• Medicare Part B’s standard monthly premium reached $202.90 in 2026, a $17.90 increase from 2025, consuming 9.8% of the average retiree’s $2,071 monthly Social Security check and eating more than 25% of the annual COLA increase.

• Higher-income retirees face IRMAA surcharges that can push Part B premiums to $689.90 per month—more than three times the standard rate—based on income from two years prior, fundamentally reshaping retirement budgets for those earning above $106,000 individually or $212,000 jointly.

• A recent study identified one single habit that doubled Americans’ retirement savings and moved retirement from dream, to reality. Read more here.

For the first time ever, Medicare Part B's standard monthly premium has crossed $200. The 2026 standard premium is $202.90 per month, up $17.90 from $185.00 in 2025. That single line item now takes a bigger bite out of retirement income than most retirees planned for, and the timing is worth paying attention to.

Here is the core tension: Social Security's cost-of-living adjustment is supposed to protect retirees from inflation. But when Medicare premiums rise faster than the COLA, the raise evaporates before it reaches your bank account. The Boston College Center for Retirement Research found that Medicare premiums eat more than 25% of the 2026 COLA increase. For a retiree living on a fixed Social Security check, that is not an abstract statistic.

For the average retiree receiving $2,071 per month in Social Security, Medicare Part B now consumes 9.8% of their check before any supplemental coverage. Add a Medigap policy, Part D drug coverage, and out-of-pocket costs, and healthcare can easily consume 20% or more of gross Social Security income for a typical beneficiary.

Read: Data Shows One Habit Doubles American’s Savings And Boosts Retirement

Most Americans drastically underestimate how much they need to retire and overestimate how prepared they are. But data shows that people with one habit have more than double the savings of those who don’t.

The premium increase is not the only change. The annual Part B deductible rose to $283 in 2026, up $26 from $257 the prior year. That deductible resets every January, meaning it hits hardest in the first quarter before any coverage kicks in. Retirees who have a procedure or significant medical visit in January pay that full amount out of pocket before Medicare covers its share.

The $202.90 figure applies only to beneficiaries below certain income thresholds. Above those thresholds, the Income-Related Monthly Adjustment Amount (IRMAA) adds surcharges that can push premiums to several times the standard rate. The surcharges are based on income reported two years prior, so your 2024 tax return determines your 2026 premium.