Medicare Part B’s standard monthly premium for 2026 has not been finalized as of this writing — the Centers for Medicare & Medicaid Services (CMS) typically announces the official figure in November, based on projected program costs for the coming year. The 2025 standard premium is $185.00 a month, and CMS’s own trustees have projected the 2026 amount to land somewhere in the $206 range, though that number is an estimate, not a locked-in rate. If you earn above certain income thresholds, you’ll pay more through a surcharge called IRMAA (Income-Related Monthly Adjustment Amount), and this article shows you exactly how that math works and where to check the confirmed 2026 number once CMS publishes it.
The 2026 Standard Premium: What We Know and What’s Still Pending
Most people with Medicare Part B pay a standard monthly premium. For 2026, that amount is $202.90, up from $185.00 in 2025 — an increase of $17.90 a month, or about 9.7%. CMS announced the figure on November 14, 2025, and it took effect January 1, 2026.
The premium is designed to cover about 25% of the program’s expected per-enrollee costs for outpatient care, doctor visits, durable medical equipment, and other Part B services; general federal tax revenue covers the rest. Because Part B is funded this way, the premium moves with health care spending trends each year.
What this means in practice: for someone receiving the average retired-worker Social Security benefit, the $17.90 premium increase absorbs roughly a third of the 2.8% cost-of-living adjustment that took effect the same month. Part B premiums are usually deducted directly from your Social Security payment, so the number that actually lands in your bank account reflects both changes at once.
Why the Premium Changes Every Year
Part B premiums aren’t set arbitrarily. Under the Social Security Act, CMS calculates the premium annually to match roughly a quarter of projected Part B spending, adjusted for the program’s reserve requirements. When health care utilization rises, or when new drugs and treatments covered under Part B (like certain infusion therapies) become more expensive, the premium tends to rise with it. This is different from Part A, which most people get premium-free because it’s funded through payroll taxes during their working years.
IRMAA: Why Some People Pay More
If your income is above a certain threshold, you’ll pay an additional amount on top of the standard premium — this is IRMAA. It’s not a penalty; it’s a income-based surcharge built into the law, and it applies whether you’re newly enrolling or you’ve had Part B for years.
Here’s the part that surprises a lot of retirees: IRMAA for a given year is based on your Modified Adjusted Gross Income (MAGI) from two years earlier. So your 2026 Part B premium will be based on the tax return you filed for 2024 income. If your 2024 income was unusually high — say, from a one-time home sale, a large retirement account withdrawal, or a final year of high wages — you could be pushed into a higher bracket even though your current income has since dropped.
The IRMAA brackets are adjusted for inflation each year, and CMS releases the confirmed 2026 thresholds at the same time it announces the standard premium. Below are the 2025 brackets (the most recent confirmed by CMS) so you can see how the tiers are structured. Expect the 2026 dollar thresholds to shift upward slightly for inflation, but the tier structure (five bracket steps above standard) typically stays the same.
| 2025 Individual MAGI | 2025 Married Filing Jointly MAGI | 2025 Monthly Part B Premium |
|---|---|---|
| $109,000 or less | $218,000 or less | $202.90 (standard) |
| $109,001 – $137,000 | $218,001 – $274,000 | $284.10 |
| $137,001 – $171,000 | $274,001 – $342,000 | $405.80 |
| $171,001 – $205,000 | $342,001 – $410,000 | $527.50 |
| $205,001 – $499,999 | $410,001 – $749,999 | $649.20 |
| $500,000 or more | $750,000 or more | $689.90 |
Source: CMS.gov 2025 Medicare Parts A & B premiums and deductibles fact sheet.
Two things worth noting about the 2026 table. First, the income thresholds rose about 2.8% from 2025 (the first tier moved from $106,000 to $109,000 for single filers), but the surcharge amounts themselves rose roughly 9% — so crossing a bracket costs more than it did last year. Second, IRMAA also applies to Part D drug coverage separately, adding $14.50 to $91.00 a month on top of your drug plan’s own premium, using the same brackets.
What If Your Income Has Dropped Since Your Tax Return?
If a “life-changing event” reduced your income after the tax year used to calculate your IRMAA — retirement, divorce, death of a spouse, loss of pension income, or a similar qualifying event — you can ask Social Security to use a more recent income estimate instead of the two-year-old tax return. You do this by filing Form SSA-44, “Medicare Income-Related Monthly Adjustment Amount – Life-Changing Event,” available at SSA.gov. This isn’t automatic; you have to request it and provide documentation.
