If you’re on Medicare, the number you’ll notice first each January is the Part B premium — and for 2026 it went up. Here’s exactly what you’ll pay, what changed, and when a higher income means a higher bill.
The 2026 Part B numbers
For 2026, the standard Medicare Part B premium is $202.90 per month, an increase of $17.90 from the $185.00 standard premium in 2025. The annual Part B deductible is $283, up from $257 the year before.
| 2025 | 2026 | |
|---|---|---|
| Standard Part B premium (monthly) | $185.00 | $202.90 |
| Part B annual deductible | $257 | $283 |
Once you’ve met the $283 deductible, you typically pay 20% of the Medicare-approved amount for most doctor visits, outpatient care, and durable medical equipment. There is no annual out-of-pocket maximum on Original Medicare alone — which is exactly why most people pair it with a Medicare Advantage plan or a Medigap policy.
Most people pay the standard premium — but not everyone
The $202.90 figure is the standard premium. Two groups land somewhere else:
- Higher earners pay more. If your income is above a set threshold, you’ll pay an income-related surcharge called IRMAA on top of the standard premium (more on that below).
- A few people pay less. A “hold harmless” rule protects some long-time Social Security recipients from having their net Social Security check drop year over year. This affects a shrinking share of beneficiaries.
Higher income? Meet IRMAA
The Income-Related Monthly Adjustment Amount (IRMAA) raises your Part B (and Part D) premium when your income is over the threshold. For 2026, IRMAA kicks in once your 2024 modified adjusted gross income (MAGI) tops $109,000 (single) or $218,000 (married filing jointly).
| MAGI — single (2024) | MAGI — joint (2024) | Total monthly Part B premium |
|---|---|---|
| $109,000 or less | $218,000 or less | $202.90 |
| $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 – $500,000 | $410,001 – $750,000 | $649.20 |
| Above $500,000 | Above $750,000 | $689.90 |
A key detail people miss: IRMAA looks back two years. Your 2026 premium is based on the income you reported on your 2024 tax return. If your income has dropped since then because of a life-changing event — retirement, the death of a spouse, divorce — you can ask Social Security to use more recent income by filing Form SSA-44.
Want to see your own number in seconds? Run the IRMAA Calculator with your income and filing status.
How you actually pay it
If you already collect Social Security, your Part B premium comes straight out of your monthly benefit — you’ll see the deduction on your statement. If you haven’t started Social Security yet, Medicare sends you a bill every three months (you can set up Medicare Easy Pay to automate it).
Planning ahead
A few practical moves keep Part B from catching you off guard:
- Budget for the full year. Between the premium and the deductible, plan on roughly $2,718 in baseline Part B costs for 2026 before any coinsurance.
- Watch your income two years out. A large one-time event — selling a home, a big Roth conversion, capital gains — can push you into an IRMAA bracket two years later.
- Estimate your total picture. Premiums are only part of the story. The Medicare Cost Estimator helps you add up premiums, deductibles, and expected out-of-pocket costs so there are no surprises.
The Part B premium changes every year, but the planning never really does: know your number, watch your income, and pair Part B with coverage that caps your spending. If you’d like a second set of eyes on how 2026 affects you specifically, that’s exactly the kind of question a quick call can answer.