Medicare Part B Premium 2027: What the 3.6% COLA Means While CMS Sets the Number
3.6%. That's the Social Security cost-of-living adjustment for 2027, announced today, October 14, 2026. The number most people on Medicare want next is the 2027 Part B premium, because for most retirees it comes straight out of that Social Security check. As of today, CMS has not announced it.
What we do have is a projection. The 2026 Medicare Trustees Report, released in June, estimates the standard Part B premium at $209.50 a month for 2027 and the Part B deductible at $292. Those are the Trustees' estimates, not the 2027 premium. The Trustees say so themselves: "these values are estimates, and the actual amounts are likely to be somewhat different as experience emerges."
So here's what is settled, what is projected, how the COLA and the premium interact, and what a Washington reader can do with that between now and January. When CMS publishes the official 2027 figures, I'll update this page.
Source: SSA, 3.6 percent benefit increase for 2027 (Oct 14, 2026); SSA Office of the Chief Actuary, Estimated effect of 3.6-percent COLA; SSA, Latest COLA; CMS, 2026 Medicare Parts A & B Premiums and Deductibles fact sheet (Nov 14, 2025); 2026 Medicare Trustees Report, Table V.E2 (June 9, 2026).
What's settled for 2026, and what isn't for 2027
CMS sets the Part B premium, deductible and coinsurance each year under the Social Security Act. The standard premium is set so that enrollees cover about 25% of Part B's cost for aged enrollees, and the deductible is indexed to the growth in Part B costs. Nobody negotiates it, no plan sets it, and choosing a different plan during Open Enrollment doesn't change it.
For 2026 the standard premium is $202.90 a month, up $17.90 from $185.00 in 2025, and the deductible is $283, up $26. CMS said the increase came mainly from projected price changes and assumed increases in how much care people use. After the deductible, you usually pay 20% of the Medicare-approved amount, and Original Medicare has no yearly out-of-pocket limit.
| Item | 2026 (set by CMS) | 2027 |
|---|---|---|
| Part B standard monthly premium | $202.90 | Not announced. Trustees' projection: $209.50 |
| Part B annual deductible | $283 | Not announced. Trustees' projection: $292 |
| Part B coinsurance after deductible | Usually 20% | Not announced |
| Part A inpatient deductible (per benefit period) | $1,736 | Not announced. Trustees' projection: $1,788 |
| Part A coinsurance, days 61-90 | $434/day | Not announced |
| Skilled nursing coinsurance, days 21-100 | $217.00/day | Not announced |
| Part A premium, fewer than 30 quarters of work | $565/mo | Not announced |
| Part A premium, 30-39 quarters of work | $311/mo | Not announced |
Source: CMS, 2026 Medicare Parts A & B Premiums and Deductibles fact sheet (Nov 14, 2025); Medicare.gov, Medicare costs; 2026 Medicare Trustees Report, Table V.E2 (June 9, 2026) and Table V.E1. 2027 entries marked "projection" are Trustees' intermediate estimates.
Most people don't pay a Part A premium at all, because they or a spouse worked 40 quarters or more. The buy-in premiums above apply only to people with fewer quarters.
Wondering when the real numbers arrive? CMS has released next year's Parts A and B figures anywhere from late September to mid-November:
| Premium year | CMS fact sheet published |
|---|---|
| 2026 | November 14, 2025 |
| 2025 | November 8, 2024 |
| 2024 | October 12, 2023 |
| 2023 | September 27, 2022 |
| 2022 | November 12, 2021 |
| 2021 | November 6, 2020 |
| 2020 | November 8, 2019 |
Source: CMS newsroom fact sheets for 2026, 2025, 2024, 2023, 2022, 2021 and 2020 (publication dates as shown on each page).
Based on that history, I'd expect the 2027 figures sometime between now and late November. Expect is not a promise, though; CMS sets its own release date.
Ten years of Part B premiums
The standard premium went from $121.80 in 2016 to $202.90 in 2026, a 66.6% increase. It almost always goes up. The only drop in that stretch was 2023, when it fell from $170.10 to $164.90.
- Actual (set by CMS)
- Trustees' projection
Source: 2026 Medicare Trustees Report, Table V.E2 (June 9, 2026); CMS, 2026 Medicare Parts A & B Premiums and Deductibles fact sheet (Nov 14, 2025).
