Medicare charges a monthly premium for most of its parts, and the amount you owe depends on which coverage you enroll in and how much income you reported two years earlier. The one premium nearly every beneficiary shares is Medicare Part B: $202.90 a month in 2026, set by CMS each fall for the following calendar year. Medicare Part A, Medicare Part D, Medicare Advantage, and Medigap each carry their own separate premium on top of or instead of that Part B charge.
The guide below breaks down the exact 2026 premium for every part of Medicare, the full IRMAA bracket table for higher earners, and what to do if you cannot afford the standard price. For the full monthly cost picture including deductibles and coinsurance, see how much Medicare costs per month. Check your Medicare eligibility if you are not yet enrolled.
Coverage Breakdown
| Medicare Part or Plan | Standard Monthly Premium (2026) | Highest Possible Premium with IRMAA (2026) | Premium-Free Option? |
|---|---|---|---|
| Medicare Part A (hospital insurance) | $0/month for about 99% of beneficiaries (40+ work quarters) | $565/month for beneficiaries with fewer than 30 work quarters | Yes, for most beneficiaries |
| Medicare Part B (medical insurance) | $202.90/month | $689.90/month at 2024 individual income above $500,000 | No premium-free option |
| Medicare Part D (prescription drug coverage) | $38.99/month national base beneficiary premium | Base premium plus up to $91.00/month IRMAA surcharge | No premium-free option |
| Medicare Advantage (Part C) | $14.00/month average across all enrollees | No separate IRMAA on the plan premium itself; Part B and Part D IRMAA can still apply | Yes, 67% of MA-PD plans charge $0 |
| Medigap (Medicare Supplement) | $120 to $290/month depending on plan letter, age, and state | No IRMAA; priced by private insurers, not based on income | No premium-free option |
CMS sets Part A, Part B, and Part D base premiums annually each fall. IRMAA surcharges use your Modified Adjusted Gross Income (MAGI) from the tax return filed two years earlier; your 2024 return sets your 2026 IRMAA tier.
Source: CMS 2026 Medicare Parts A & B Premiums and Deductibles Fact Sheet; CMS 2026 Part D National Base Beneficiary Premium Announcement; KFF Medicare Advantage 2026 Spotlight
Direct Answer: The Medicare Premium in 2026
It depends on which parts of Medicare you have and your income. Medicare Part B costs $202.90 a month for most people in 2026, Medicare Part A is free for about 99% of beneficiaries, and Medicare Part D carries a $38.99 base premium. Higher earners pay IRMAA, which raises the Part B premium as high as $689.90 a month. Add Medicare Advantage ($14.00 average) or Medigap ($120 to $290), and your total premium depends on your coverage choices.
Standard Medicare Premiums by Part in 2026
Original Medicare and its companion parts charge several different monthly premiums depending on the coverage you choose, and none of them are optional once you enroll. Medicare Part A, hospital insurance, costs $0 a month for roughly 99% of beneficiaries who worked 40 or more quarters (about 10 years) and paid Medicare payroll taxes. Beneficiaries with 30 to 39 quarters pay $311 a month for Part A in 2026, and those with fewer than 30 quarters pay $565 a month, both reduced and full premiums set annually by CMS.
Medicare Part B, medical insurance, costs $202.90 a month for most people in 2026, up $17.90 from the 2025 premium of $185.00. CMS credited part of that increase to rising physician and outpatient spending, while crediting new 2026 policy changes with holding the increase roughly $11 lower than it otherwise would have been. Medicare Part D, prescription drug coverage, carries a national base beneficiary premium of $38.99 a month in 2026, though your actual plan premium can run well above or below that base figure depending on the insurer and drug formulary.
Medicare Part B and Part D IRMAA Brackets for 2026
IRMAA, the Income-Related Monthly Adjustment Amount, raises the Part B and Part D premiums for beneficiaries whose income exceeds set thresholds, using tax return data from two years earlier. Social Security checks your 2024 Modified Adjusted Gross Income (MAGI) to set your 2026 IRMAA tier, and the surcharge applies across five income brackets that top out at $500,000 for individuals and $750,000 for couples filing jointly. The table below lists every 2026 IRMAA bracket and its exact premium.
| 2024 Income (Individual) | 2024 Income (Married Filing Jointly) | Total Part B Premium (2026) | Part D Monthly Surcharge (2026) |
|---|---|---|---|
| $109,000 or less | $218,000 or less | $202.90 | $0 |
| $109,001 to $137,000 | $218,001 to $274,000 | $284.10 | $14.50 |
| $137,001 to $171,000 | $274,001 to $342,000 | $405.80 | $37.50 |
| $171,001 to $205,000 | $342,001 to $410,000 | $527.50 | $60.40 |
| $205,001 to $500,000 | $410,001 to $750,000 | $649.20 | $83.30 |
| $500,001 or more | $750,001 or more | $689.90 | $91.00 |
IRMAA determinations use your 2024 tax return (filed in 2025) to set 2026 premiums. Brackets and dollar amounts are set annually by CMS and the Social Security Administration.
Source: CMS 2026 Medicare Parts A & B Premiums and Deductibles Fact Sheet; Social Security Administration 2026 Medicare IRMAA Table
Medicare Advantage and Medigap Monthly Premiums in 2026
Medicare Advantage plans set their own premiums on top of, or sometimes instead of, the standard Part B premium, and CMS projects the 2026 average at $14.00 a month across all enrollees, down from $16.40 in 2025. About 67% of Medicare Advantage plans that include drug coverage charge no premium beyond the standard Part B amount, and CMS estimates that 98% of beneficiaries have access to at least one $0-premium plan where they live.
Medigap policies, sold by private insurers to fill Original Medicare's deductibles and coinsurance, are priced very differently because the government does not set the rate. Plan G, the most popular Medigap policy among new enrollees, averages roughly $220 a month at age 65 in 2026, with typical premiums ranging from $120 to $290 a month depending on the plan letter, your age, your state, and the insurer's underwriting rules. During the 6-month Medigap Open Enrollment Period, which starts the month you turn 65 and enroll in Part B, insurers cannot deny coverage or charge more because of a preexisting condition; outside that window, medical underwriting can raise the premium. Unlike an ACA-compliant marketplace plan, Medigap is not required to cover the ten essential health benefits categories, and it never bundles Part D drug coverage on its own.