Medicare Part B Premium 2026: $202.90 + IRMAA Brackets

The 2026 Medicare Part B standard premium is $202.90 per month, according to the Centers for Medicare & Medicaid Services (CMS, 2025). That is a $17.90 jump from the 2025 rate of $185.00, or a 9.7% increase. The annual Part B deductible also climbs to $283 in 2026, up from $257 the year before.

If you are approaching 65, already enrolled in Medicare, or helping a parent through Open Enrollment (October 15 to December 7), these new numbers matter for your household budget. Higher earners will see IRMAA surcharges push the total monthly bill above $689 at the top bracket.

This guide walks through every 2026 figure, shows how the IRMAA brackets work with worked examples, and explains how to appeal a bracket you disagree with using Form SSA-44.

Key Takeaways

• The standard 2026 Medicare Part B premium is $202.90 per month, per CMS.
• The annual Part B deductible is $283 in 2026, up $26 from 2025.
• IRMAA surcharges begin above $109,000 MAGI (single) or $218,000 (joint), based on your 2024 tax return.
• You have 60 days to appeal an IRMAA notice using Form SSA-44 after a qualifying life-changing event.
• The late enrollment penalty adds 10% for every 12 months you delayed, and it lasts for life.

What is the 2026 Medicare Part B Premium?

The 2026 standard Medicare Part B premium is $202.90 per month, according to the CMS 2026 Parts A & B fact sheet (CMS, 2025). Most beneficiaries pay this base rate through an automatic deduction from their Social Security benefit each month.

Higher-income households pay more through the Income-Related Monthly Adjustment Amount, known as IRMAA. The Railroad Retirement Board applies the same premium and surcharge schedule to railroad retiree benefits (RRB, 2025). Beneficiaries who are not yet drawing Social Security receive a quarterly bill from Medicare instead.

Part B pays for doctor visits, outpatient services, preventive care, mental health services, laboratory tests, and durable medical equipment. It does not cover inpatient hospital stays, which fall under Medicare Part A, or most prescription drugs, which are covered under Part D.

The premium is set each fall for the following calendar year. CMS announced the 2026 figures on November 14, 2025, and the new rate takes effect on January 1, 2026 for every enrolled beneficiary nationwide.

Why Did the 2026 Medicare Part B Premium Go Up?

The 2026 Part B premium rose 9.7%, or $17.90, primarily because projected Medicare spending is growing faster than general inflation (CMS, 2025). Growth in physician services, outpatient care, and specialty drug prices administered under Part B drives most of the increase.

Federal law requires CMS to set each year’s premium so beneficiaries fund roughly 25% of Part B costs. General federal revenues cover the other 75%. When projected outlays climb, the beneficiary share climbs with them.

The 2026 jump is among the largest single-year increases in the past decade. For historical context, the 2022 premium rose $21.60 in a single year, while 2024 rose just $9.80 (Medicare.gov, 2025).

What Are the 2026 Medicare Part B IRMAA Brackets?

The 2026 IRMAA structure has six brackets ranging from $202.90 to $689.90 per month, based on your 2024 modified adjusted gross income (CMS, 2025). Social Security determines your bracket using the tax return the IRS forwarded two years earlier.

Married couples filing jointly have doubled income thresholds at every tier. Married-but-filing-separately taxpayers face a compressed schedule with fewer brackets, and most cross into a surcharge much earlier.

How Do You Know Which IRMAA Bracket You’re In?

Look at line 11 of your 2024 IRS Form 1040 (adjusted gross income), then add any tax-exempt interest from line 2a. That sum is your modified adjusted gross income, or MAGI (SSA, 2025). Compare it to the bracket thresholds above to find your monthly premium.

Worked example one. A single filer whose 2024 return showed $95,000 AGI plus $0 tax-exempt interest has MAGI of $95,000. She pays the standard $202.90 in 2026, or $2,434.80 for the year.

Worked example two. A single filer with $145,000 AGI plus $2,000 in municipal bond interest has MAGI of $147,000. She falls in bracket three and pays $405.80 per month. That is $2,435.20 more per year than the standard rate.

Worked example three. A married couple filing jointly with $280,000 MAGI lands in bracket two. Each spouse pays $284.10 per month, so their combined 2026 Part B bill is $6,818.40 for the year.

Worked example four. A widowed retiree with $170,000 MAGI filing as single sits at the very top of bracket three. Even one dollar more, from a Roth conversion or capital gain, would push her into bracket four at $527.50 per month.

How Much Is the 2026 Medicare Part B Deductible?

The 2026 annual Medicare Part B deductible is $283, up $26 from $257 in 2025 (CMS, 2025). You pay 100% of Part B covered charges out of pocket until you meet this amount each calendar year.

After the deductible is satisfied, Medicare typically covers 80% of approved charges for most services. You pay the remaining 20% coinsurance, which has no annual out-of-pocket cap under Original Medicare.

That uncapped 20% is why many beneficiaries buy a Medigap supplement policy or enroll in a Medicare Advantage plan (Part C), both of which set annual out-of-pocket ceilings. Medigap Plan G, for example, pays your full 20% coinsurance after the Part B deductible is met.

When Do You Get Your IRMAA Letter?

Social Security mails IRMAA determination letters between late November and early December for the following calendar year (SSA, 2025). Your letter shows the assigned bracket, the surcharge amount, and the tax year SSA used to place you.

Keep the letter safe. You will need it if you plan to appeal, and it also serves as documentation if you later apply for a Medicare Savings Program or Extra Help.

If you moved recently, verify your address inside your my Social Security account at ssa.gov to prevent a delayed or missed notice. A missing letter does not delay the higher premium taking effect on January 1.

