A trip to the doctor can come with more than one Medicare cost. There is the monthly premium you pay for Medicare Part B, the annual deductible, and often a share of the cost after Medicare pays.
For 2026, the standard Medicare Part B premium is $202.90 per month, and the annual Part B deductible is $283.
Those amounts come directly from the Centers for Medicare & Medicaid Services (CMS), but they are not necessarily what everyone pays. Your income, enrollment timing, and other coverage can all affect your Part B costs.
How Much Is Medicare Part B in 2026?
Most Medicare beneficiaries pay the standard $202.90 monthly Medicare Part B premium in 2026.
That is up from $185 per month in 2025.
Medicare Part B also has a $283 annual deductible in 2026. After you meet the deductible, Medicare generally begins paying its share of Medicare-approved services.
For many Part B services, Medicare pays 80% of the Medicare-approved amount. You are responsible for the remaining 20% unless you have other coverage that helps pay it.
That 20% is one of the reasons some beneficiaries choose Medicare Supplement insurance.
What Does Medicare Part B Cover?
Medicare Part B is the medical insurance side of Original Medicare.
It helps cover medically necessary care and many preventive services, including:
- Doctor visits
- Outpatient hospital care
- Preventive services
- Ambulance services
- Durable medical equipment
- Certain home health services
- Mental health services
- Some medications given by a doctor or other health care provider
Your exact cost can depend on the service you receive and whether your provider accepts Medicare assignment.
Part B also does not cover every health care expense. Understanding those gaps can help you plan for the costs Medicare leaves behind.
Do Some People Pay More for Medicare Part B?
Yes. Higher-income beneficiaries may pay more than the standard Part B premium.
This additional amount is called the Income-Related Monthly Adjustment Amount, better known as IRMAA.
For 2026, CMS uses the following income brackets for beneficiaries with full Medicare Part B coverage:
| Individual Tax Return | Joint Tax Return | 2026 Monthly Part B Premium |
|---|---|---|
| $109,000 or less | $218,000 or less | $202.90 |
| Over $109,000 up to $137,000 | Over $218,000 up to $274,000 | $284.10 |
| Over $137,000 up to $171,000 | Over $274,000 up to $342,000 | $405.80 |
| Over $171,000 up to $205,000 | Over $342,000 up to $410,000 | $527.50 |
| Over $205,000 but less than $500,000 | Over $410,000 but less than $750,000 | $649.20 |
| $500,000 or more | $750,000 or more | $689.90 |
There are separate IRMAA rules for some married beneficiaries who lived with their spouse during the year but file separate tax returns.
An Example of How IRMAA Works
Suppose you file taxes as an individual and the income Social Security uses to determine your 2026 premium is $120,000.
That puts you in the second income bracket.
Instead of paying the standard $202.90 per month, your 2026 Part B premium would be $284.10 per month.
That is an additional $81.20 each month, or $974.40 over a full year, because of IRMAA.
It is also worth remembering that IRMAA is based on your income, not how often you use Medicare.
What If My Income Has Gone Down?
The income Social Security uses may not always reflect what you are earning today.
Retirement is a good example. You may have earned significantly more while working than you do now, but an earlier tax return can still show that higher income.
If Social Security determines that you owe IRMAA and your income later falls because of certain life-changing events, you may be able to ask Social Security to reconsider the amount.
Qualifying events can include things such as retirement or work stoppage, marriage, divorce, the death of a spouse, or the loss of certain income-producing property.
If your income has recently changed, do not automatically assume that the higher Part B premium is permanent. Contact Social Security to see whether you qualify for a new determination.
How Do You Pay Your Medicare Part B Premium?
If you receive Social Security benefits, your Medicare Part B premium is usually deducted directly from your monthly benefit.
Some beneficiaries receive a bill from Medicare and pay the premium directly instead.
Either way, your Part B premium is separate from other insurance premiums you may pay. For example, someone with Original Medicare, a Medicare Supplement plan, and Part D prescription drug coverage could have separate costs associated with each type of coverage.
Looking at the full picture is more useful than comparing only one monthly premium.
What Is the Medicare Part B Late Enrollment Penalty?
Timing matters when enrolling in Part B.
If you do not sign up when you are first eligible and do not qualify for an exception, your premium may increase by 10% for each full 12-month period you could have had Part B but did not enroll.
For most people, that penalty lasts for as long as they have Part B.
An Example of the Part B Late Enrollment Penalty
Suppose you waited two full years to enroll in Part B and did not qualify for a Special Enrollment Period.
Two full years equals two full 12-month periods, so the late enrollment penalty would be 20%.
Using the 2026 standard Part B premium:
- Standard Part B premium: $202.90
- 20% late enrollment penalty: $40.58
- Total before rounding: $243.48
Medicare rounds that amount to the nearest 10 cents, making the monthly Part B premium $243.50 for 2026.
The penalty is not usually a one-time charge. It is generally added to your monthly premium for as long as you have Part B, and the dollar amount can change when the standard premium changes.
You can learn more about the different enrollment deadlines and how Medicare penalties work in our guide to Medicare Deadlines and Penalties.
Can I Delay Medicare Part B If I Am Still Working?
Sometimes, and this is where people need to be careful.
You may be able to delay Part B without a penalty if you or your spouse is actively working and you have qualifying group health coverage through that current employment.
When that employment or coverage ends, you may qualify for a Special Enrollment Period to enroll in Part B. Medicare generally gives eligible people an eight-month Special Enrollment Period after the employment or group health coverage ends, whichever happens first.
However, not all coverage is treated the same way. COBRA and retiree coverage, for example, do not necessarily give you the same protection as coverage based on current employment. Medicare specifically notes that COBRA does not count as group health plan coverage for this Part B Special Enrollment Period.
If you or a parent is approaching age 65 and still working, one useful question to ask the employer or benefits department is:
“Is this health coverage based on current employment, and will it allow me to delay Medicare Part B without a late enrollment penalty?”
It is also worth asking how the employer plan coordinates with Medicare and whether Medicare would become the primary payer.
Before delaying Part B, make sure you understand exactly how the current coverage works. Making the wrong assumption could result in a coverage gap or a late enrollment penalty later.
How Does Medicare Part B Work With Medicare Supplement Insurance?
Medicare Supplement insurance, also called Medigap, works alongside Original Medicare to help with certain out-of-pocket costs.
Part B generally pays first for covered medical services. Your Medicare Supplement policy can then pay according to the benefits included in your plan.
For example, Medicare commonly pays 80% of the Medicare-approved amount for Part B services after you meet the deductible. Many Medicare Supplement plans can help with the remaining 20% coinsurance.
However, people who became newly eligible for Medicare on or after January 1, 2020, cannot buy a Medicare Supplement plan that pays the Part B deductible.
That means someone with Plan G is still responsible for the annual deductible. After it is met, Plan G can help cover many of the remaining Medicare-approved costs left behind by Original Medicare.
If Medigap is still a little fuzzy, our Medicare Supplement FAQs explain how these plans work with Original Medicare in more detail.
Your Part B premium, deductible, and any additional coverage you carry all work together to shape what you may spend on health care during the year.
Got Medicare Questions?
We hope that this information on Medicare Part B is useful to you. If you want to learn more about Medicare Part D, click here.
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