Show the numbers
| Actual (set by CMS) | Trustees' projection | |
|---|---|---|
| 2016 | $121.80 | — |
| 2017 | $134.00 | — |
| 2018 | $134.00 | — |
| 2019 | $135.50 | — |
| 2020 | $144.60 | — |
| 2021 | $148.50 | — |
| 2022 | $170.10 | — |
| 2023 | $164.90 | — |
| 2024 | $174.70 | — |
| 2025 | $185.00 | — |
| 2026 | $202.90 | $202.90 |
| 2027 | — | $209.50 |
Seen this way, the projected 2027 increase is small next to recent years: +$6.60 a month (about 3.3%), against +$17.90 for 2026 and +$10.30 for 2025. Over a full year, the projection works out to $2,514.00 in premiums versus $2,434.80 in 2026. The Trustees' longer-range numbers climb faster after that: $224.50 for 2028 and $255.50 for 2030. Treat those as estimates that will change.
The deductible follows a similar path:
Source: 2026 Medicare Trustees Report, Table V.E2 (June 9, 2026); CMS, 2026 Medicare Parts A & B Premiums and Deductibles fact sheet (Nov 14, 2025).
Show the numbers
| Year | Deductible |
|---|---|
| 2016 | $166 |
| 2017 | $183 |
| 2018 | $183 |
| 2019 | $185 |
| 2020 | $198 |
| 2021 | $203 |
| 2022 | $233 |
| 2023 | $226 |
| 2024 | $240 |
| 2025 | $257 |
| 2026 | $283 |
| 2027 (projected) | $292 |
$283 to a projected $292 is a $9 change. If you have Original Medicare and nothing else, you pay that deductible once a year before Part B starts paying its 80%.
Will the 3.6% COLA cover the premium increase?
For the average retiree, very likely yes, if the premium lands anywhere near the projection. Here's the arithmetic.
The Social Security Administration's actuaries estimate the average retired worker's monthly benefit goes from $2,094 to $2,170 with the 3.6% COLA, a $76 raise. The Trustees project the Part B premium rising $6.60. The raise is more than ten times the projected premium increase.
| Per month | 2026 | 2027* | Change |
|---|---|---|---|
| Avg retired worker benefit | $2,094 | $2,170 | +$76 |
| Part B premium | −$202.90 | −$209.50 | +$6.60 |
| Left after Part B | $1,891.10 | $1,960.50 | +$69.40 |
Source: SSA Office of the Chief Actuary, Estimated effect of 3.6-percent COLA; CMS, 2026 Medicare Parts A & B Premiums and Deductibles fact sheet (Nov 14, 2025); 2026 Medicare Trustees Report, Table V.E2 (June 9, 2026). Maru Insurance calculation. Assumes the standard premium is deducted from Social Security and no IRMAA. The 2027 premium is a projection.
That's an illustration, not your number. Your own raise is 3.6% of your benefit, so a smaller check means a smaller dollar raise. For the average aged couple (retired worker plus spouse), SSA estimates $3,237 going to $3,354; for the average disabled worker, $1,642 to $1,701.
The COLA shows up in January 2027 payments; people on SSI see the increase starting December 31, 2026. SSA says about 76 million people get the COLA.
The hold-harmless rule: who it protects
Section 1839(f) of the Social Security Act says the Part B premium can't go up by more than your Social Security raise if that would leave your December check, after the premium, smaller than the November check before it. In plain terms: for people it covers, a Part B increase can't shrink their net Social Security payment from one year to the next.
It applies only if you get Social Security benefits for November and December and have your Part B premium deducted from your benefit for December and January. The Trustees estimate roughly 70% of Part B enrollees qualify. It does not protect:
- people new to Part B during the year
- people who don't get Social Security checks, or don't have the premium taken out of them
- people who pay IRMAA (the income-related surcharge)
- people with both Medicare and Medicaid whose premium the state pays (in Washington, that's Apple Health)
Has it mattered before? Yes, a lot. In 2016 the COLA was 0%, and most enrollees stayed at the 2015 premium of $104.90 while the standard premium went to $121.80. In 2010 and 2011, most people were held at $96.40.
