Medicare Part B costs more in 2026. The standard monthly premium rose to $202.90, up $17.90 from $185.00 in 2025 — a jump of roughly 9.7%. * The annual Part B deductible — what you pay out of pocket before Medicare starts covering its share of outpatient care, doctor visits, and other Part B services — also rose, to $283 for 2026, up $26 from $257 the year before. * CMS attributes the increase mainly to projected price growth in medical care and higher expected utilization, in line with historical trends, rather than any single new program or policy. * If your Social Security check didn't go up by more than the Part B premium increase, you're generally protected by the "hold harmless" provision, which prevents your net Social Security payment from dropping because of a Medicare premium hike — though this mostly matters in low-COLA years, not a 2.8% COLA year like 2026. * Higher earners pay more: if your income on your tax return from two years prior was above certain thresholds, you're subject to an Income-Related Monthly Adjustment Amount (IRMAA), a surcharge added on top of the standard premium. There's also a separate, smaller premium of $121.60 for enrollees who only have Medicare to cover immunosuppressive drugs after a transplant.