.90 is $40.58, so the premium becomes $243.48. Medicare’s own sign-up package rounds the total to $243.50. And because the penalty is a percentage of the standard premium, it grows when the premium does.

Standard and late-penalty Part B premiums compared

The most common reason people avoid the penalty is current employer coverage. Whether your employer plan counts is a question of company size and whether the plan is active coverage, not whether you are “still on the payroll.” Our pages on Medicare and working past 65 and the special enrollment window for workers cover the rules. COBRA does not count the way many people assume, as we explain in COBRA and Medicare.

If you are turning 65 soon, the timing for your first enrollment matters more than any other cost decision. See how the initial enrollment window works in Colorado and our overview of Medicare enrollment periods.

Ways to lower or offset what you pay

Medicare Savings Programs

If your income and assets are limited, your state may pay the Part B premium through a Medicare Savings Program. Medicare.gov points people to these programs, and experts note many eligible people never apply. In Colorado, you apply through your county’s human services office. Our article on four Medicare Savings Programs explains the tiers and what each one covers.

Appeal an income-based surcharge

If your premium is inflated by old income, file the life-changing-event request described above. Gather proof such as a retirement letter or a statement showing the income loss.

Cover the 20% with the right supplement

The premium is only part of the picture. Original Medicare leaves the deductible and 20% coinsurance with you. You can fill that gap with a Medigap plan, such as Plan G or Plan N, or swap Original Medicare’s structure for a Medicare Advantage plan. Either way, you keep paying the Part B premium. Our comparison of Medicare Advantage vs. Medigap lays out the trade-offs.

Some Medicare Advantage plans advertise a “Part B premium giveback,” which reduces what is taken from your Social Security check. Availability varies by county and by plan year, and these plans can come with narrower networks or other trade-offs, so look at the whole plan before you pick it for that feature alone.

Perspective: what we see at our desk

People who call us are rarely confused about the number. $202.90 is easy to find. They are confused about what surrounds it: whether to take Part B now, whether a surcharge letter is right, and how the premium interacts with a supplement or Advantage plan.

We are an independent brokerage working across multiple carriers, so we can compare options without steering you toward a single company. Our view is that the Part B premium is a fixed cost you cannot shop around, while the coverage you layer on top is where your choices, and your savings, actually are. Choose that layer carefully, and review it each year, because plans, networks and drug formularies change.

The mistakes we would most like to prevent are all timing problems: delaying Part B without a qualifying reason, assuming COBRA counts as work coverage, and ignoring a surcharge letter that can be appealed. All three are avoidable with one conversation before the deadline.

— Zach

Get help with your Medicare costs

If you are turning 65 in Colorado, or you want a second look at what you pay now, we can walk through your Part B timing, compare Medigap, Advantage and Part D options, and help with annual reviews. Our brokerage service costs you nothing directly. See our Medicare services or start on our Medicare planning page.

For a broader view of the rest of your bill, read Medicare costs in 2026, which covers premiums, IRMAA and copays together.

FAQ

How much is the Medicare Part B premium in 2026?

The standard monthly premium is $202.90. You pay more if your income is above $109,000 (single) or $218,000 (joint), up to $689.90 a month at the top bracket. Late enrollment can add a permanent penalty as well.

What is the Part B deductible for 2026?

It is $283, up $26 from $257 in 2025. You pay this amount in approved costs each year before Medicare begins paying its share. After that, you generally owe 20% of the approved amount for covered services.

Do I pay Part B if I rarely see a doctor?

Yes. The premium is owed every month whether or not you use services. If your Social Security benefit does not cover it, you are billed every three months.

Can I get out of paying the higher income-based amount?

Possibly. If your income fell because of retirement, a spouse’s death, or loss of income-producing property, you can ask Social Security to reconsider using a more recent year. Do this by contacting Social Security with documentation.

Will the premium change in 2027?

The amount can change every year, and CMS usually announces the next figures in the fall. Check the CMS newsroom before you budget for 2027, and review your plan during the October 15 to December 7 annual enrollment period.