Overview
- CMS finalized the 2026 standard Part B premium at $202.90 per month and set the annual deductible at $283, up $26 from 2025.
- The increase exceeds Social Security’s 2.8% COLA; after the $17.90 higher Part B deduction, the average retiree’s net monthly benefit gain is about $38.10.
- CMS says a new policy curbing spending on skin substitutes trimmed the premium by roughly $11 per month compared with what it would have been.
- The hold‑harmless provision will limit increases for an estimated four million beneficiaries whose Social Security raise would not cover the full premium hike.
- New IRMAA brackets raise costs for higher‑income enrollees, with some facing more than $700 per person each month for combined Part B and Part D charges.