How Do You Appeal an IRMAA Notice?

File Form SSA-44 within 60 days of receiving your IRMAA letter if a life-changing event has reduced your income since your 2024 tax return (SSA, 2025). Common qualifying events include retirement, work-hour reduction, divorce, spouse’s death, pension loss, or an employer closure with settlement.

The form asks for estimated MAGI for the current tax year and documentation of the life-changing event. Acceptable documents include a marriage certificate, death certificate, employer separation letter, pension termination notice, or a signed statement from a former employer.

Submit Form SSA-44 to your local Social Security office in person, by mail, or by fax. Do not skip the appeal because you think the tax data is wrong; that dispute is handled through the IRS on a separate track.

If SSA denies your first appeal, you can request reconsideration and then a hearing before an administrative law judge. The full appeal ladder can take six to twelve months, but successful appeals produce a refund back to January.

What Happens If You Enroll in Medicare Part B Late?

Late enrollment triggers a permanent 10% premium penalty for each full 12-month period you were eligible but did not sign up (Medicare & You, 2026). The surcharge is added to your monthly premium for as long as you have Part B, which is usually the rest of your life.

Worked example. If you delayed enrollment by three years without qualifying coverage, your penalty is 30% of the standard premium. That adds $60.87 to the 2026 base of $202.90, giving a total of $263.77 per month, or $3,165.24 per year.

Over 20 years of coverage, that penalty costs about $14,600 in today’s dollars, and it will actually cost more as the base premium keeps rising each year. The penalty follows the annual premium up, so it compounds every January.

You avoid the penalty if you had qualifying employer group coverage past age 65 and enroll during a Special Enrollment Period after that coverage ends. TRICARE, VA healthcare, COBRA, and retiree coverage do not count as qualifying group health plans for this purpose.

Can Anyone Skip Medicare Part B?

Yes, but only in narrow circumstances. Active-duty service members with TRICARE and veterans enrolled in VA healthcare can delay Part B without penalty while covered, though the VA strongly encourages enrolling to broaden provider access (Medicare.gov, 2025).

People with employer group health coverage from a company with 20 or more employees can delay Part B penalty-free, then enroll during an eight-month Special Enrollment Period after the job or coverage ends.

If your employer has fewer than 20 employees, Medicare typically becomes the primary payer at 65 and you should enroll on time. Skipping Part B in that scenario leaves gaps that private insurance may refuse to cover.

Beneficiaries who are dropped from Medicaid or a state pharmaceutical assistance program also qualify for a Special Enrollment Period. Contact Social Security within 60 days of the loss to activate that window.

How Does Extra Help Reduce Your Medicare Part B Premium?

Extra Help, also called the Low-Income Subsidy (LIS), can pay your Part B premium in full through a state Medicare Savings Program (SSA, 2025). Eligibility requires income under 150% of the Federal Poverty Level and countable resources under $17,220 for an individual or $34,360 for a couple in 2026.

The Qualified Medicare Beneficiary (QMB) program pays both the Part B premium and cost sharing on covered services. The Specified Low-Income Medicare Beneficiary (SLMB) program pays only the premium.

Apply through your state Medicaid office or your local Social Security office. Approval is retroactive up to three months before your application if you were financially eligible during that lookback period.

For a step-by-step application walkthrough, see our guide to Medicare Savings Programs. That post covers QMB, SLMB, and the Qualifying Individual (QI) program in more detail.

How Does Medicare Part B Compare to Parts A, C, and D?

Part B covers outpatient care, while Part A covers inpatient hospital stays, Part C bundles A and B (often with drug coverage), and Part D pays for prescription drugs (Medicare.gov, 2025). Each part has its own premium, deductible, and cost-sharing structure.

Most people pay $0 for Part A because they or their spouse paid Medicare taxes for at least 10 years (40 quarters). People with 30 to 39 quarters pay $299 per month in 2026, and people with fewer than 30 quarters pay $544 per month (CMS, 2025).

Part D premiums vary by plan and region, and the 2026 base beneficiary premium is set separately each summer. IRMAA also applies to Part D premiums on the same MAGI schedule as Part B.

When Should You Enroll in Medicare Part B?

Enroll during your Initial Enrollment Period, which spans seven months around your 65th birthday: the three months before, your birth month, and the three months after (Medicare.gov, 2025). Coverage typically starts the month you turn 65 if you sign up in the first three months.

If you miss the Initial Enrollment Period, the General Enrollment Period runs January 1 through March 31 each year, with coverage starting the month after you enroll. The late enrollment penalty may attach on this path.

Special Enrollment Periods apply if you delayed because of qualifying employer coverage or specific life events. Filing within eight months of losing that coverage prevents the late enrollment penalty.

For current beneficiaries, Open Enrollment (October 15 to December 7) is the annual window to switch between Original Medicare and Medicare Advantage, or to change Part D plans for the following year. Part B enrollment itself is not tied to Open Enrollment.

If you are drawing Social Security when you turn 65, enrollment in Part A and Part B is automatic. Your Medicare card arrives about three months before your birthday, and coverage starts on the first day of your birth month.

Related reading

• Medicare Savings Programs 2026: QMB, SLMB, QI Income Limits. How QMB pays your entire Part B premium and Part A deductibles if your income is under 100% FPL.
• Medicaid 2026: Eligibility, Income Limits, How to Apply. Dual-eligible enrollees (Medicare and Medicaid together) qualify for the highest level of Extra Help automatically.
• Supplemental Security Income (SSI) 2026: Payments and Rules. SSI recipients auto-qualify for Extra Help with prescription costs and often for a Medicare Savings Program.