For 2027, if the premium comes in around the projection, the rule would bind only for people with very small checks. The math: a 3.6% raise covers a $6.60 increase on any gross benefit of about $183 a month or more. Below that, a qualifying person's premium increase would be limited to the dollar amount of their raise. That is my illustration from a projection; if CMS announces a bigger increase, the cutoff moves up.
IRMAA in 2027: which tax return counts
Higher-income enrollees pay the standard premium plus an income-related monthly adjustment amount (IRMAA). CMS says it affects roughly 8% of people with Part B. In 2026 the add-on runs from $81.20 to $487.00 a month. Here are the 2026 brackets for full Part B coverage, which are the only official ones right now:
| Single (MAGI) | Joint (MAGI) | You pay / mo |
|---|---|---|
| Up to $109K | Up to $218K | $202.90 |
| Over $109K to $137K | Over $218K to $274K | $284.10 |
| Over $137K to $171K | Over $274K to $342K | $405.80 |
| Over $171K to $205K | Over $342K to $410K | $527.50 |
| Over $205K, under $500K | Over $410K, under $750K | $649.20 |
| $500K or more | $750K or more | $689.90 |
Source: CMS, 2026 Medicare Parts A & B Premiums and Deductibles fact sheet (Nov 14, 2025). Married filing separately and living with your spouse: up to $109,000 pays $202.90; over $109,000 and under $391,000 pays $649.20; $391,000 or more pays $689.90.
Medicare uses your modified adjusted gross income "as reported on your IRS tax return from 2 years ago." For 2026 premiums, SSA says that's generally the return filed in 2025 for tax year 2024. Apply the same rule one year forward and 2027 IRMAA will generally be based on your 2025 tax return, the one most people filed this spring. If your 2025 income was unusually high, that's the year Medicare will generally look at.
The 2027 income thresholds haven't been published; CMS releases them with the premium. The Trustees projected only the 2027 add-on amounts: $83.70, $209.40, $335.10, $460.70 and $502.60 a month on top of the standard premium, from the lowest IRMAA tier to the highest. Again, estimates.
If your income dropped since 2025 because of a life-changing event, you can ask SSA to use a more recent year. The qualifying events are marriage, divorce or annulment, death of a spouse, stopping or cutting back work, loss of income-producing property, loss or reduction of an employer pension, and an employer settlement payment. You file Form SSA-44 with proof; SSA explains the options on its lower IRMAA page. If you think SSA simply got the number wrong, that's an appeal instead: online, or with Form SSA-561 (Request for Reconsideration); call 1-800-772-1213 for the form. Talk to your tax preparer before you file either one.
Part B in Washington, by county
CMS counts 1,448,044 Washingtonians with Part B as of June 2026, out of 1,583,566 on Medicare. That includes 787,349 Part B enrollees in Medicare Advantage and other health plans: joining one of those plans doesn't replace the Part B premium, so a 2027 increase generally reaches them too. The exception is people whose premium the state pays.
Source: CMS Medicare Monthly Enrollment, June 2026 (updated Sep 23, 2026).
Show the numbers
| County | Part B enrollees |
|---|---|
| King | 329,419 |
| Pierce | 159,799 |
| Snohomish | 137,666 |
| Spokane | 114,147 |
| Clark | 98,706 |
| Thurston | 65,066 |
King County alone has 329,419 people with Part B, about 22.7% of the state. The six counties above add up to 904,803, or 62.5%. If the 2027 premium matched the Trustees' projection, the $6.60 monthly change would add $79.20 a year per person at the standard rate.
What to do between now and January
Don't use Open Enrollment to dodge the Part B premium. Open Enrollment runs October 15 through December 7, 2026, and it's for joining, switching or dropping Medicare Advantage and Part D plans. It doesn't change what Part B costs. The plan you pick can change your other costs, which is what my posts on Medicare Open Enrollment 2027 in Washington and what changes in Part D for 2027 cover.
Watch your COLA notice. SSA says signing up for digital COLA notices by November 18, 2026 lets you see your personal COLA notice online, up to three weeks before the mailed copy. Look at both the gross benefit and what's withheld.
If money is tight, check the Medicare Savings Programs. Washington's Medicare Savings Programs, run through the Health Care Authority, can pay the Part B premium for people who qualify. Income limits and the no-asset-test rule are in my post on Medicare Savings Programs in Washington. Check the actual limits before you rule yourself out.
