What Does Medicare Actually Cost? A 2026 Breakdown

"How much does Medicare cost?" doesn't have a single answer — it depends on which parts you have, your income, and your work history. Here's the CMS-confirmed breakdown for 2026, in plain numbers.

Part A (hospital insurance)

• Premium: $0 for most people, if you or a spouse paid Medicare taxes for at least 10 years (40 quarters). If you don't meet that work history, you'll pay a monthly premium.
• Inpatient hospital deductible: $1,736 per benefit period in 2026.
• Daily coinsurance: Kicks in for extended hospital stays — $434 per day for days 61–90 of an inpatient stay in 2026.

Part B (medical insurance)

• Standard premium: $202.90 per month in 2026 for most people.
• Annual deductible: $283 in 2026. After that, Medicare typically pays 80% of the Medicare-approved amount for covered services, and you pay the remaining 20%.

IRMAA: when income raises your premium

If your income is above a certain threshold, you'll pay more than the standard Part B and Part D premiums — this add-on is called the Income-Related Monthly Adjustment Amount (IRMAA). For 2026, the surcharge applies once your income (based on your tax return from two years earlier) exceeds roughly $109,000 for a single filer or $218,000 for a married couple filing jointly. IRMAA is calculated on a sliding scale across several income tiers, with the highest tier applying to significantly higher earners.

Part C (Medicare Advantage) costs

Medicare Advantage premiums vary widely by plan and carrier — some are $0 per month, others carry a premium. You're still responsible for your Part B premium separately. Beyond the premium, look at the plan's deductible, copays, and out-of-pocket maximum, which vary plan to plan.

Part D (drug coverage) and Medigap costs

Part D premiums vary by plan, and higher earners pay an IRMAA surcharge on top of their plan's premium. Part D also now has an annual out-of-pocket cap on covered drug costs, which resets each January. Medigap premiums vary by the specific plan letter, your age, and the carrier — they aren't standardized the way Original Medicare's costs are.

Putting it together

For most people with Original Medicare and no Medicare Advantage or Medigap plan, the baseline monthly cost is the Part B premium ($202.90 in 2026), plus whatever you spend when you actually use care, since Original Medicare doesn't have an annual out-of-pocket maximum on its own. That's exactly why so many people pair Original Medicare with a Medigap policy, or choose a Medicare Advantage plan instead — both are built to cap or reduce that exposure.