Medicare Part B Deductible 2026
Current year
For 2026, the Medicare Part B Deductible is $283 (Deductible) and $202.90 (Standard premium).
Effective 2026-01-01Source: Medicare costs (Medicare)Verified 2026-08-29
Compared with 2025
| Item | 2025 | 2026 | Change |
|---|---|---|---|
| Deductible | $257 | $283 | +$26 (+10.1%) |
| Standard premium | $185 | $202.90 | +$17.90 (+9.7%) |
Who it applies to
The deductible applies to people enrolled in Medicare Part B, the medical insurance part of Original Medicare. It is a single annual amount, unlike the Part A deductible, which is charged for each inpatient hospital benefit period and can therefore be owed more than once in the same year. Because it is charged before Original Medicare begins to pay, it is met by the first Part B-covered services you use in 2026 rather than being billed separately at the start of the year. Some services sit outside it: covered clinical laboratory services and covered home health care services carry no cost to you, and neither does the yearly depression screening. If you have limited income and resources, you may be able to get help from your state with premiums and other costs.
What changed this year, and why
For 2026 the annual Medicare Part B deductible is $283. You pay it once each calendar year, before Original Medicare starts to pay for Part B-covered services. The Part B premium is a separate charge: it is billed every month, whether or not you use any Part B-covered services, and it can be higher than the standard amount depending on your income. Once the deductible is met, most Part B-covered services still leave you paying coinsurance, calculated as a share of the Medicare-approved amount, as long as your doctor or health care provider accepts assignment.
Common questions
- What is the Medicare Part B deductible for 2026?
- The Part B deductible for 2026 is $283. You pay this amount once each year before Original Medicare starts to pay its share of Part B-covered services. It is an annual deductible rather than a per-visit or per-service charge, and it does not restart when you see a different provider. Once you have met it for 2026, you do not pay it again until the next calendar year.
- How often do I pay the Part B deductible?
- Once each calendar year. Medicare states the Part B deductible as an amount you pay once each year, so the $283 for 2026 is met a single time no matter how many Part B services follow. That is different from the Part A deductible, which is charged for each inpatient hospital benefit period, and there is no limit to the number of benefit periods you can have in a year.
- What do I pay after I meet the Part B deductible?
- For most Part B-covered services and items you generally pay coinsurance, a share of the Medicare-approved amount, as long as your doctor or health care provider accepts assignment. Accepting assignment means the provider takes the Medicare-approved amount as full payment. Some things carry no cost to you, including covered clinical laboratory services, covered home health care services, and the yearly depression screening.
- Is the Part B deductible the same thing as the Part B premium?
- No. The deductible is what you pay out of pocket for covered services before Original Medicare begins paying, and for 2026 it is $283. The premium is a monthly charge for having Part B at all, and the standard amount for 2026 is $202.90 a month. You owe the premium each month even if you get no Part B-covered services, and it can be higher than the standard amount depending on your income.
- Does the Part B deductible apply if I have a Medicare Advantage Plan?
- Medicare Advantage Plan costs vary by plan. Premiums, deductibles, copayments and coinsurance are set by the plan rather than by Original Medicare, and those amounts can change each year. You must still have Part B and keep paying the Part B premium to stay in the plan. Plans also carry an out-of-pocket limit, and once you reach it the plan pays your covered health services in full for the rest of the calendar year.
- Does Medigap pay the Part B deductible?
- Medigap usually helps pay your portion of costs such as deductibles and coinsurance for services that Part A and Part B cover under Original Medicare. What it actually pays depends on which policy you buy, where you live and other factors, so how much of the 2026 deductible you are left with varies by policy. You must have Part B and keep paying the Part B premium to keep a Medigap policy.
- Is there a limit on what I pay out of pocket under Original Medicare?
- No. Medicare states that there is no yearly limit on what you pay out of pocket unless you have supplemental coverage such as a Medigap policy, or you join a Medicare Advantage Plan. The $283 Part B deductible for 2026 is a floor you cross before coverage begins paying, not a ceiling, and coinsurance continues on most covered services after you have met it.
- What happens if I do not sign up for Part B when I am first eligible?
- You might pay a monthly penalty. Medicare states that the penalty applies for as long as you have Part B, and that it goes up the longer you wait to sign up. Most people are first eligible when they turn 65. The penalty is added to the monthly premium, which is $202.90 at the standard rate for 2026, and it is separate from the $283 annual deductible you pay on covered services.
Every amount on this page is a published figure rather than yours. The Medicare Part B deductible still to pay takes the number you enter and works it out against them, showing which published figure it used.
What the Part B deductible applies to
Medicare Part B covers physicians' services, outpatient hospital services, certain home health services, durable medical equipment, and certain other medical and health services not covered by Medicare Part A. The Part B deductible is the amount beneficiaries must pay out-of-pocket each year for these covered services before Medicare begins to pay its share. In 2026, the annual Part B deductible is $283. This deductible applies once per calendar year across all Part B-covered services, meaning that after a beneficiary has paid $283 toward eligible medical expenses, Medicare starts covering its portion of additional Part B services for the remainder of the year. The standard monthly Part B premium for 2026 is $202.90, which is separate from and in addition to the deductible. Beneficiaries should understand that the Part B deductible and the Part B premium are two different costs: the premium is paid monthly to maintain coverage, while the deductible is an annual out-of-pocket threshold that must be met before Medicare's cost-sharing begins.