The Part B Deductible
Separate from the monthly premium, Part B has an annual deductible you pay before Medicare starts sharing costs for covered services. For 2026, that deductible is $283, up from $257 in 2025, according to CMS.gov. Once you’ve met it, you typically pay 20% coinsurance for most Part B services, and Medicare pays the rest — assuming you don’t have supplemental coverage like a Medigap policy or retiree plan that covers the difference.
The “Hold Harmless” Rule and Social Security Checks
Most people have their Part B premium deducted directly from their Social Security check. A long-standing consumer protection called the “hold harmless” provision generally prevents your Social Security benefit from decreasing because of a Part B premium increase — the increase in your premium can’t be larger than the dollar increase in your Social Security cost-of-living adjustment (COLA) for that year. This protection applies to most beneficiaries but doesn’t apply to everyone: it doesn’t cover people who are newly enrolled in Part B, those who pay a Medicare IRMAA surcharge, or those who don’t yet have their premium deducted from Social Security. If you’re in one of those groups, your premium increase isn’t capped by this rule.
Help Paying Part B Premiums
If your income is limited, you may qualify for a Medicare Savings Program (MSP) through your state Medicaid office, which can pay your Part B premium and sometimes your deductibles and coinsurance too. There are several tiers — Qualified Medicare Beneficiary (QMB), Specified Low-Income Medicare Beneficiary (SLMB), and Qualifying Individual (QI) — each with different income and asset limits that vary by state. Contact your state Medicaid agency or visit Medicare.gov’s “Get Help Paying Costs” section to check your state’s specific thresholds, since these numbers are not federally uniform.
When Will the Official 2026 Numbers Be Released?
CMS has historically announced the coming year’s Part B premium, deductible, and IRMAA brackets in a press release in early-to-mid November, timed so beneficiaries know their costs before the new year and before Medicare’s Open Enrollment period (October 15–December 7) ends. Once released, the figures are posted permanently on CMS.gov and summarized on Medicare.gov. If you’re doing 2026 retirement budgeting now, use the current $185.00 baseline and the trustees’ informal $206.50 estimate as placeholders, then update your numbers once CMS confirms them.
How to Check Your Own Premium
- Log into your “my Social Security” account at SSA.gov to see your current premium deduction.
- Watch for a mailed notice from Social Security in November or December if your premium is changing for the new year.
- If you believe you’re being charged an incorrect IRMAA tier, request a reconsideration through Social Security using Form SSA-44 if you’ve had a qualifying life-changing event.
- Check Medicare.gov and CMS.gov directly each fall for the finalized standard premium, deductible, and full IRMAA bracket table before assuming any number is locked in.
FAQ
Is the 2026 Medicare Part B premium officially confirmed?
Yes. CMS published the final 2026 figures on November 14, 2025: the standard Part B premium is $202.90 a month and the annual deductible is $283. Both took effect January 1, 2026. You can confirm them on the CMS 2026 Medicare Parts A & B premiums fact sheet at CMS.gov.
Why is my Part B premium higher than my neighbor’s?
Your premium may include an IRMAA surcharge based on your income. IRMAA uses your MAGI from two years prior — so your 2026 premium is based on your 2024 tax return. Two retirees with similar current incomes can pay different premiums if their reported income two years ago differed.
Can I appeal an IRMAA surcharge?
Yes, if you’ve had a qualifying life-changing event — such as retirement, divorce, or the death of a spouse — that lowered your income since the tax year used for the calculation. File Form SSA-44 with the Social Security Administration and provide documentation of the event and your updated income.
Sources
- CMS.gov — Medicare Parts A & B Premiums and Deductibles: https://www.cms.gov
- Medicare.gov — Your Medicare Costs: https://www.medicare.gov
- Social Security Administration — Medicare Premiums and IRMAA: https://www.ssa.gov
- CMS/SSA — Medicare Trustees Report: https://www.cms.gov/data-research/statistics-trends-reports/medicare-trustees-report
Related reading
- Social Security COLA for 2026: How Much Bigger Will Your Check Be?
- Medicare Open Enrollment: Dates, What You Can Change, and Costly Mistakes
- Medicare Advantage vs Original Medicare: A Plain-English Comparison