The MedicarePROFESSOR
Lesson 4 of 5

Medicare costs in 2026: the real numbers.

Straight from the official 2026 figures: what Parts A, B and D cost, what the income surcharges look like, and where the open-ended risk hides. No estimates, no rounding games.

Part A costs in 2026

Part A item2026 amount
Monthly premium with 40+ work quarters$0
Monthly premium with 30 to 39 quarters$311
Monthly premium with fewer than 30 quarters$565
Hospital deductible, per benefit period$1,736
Hospital coinsurance, days 61 to 90$434 per day
Hospital coinsurance, lifetime reserve days$868 per day
Skilled nursing coinsurance, days 21 to 100$217 per day

Note the phrase per benefit period: the $1,736 hospital deductible can repeat more than once in a year if stays are separated by 60+ days out of care. Supplements exist largely because of that sentence.

Part B costs in 2026

Part B item2026 amount
Standard monthly premium$202.90
Annual deductible$283
Coinsurance after deductible20% of approved amounts, no yearly cap

IRMAA: the income surcharge brackets

If your modified adjusted gross income from two years ago (your 2024 return for 2026 premiums) crosses these lines, Medicare adds a surcharge to Part B and Part D:

Single filer MAGIJoint filer MAGI2026 Part B premiumPart D add-on
$109,000 or less$218,000 or less$202.90$0
Above $109,000 to $137,000Above $218,000 to $274,000$284.10+$14.50
Above $137,000 to $171,000Above $274,000 to $342,000$405.80+$37.50
Above $171,000 to $205,000Above $342,000 to $410,000$527.50+$60.40
Above $205,000 to under $500,000Above $410,000 to under $750,000$649.20+$83.30
$500,000 and above$750,000 and above$689.90+$91.00

Part D costs in 2026

Part D item2026 amount
Average base premiumAbout $34.50 per month, varies by plan
Maximum deductible$615
Yearly out-of-pocket cap on covered drugs$2,100
Professor's note

Two of these numbers do the most damage when ignored: the uncapped 20 percent under Part B, and IRMAA in your first retirement year, when a two-year-old salary sets a surcharge your new income no longer justifies. Both have remedies. Ask.

Back: Lesson 3 Next: Lesson 5, Eligibility
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Lesson 4 questions

What is IRMAA and can I appeal it?

IRMAA is the income-related surcharge added to Part B and Part D premiums when your modified adjusted gross income from two years ago crosses a bracket. You can absolutely appeal after a life-changing event such as retirement, using form SSA-44; thousands of new retirees overpay simply because nobody told them the appeal exists.

Why does everyone talk about the 20 percent?

Because it has no ceiling. After the small Part B deductible, Original Medicare pays 80 percent of approved outpatient costs and you pay 20 percent, forever, with no annual maximum. Chemotherapy, dialysis and major imaging make that 20 percent genuinely dangerous, which is the core argument for adding a Supplement or an Advantage plan.

What help exists if these numbers are unaffordable?

More than most people expect: Medicare Savings Programs can pay the Part B premium for qualifying incomes, Extra Help subsidizes drug costs, and dual-eligible plans serve people with both Medicare and Medicaid. We check every client against these programs as a matter of routine; there is no shame in using benefits you funded your whole working life.

Do these numbers change every year?

Yes, CMS re-sets premiums, deductibles and IRMAA brackets annually, and plans re-file their own costs. The figures on this page are the official 2026 numbers. Part of our value is simply keeping your coverage current as the numbers move.

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