Medicare Part B covers physicians’ services, outpatient hospital services, certain home health services, durable medical equipment, and certain other medical and health services not covered by Medicare Part A.
2026 Medicare Parts A & B Premiums and Deductibles (CMS)
Part A has its own separate deductible
Medicare Part A covers inpatient hospital, skilled nursing facility, hospice, inpatient rehabilitation, and some home health care services. This is fundamentally different from what Part B covers, and Part A has its own separate deductible that operates independently from the Part B deductible. While the Part B deductible for 2026 is $283 and applies to outpatient and physician services, the Part A deductible applies when a beneficiary is admitted to a hospital as an inpatient. These two deductibles function separately: meeting one does not satisfy or reduce the other. A beneficiary could owe the Part A deductible for a hospital stay and also owe the $283 Part B deductible for outpatient services in the same year. Understanding this separation is important because many people mistakenly believe there is a single Medicare deductible, when in fact the program maintains distinct cost-sharing requirements for its different parts.
Medicare Part A covers inpatient hospital, skilled nursing facility, hospice, inpatient rehabilitation, and some home health care services.
2026 Medicare Parts A & B Premiums and Deductibles (CMS)
Why most people pay no Part A premium
Approximately 99% of Medicare beneficiaries do not have a Part A premium since they have at least 40 quarters of Medicare-covered employment, as determined by the Social Security Administration. This means that the vast majority of people who worked and paid Medicare taxes for the required number of quarters qualify for premium-free Part A coverage when they enroll in Medicare. The 40-quarter requirement is a threshold that, once met, eliminates the monthly Part A premium entirely. Only a small percentage of beneficiaries who do not meet this work history requirement must pay a premium for Part A coverage. Those who fall short of 40 quarters may still enroll in Part A but will owe a monthly premium based on their work history. This system reflects the insurance nature of Medicare Part A, where benefits are earned through decades of payroll tax contributions rather than purchased directly at enrollment. The standard monthly Part B premium for 2026 is $202.90, but Part A premium-free eligibility is based on work history, not income or current employment status.
Approximately 99% of Medicare beneficiaries do not have a Part A premium since they have at least 40 quarters of Medicare-covered employment, as determined by the Social Security Administration.
2026 Medicare Parts A & B Premiums and Deductibles (CMS)
The Part A deductible is per benefit period, not per year
Part A inpatient hospital deductible covers beneficiaries' share of costs for the first 60 days of Medicare-covered inpatient hospital care in a benefit period. This language is critical because it means the Part A deductible resets with each new benefit period, not simply once per calendar year. A benefit period begins when a beneficiary is admitted to a hospital or skilled nursing facility and ends when they have not received inpatient care for 60 consecutive days. If a beneficiary is hospitalized, discharged, and then readmitted after 60 days have passed, a new benefit period begins and the Part A deductible applies again. This is fundamentally different from how the Part B deductible works, which resets only once per year regardless of how many separate medical episodes occur. Beneficiaries with multiple hospitalizations in a year could owe the Part A deductible more than once, making it important to understand the benefit period concept when planning for potential out-of-pocket costs.
Part A inpatient hospital deductible covers beneficiaries’ share of costs for the first 60 days of Medicare-covered inpatient hospital care in a benefit period.
2026 Medicare Parts A & B Premiums and Deductibles (CMS)
Married, living together, filing separately: the income surcharge jumps
Premiums for high-income beneficiaries with full Part B coverage who are married and lived with their spouse at any time during the taxable year, but file a separate return, are as follows. This rule addresses a specific filing status that triggers significantly higher income-related monthly adjustment amounts (IRMAA). Married couples who lived together at any point during the year but choose to file separate tax returns face much stricter income thresholds for IRMAA surcharges compared to those who file jointly. For separate filers, the standard monthly Part B premium of $202.90 increases substantially once modified adjusted gross income exceeds certain low thresholds. These thresholds are far lower than the thresholds for married couples filing jointly, meaning separate filers encounter IRMAA surcharges at much lower income levels. The policy is designed to prevent married couples from avoiding income-related premium adjustments by filing separately while still living together. Beneficiaries in this situation should be aware that their filing status can result in dramatically higher Medicare premiums compared to other married couples with similar household incomes.
Premiums for high-income beneficiaries with full Part B coverage who are married and lived with their spouse at any time during the taxable year, but file a separate return, are as follows:
2026 Medicare Parts A & B Premiums and Deductibles (CMS)
How each figure was verified
Each number below was read from a stored copy of the document named beside it, and checked to occur word for word in the quoted sentence. The digest is of that stored text.
Medicare costs (Medicare)
- Deductible
Deductible $283 before Original Medicare starts to pay.
Premium $202.90 each month (or higher depending on your income).
By year
Every published year
11 years on record, 2026 back to 2016. Each year links to its own page, its own document and its own verification date.