Goodsurance

Costs & IRMAA

Medicare Trustees Project a Modest Part B Premium Increase for 2027, at 209 Dollars and 50 Cents

The official Medicare Trustees Report released in June estimates the standard monthly Part B premium will rise about 3.25 percent for 2027, though the final number will not be confirmed until November.

By the Goodsurance editorial teamAugust 11, 2026

The 2026 Medicare Trustees Report, released on June 9, projects that the standard monthly Part B premium will rise to 209 dollars and 50 cents in 2027, up from 202 dollars and 90 cents today. The projected increase of roughly 6 dollars and 60 cents a month represents a 3.25 percent rise, which would be the smallest year-over-year increase since 2023. Part B covers physician visits, outpatient care, lab work, and most preventive services. The premium is deducted directly from Social Security payments for most enrollees. The Trustees' figure is a projection. CMS typically sets and announces the official premium in November of the preceding year. Income-Related Monthly Adjustment Amounts, which add surcharges for beneficiaries above certain income levels, are also finalized at that time. In 2026, IRMAA surcharges range from 81 dollars and 20 cents to 487 dollars per month on top of the standard premium. Some private analysts have estimated the 2027 premium may settle somewhat above the Trustees' projection, citing a recent pattern of upward revisions. The Trustees also project longer-term increases, including 224 dollars and 50 cents in 2028 and approximately 338 dollars and 50 cents by 2034.

In plain words

A group that watches over Medicare money says the monthly cost of Part B coverage may go up a little in 2027. The estimate is 209 dollars and 50 cents per month. Right now it is 202 dollars and 90 cents. That is a small increase. The real number will not be official until November 2026. People with higher incomes pay more than the standard amount.

Source: CMS
Read at the source →

More news

Other stories on what is moving in Medicare.

Costs & IRMAA

Medicare Spending Is on Track to Double by 2036, and Part B Premiums Have More Than Quadrupled Since 2000

A Medicare Rights Center analysis published August 6 traces three decades of Medicare cost growth and identifies Medicare Advantage overpayments as one driver that raises costs for all enrollees, not just those in private plans.

August 8, 2026

Costs & IRMAA

Bipartisan Senate Bill Would Cap Year-to-Year Medicare Physician Payment Swings

Six senators from both parties introduced legislation to limit how much the Medicare physician conversion factor can change in a single year, aiming to reduce the uncertainty that has pushed some doctors away from accepting Medicare.

August 7, 2026

Costs & IRMAA

Medicare Advantage Plans Offer Dental and Hearing Benefits in Almost All Cases, but Coverage Limits Leave Many Seniors With High Bills

Nearly all Medicare Advantage plans list dental and hearing coverage among their features, but annual dollar caps and service restrictions mean enrollees can still face hundreds or thousands of dollars in out-of-pocket costs each year, KFF research finds.

August 4, 2026

Costs & IRMAA

Standalone Medicare Drug Plans Have Fallen to a Record Low of 360 Nationwide, Less Than Half the 709 That Were Available Two Years Ago

A KFF analysis of CMS data finds that the standalone Medicare Part D prescription drug plan market has lost nearly half its offerings in two years, reducing consumer choice for the roughly 24 million beneficiaries who rely on standalone coverage and pointing toward further pressure in 2027 as the federal premium subsidy program ends.

August 3, 2026

Costs & IRMAA

Medicare Glucose Monitor Improper Payment Rate Nearly Doubled to 25.2 Percent in 2024, Projected Cost Rises to 278.5 Million Dollars

CMS data shows the error rate on diabetes monitoring supplies jumped sharply in one year, driven almost entirely by missing paperwork rather than ineligible patients.

August 2, 2026

Costs & IRMAA

CMS Releases Nursing Home Quality Scores That Set Medicare Bonuses and Penalties Starting October 1

Fiscal year 2027 Skilled Nursing Facility Value-Based Purchasing performance reports are now available, with the program expanded from four to eight quality measures and a payment multiplier taking effect when the new federal fiscal year begins.

August 1, 2026