Medicare Part B Premium 2026 Is $202.90 — and the 2027 Figure Is Not Announced Until the Fall
CMS set the 2026 Part B premium at $202.90 (up $17.90) and the deductible at $283 on Nov. 14, 2025. Higher earners pay $284.10-$689.90. The 2027 amounts were not announced as of Sept. 2026.
The numbers for 2026
Standard Part B premium: $202.90 a month — "an increase of $17.90 from $185.00 in 2025". Part B deductible: $283 — up $26 from $257. The three official pages read for this page (CMS, RRB, Medicare.gov) give the same figures.[1][2][3]
Part A hospital deductible: $1,736 per benefit period, up $60. Most people pay no Part A premium; CMS says about 99% of beneficiaries do not. Coinsurance and buy-in premiums are listed in the claims above from the CMS sheet alone.[1][3]
Why "$202.90" is not what everyone pays
Higher-income enrollees pay more. The threshold for 2026 is modified adjusted gross income above $109,000 (individual) or $218,000 (joint), based on the tax return from two years earlier. The CMS table runs from $284.10 in the first bracket to $689.90 at $500,000 and above. The bracket is set by 2024 income, so a one-time 2024 event — a home sale, a Roth conversion — can raise a 2026 premium.[1][2]
Some pay less than the standard amount. Under the hold-harmless rule, the RRB notes that for current enrollees whose premium is deducted from benefits, the premium "cannot increase by more than the amount of the cost-of-living adjustment". With a $17.90 increase against the 2026 COLA, most people are not protected by it, but those with small benefits can be.[2]
CMS's own explanation of the increase
CMS says the rise is "mainly due to projected price changes and assumed utilization increases that are consistent with historical experience", and that a new payment policy for skin substitutes avoided a further "$11 more a month". That is the agency describing its own actuarial assumptions; the RRB release calls the rise "just under 10 percent" but offers no independent analysis of the cause.[1][2]
About 2027
As of September 19, 2026, no 2027 Part B premium has been announced. The 2026 figure came out on November 14, 2025, and Medicare.gov still shows only 2026 amounts. Any 2027 premium figure seen in September is a projection (for example from the Medicare Trustees Report), not the rate. This page does not cite a projection because the Trustees Report was not opened for it. The announced 2027 figure will matter for the 2027 Social Security COLA, which is announced in October — the two numbers are set separately.[1][3]
What this page could not establish
The 2026 COLA amount and the share of enrollees who pay IRMAA were not verified from a primary source here and are omitted. All three sources are federal agencies; the RRB is a separate agency from CMS but restates CMS figures, so the cross-check confirms transcription, not independent measurement.[1][2][3]
Verified facts
Each fact is labelled with its evidence typeEach fact in this section carries its evidence type — either cross-checked against independent sources, or confirmed from a single authoritative record.
The standard monthly Part B premium for 2026 is $202.90, an increase of $17.90 from $185.00 in 2025.[1][2][3] 3 sources · independent
The annual Part B deductible for 2026 is $283, up $26 from $257 in 2025.[1][2][3] 3 sources · independent
The Part A inpatient hospital deductible for 2026 is $1,736 per benefit period, up $60 from $1,676 in 2025.[1][3] 2 sources · independent
Income-related adjustments to the Part B premium apply in 2026 when modified adjusted gross income exceeds $109,000 for an individual or $218,000 for a married couple filing jointly.[1][2] 2 sources · independent
Statements and readings
Not counted as facts — each item shows what kind of statement it isFrom here on: statements not counted as facts — single-source reports, the issuing body’s own statements, and this page’s own readings, each labeled.
CMS attributes the increase "mainly" to "projected price changes and assumed utilization increases that are consistent with historical experience", and says that without new controls on skin-substitute spending the premium would have been about $11 a month higher.[1] Stated by the issuing body itself (primary source) · not independently verified · CMS fact sheet (the agency explaining its own figure)
2026 Part B premiums by income (individual return): up to $109,000 — $202.90; above $109,000 to $137,000 — $284.10; above $137,000 to $171,000 — $405.80; above $171,000 to $205,000 — $527.50; above $205,000 and below $500,000 — $649.20; $500,000 and above — $689.90.[1] Stated by the issuing body itself (primary source) · not independently verified · CMS fact sheet IRMAA table
Part A coinsurance for 2026: $434 per day for hospital days 61-90 ($419 in 2025), $868 per lifetime reserve day ($838), and $217.00 per day for skilled nursing facility days 21-100 ($209.50). Those who must buy Part A pay $565 a month (reduced rate $311).[1] Stated by the issuing body itself (primary source) · not independently verified · CMS fact sheet
The RRB describes the increase as "just under 10 percent" and notes the hold-harmless provision: Part B premiums for current enrollees "cannot increase by more than the amount of the cost-of-living adjustment" for Social Security or railroad retirement tier I benefits.[2] Stated by the issuing body itself (primary source) · not independently verified · RRB news release
Timeline
- Model
- claude-opus-5
- Time
- 09/20/2026, 01:50
- Body characters
- 2,417
- Sources
- 3 sources adopted
- Model
- claude-opus-5 (analysis session, source re-check)
- Time
- 09/20/2026, 01:50
- Verdict
- Passed
Show revision history (2)
| 09/20/2026, 09:00 | First authored (claude-opus-5) | Created |
| 09/20/2026 | First authored | Updated |
Frequently asked
How much is the Medicare Part B premium in 2026?
$202.90 a month for most people, up $17.90 from $185 in 2025. Higher earners pay $284.10 to $689.90 depending on income.[1][2][3]
What is the Medicare Part B premium for 2027?
Not announced as of September 2026. CMS published the 2026 figure on November 14, 2025; expect a similar timing for 2027. Figures circulating before then are projections.[1][3]
Official links
Sources
- [1] 2026 Medicare Parts A & B Premiums and Deductibles primary
- [2] Medicare Part B Premiums and Deductibles Will Increase in 2026 primary
- [3] Medicare costs primary