If your Medicare bill looks bigger this year, you are not imagining it. The 2026 Medicare premium increase reached everyone, and for some people it stung a lot more than the headlines suggested.
Two separate things went up. First, the standard premium for Part B (the part of Medicare that covers doctor visits and outpatient care) rose. Second, and this is the real shock for many retirees, premiums for Medicare Supplement plans (called Medigap) jumped far more in a lot of states. Here is what changed, and how to keep more money in your pocket.
How much did the Medicare Part B premium go up in 2026?
The standard Part B premium is now $202.90 a month. That is up $17.90 from $185.00 in 2025, an increase of about 9.7%. It is the second largest dollar jump in the program’s history.
The Part B deductible (what you pay before Medicare starts covering its share) also climbed, to $283 from $257. Most people pay the standard premium. If your income is higher, you may owe an extra charge called IRMAA, an income-related surcharge based on your tax return from two years ago. For 2026, that surcharge can begin if your 2024 income was above $109,000 for a single filer or $218,000 for a couple filing jointly.
The good news: about 99% of people pay no premium for Part A (hospital coverage), and that did not change.
The real surprise: Medigap premiums are spiking
Part B is set by the government, so its increase was the same for everyone. Medigap is different. These plans are sold by private insurers to fill the gaps in Original Medicare, things like coinsurance and the costs Medicare leaves you to pay. Each company sets its own price, and in 2026 many of them raised rates sharply.
For Plan G, the most popular Medigap plan, early 2026 filings from six large insurers showed increases ranging from just over 12% to more than 26%, according to actuarial firm Telos. In some states, certain policies rose even higher. More than 12 million people, roughly 43% of everyone in Original Medicare, rely on a Medigap plan, so these hikes reach a lot of households.
Why are Medigap rates climbing so fast?
Insurers and analysts point to a few reasons: people are using more medical care, the population is aging, and the cost of medical services and labor keeps rising. A few years ago, a rate increase above 10% was rare. Now double-digit jumps are common, and they can repeat year after year.
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Why the increase can erase your Social Security raise
Here is where it hits home. Social Security gave a 2.8% cost-of-living adjustment (COLA) for 2026, which worked out to roughly $50 a month for the average retiree.
Say Linda gets that average raise of about $50. Her Part B premium alone went up $17.90, and that comes straight out of her Social Security check. If her Plan G premium also rose, say from $160 to $192 a month, that extra $32 wipes out what is left. Her “raise” is gone before she ever sees it. Many retirees living on a fixed income are feeling exactly this squeeze.
What you can do about the 2026 Medicare premium increase
You have more control than you might think. A few steps can make a real difference:
- Compare Medigap plans. The same Plan G coverage is identical no matter who sells it, but prices and rate-increase histories vary widely between companies. Shopping around can save hundreds of dollars a year.
- Know the catch with switching. Outside your protected enrollment windows, an insurer can make you answer health questions (called underwriting) before approving a switch. That can make changing plans harder, so timing matters.
- Check whether you qualify for relief. If your income dropped because of a life event like retirement, you can ask Social Security to lower an IRMAA surcharge.
- Get unbiased guidance. Comparing dozens of plans, carriers, and rate histories is genuinely confusing, and the wrong choice can cost you for years. Many people find it pays to sit down with a knowledgeable, independent Medicare advisor who can weigh every option for their situation, rather than sell one company’s plan.
The bottom line
The 2026 Medicare premium increase is real, and the Medigap side is where the biggest surprises are showing up. Your single best move is to review your current coverage now and compare it against other plans before the next round of rate hikes. A short comparison today could protect your budget for years.
This article is for education only and is not personalized financial, insurance, or medical advice. Premiums and rules vary by state and can change, so confirm your own costs at Medicare.gov, with your plan, or with a qualified professional.
Chapter Advisory, LLC (“Chapter”) is a private health insurance agency. In California, Chapter does business as Chapter Insurance Services (Lic. No. 6003691). Chapter is not affiliated with or endorsed by any government entity. While Chapter has a database of every Medicare plan option nationwide and can help you to search among all options, it has contracts with many but not all plans. As a result, Chapter does not offer every plan available in your area. Currently, Chapter represents 50 organizations which offer 18,601 products nationwide. You can contact a licensed Chapter agent to find out the number of products available in your specific area. Please contact Medicare.gov, 1-800-Medicare, or your local State Health Insurance Program (SHIP) to get information on all of your options. Enrollment in a plan may be limited to certain times of the year unless you qualify for a Special Enrollment Period or you are in your Medicare Initial Enrollment Period.
Average potential savings are based on realized premium, co-pay, and out of pocket savings estimates self-reported by consumers that worked with Chapter Advisory LLC to enroll in a Medicare Supplement, Medicare Advantage, and/or Part D Prescription Drug Plan. The average is limited to consumers that chose to self-report. Savings information is subject to periodic updates and corrections. There is no guarantee of savings and any savings may vary by policy type, state, or other factors.
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