If IRMAA hit you and your income has dropped, gather the paperwork for Form SSA-44 now, before January.
If you have a Medigap policy, check whether your policy pays the Part B deductible or leaves it to you; your policy documents spell it out. For how Medigap works here, see Medicare Supplement (Medigap) coverage in Washington; for the big picture, Medicare in Washington.
Get unbiased help at no charge. SHIBA (Statewide Health Insurance Benefits Advisors), part of the Washington Office of the Insurance Commissioner, gives confidential Medicare help. SHIBA's number is 800-562-6900, 8:30 a.m. to 4:30 p.m., Monday to Friday. You can also call 1-800-MEDICARE.
I'll update this article with the official 2027 premium, deductible and IRMAA brackets as soon as CMS publishes them.
Part B 2027 questions
What is the Medicare Part B premium for 2027?
CMS has not announced it as of October 14, 2026. The 2026 Medicare Trustees Report projects a standard premium of $209.50 a month for 2027, up from $202.90 in 2026. That is an estimate, not the official premium.
When will the 2027 Part B premium be announced?
CMS hasn't given a date. The last three announcements came between mid-October and mid-November: October 12, 2023 for 2024, November 8, 2024 for 2025 and November 14, 2025 for 2026. The 2023 figures came earlier, on September 27, 2022.
Will the 2027 COLA cover the Medicare premium increase?
For the average retired worker, SSA estimates a raise of about $76 a month, while the Trustees project a $6.60 premium increase. If the actual premium is close to that projection, the COLA covers it for most people. The hold-harmless rule protects many people with very small benefits.
What income is used for 2027 IRMAA?
Medicare uses modified adjusted gross income from your tax return from two years earlier, so 2027 IRMAA will generally be based on your 2025 tax return. The 2027 income brackets have not been published yet.
Federal Medicare and Social Security rules control what you pay, and your own situation decides how they apply. Confirm with Social Security, 1-800-MEDICARE, SHIBA or a licensed agent, and ask a tax professional or attorney about tax and legal questions.
Sources
- SSA: Social Security Announces 3.6 Percent Benefit Increase for 2027 (Oct 14, 2026)
- SSA: 2027 COLA information for advocates (Oct 14, 2026)
- SSA Office of the Chief Actuary: Estimated effect of 3.6-percent COLA on average benefits
- SSA Office of the Chief Actuary: Latest cost-of-living adjustment
- CMS: 2026 Medicare Parts A & B Premiums and Deductibles (Nov 14, 2025)
- CMS: 2025 Medicare Parts A & B Premiums and Deductibles (Nov 8, 2024)
- CMS: 2024 Medicare Parts A & B Premiums and Deductibles (Oct 12, 2023)
- CMS: 2023 Medicare Parts A & B Premiums and Deductibles (Sep 27, 2022)
- CMS: 2022 Medicare Parts A & B Premiums and Deductibles (Nov 12, 2021)
- CMS: 2021 Medicare Parts A & B Premiums and Deductibles (Nov 6, 2020)
- CMS: 2020 Medicare Parts A & B Premiums and Deductibles (Nov 8, 2019)
- 2026 Annual Report of the Boards of Trustees of the Medicare Trust Funds (June 9, 2026)
- Social Security Act §1839 (Part B premium, including §1839(f) hold harmless)
- SSA: How the Hold Harmless Provision Protects Your Benefits
- Medicare.gov: Medicare costs
- SSA: Premiums: Rules for Higher-Income Beneficiaries
- SSA: Request to lower an income-related monthly adjustment amount
- SSA: Form SSA-44, Medicare Income-Related Monthly Adjustment Amount - Life-Changing Event
- CMS: Medicare Monthly Enrollment (Washington, June 2026)
- CMS: Medicare Advantage and Prescription Drug Programs Expected to Remain Stable in 2027 (Open Enrollment dates)
- Medicare.gov: Joining a plan
- Washington Health Care Authority: Medicare Savings Program
- Washington OIC: SHIBA Medicare help
This article is for general educational purposes only and is not legal, tax or insurance advice. Coverage depends on the actual policy, its terms, conditions and exclusions, and state law. Maru Insurance · WA License (WAOIC) #1365574 · FL License #G363233 · NPN 22261820.