Medicare costs · 2026
Three honest tools, no plan names: check whether the income surcharge applies to you, see what the new $2,100 drug cap saves you, and learn why “$0 premium” isn’t the same as free. Then we’ll run your exact numbers for free.
Quick answer
Most people pay the standard $202.90 Part B premium in 2026; higher earners pay an income-related surcharge (IRMAA) on Part B and Part D based on their 2024 income. Separately, the 2026 Part D out-of-pocket drug cap is $2,100 — after that you pay $0 for covered drugs. A “$0-premium” Medicare Advantage plan still requires your Part B premium plus copays as you use care. These are federal figures, not plan rates.
Updated 2026-07-03 · Source: CMS, 2026
Important: We do not offer every plan available in your area. Currently we represent several organizations offering Medicare Advantage, Medicare Supplement (Medigap), and Part D plans in your state. Please contact Medicare.gov, call 1-800-MEDICARE, or contact your local State Health Insurance Assistance Program (SHIP) to get information on all of your options.
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Most people pay only the standard Part B premium. Higher earners pay an income-related surcharge on Part B and Part D. Your 2026 surcharge is based on the income (MAGI) from your 2024 tax return. Your entries stay in your browser.
An income-related surcharge (IRMAA) applies.
Based on 2026 federal brackets and your 2024 income. If your income has since dropped due to a life event, you may be able to reduce this with Social Security Form SSA-44.
MAGI = your adjusted gross income plus any tax-exempt interest. IRMAA is a federal calculation by Social Security — not a plan rate. If your income dropped after a life event (retirement, loss of a spouse), you can ask Social Security to reconsider with Form SSA-44.
New for recent years: once your out-of-pocket spending on covered prescriptions hits the federal $2,100 cap in 2026, you pay $0 for covered drugs the rest of the year. Slide to your expected annual drug spend (before the cap).
With the 2026 cap, your out-of-pocket on covered drugs stops at $2,100. That's roughly $1,400 you would not pay this year compared with the same drug spend before the cap existed.
Illustrative only. The cap applies to covered drugs under Medicare drug coverage; what counts toward it and your monthly costs depend on your specific drugs and coverage. You can also spread payments over the year (the Medicare Prescription Payment Plan). We confirm your real drug costs against the available drug lists together.
Short answer: no — “$0 premium” is not the same as “$0 cost.” Here’s what you still pay on a $0-premium Medicare Advantage plan:
The honest comparison is total expected cost for your situation: a $0-premium plan (lower fixed cost, pay-as-you-go) versus Original Medicare plus a supplement (higher premium, very predictable bills). We run both — free, no obligation, and we never push one online.
Send your situation and Matt will put together a free, no-obligation cost comparison — your Part B premium, any surcharge, and your real out-of-pocket both ways.
Prefer to start on your own? Share a few details and Matt will compare the Medicare plans in your Texas county with you — free, and no pressure.
Most people do not pay IRMAA — only higher earners do. For 2026, the surcharge starts above $109,000 in modified adjusted gross income for single filers and $218,000 for married filing jointly, based on your 2024 tax return. Below those amounts you pay only the standard Part B premium of $202.90 a month.
In 2026, once you spend $2,100 out of pocket on covered prescription drugs, you pay $0 for covered drugs for the rest of the calendar year. This federal cap applies across Medicare drug coverage — it is not a feature of any single plan or carrier.
No. “$0 premium” means the plan itself charges no monthly premium — but you still pay your Part B premium ($202.90 a month in 2026, more if IRMAA applies), plus copays and coinsurance as you use care, up to the plan’s yearly out-of-pocket maximum. Whether a $0 plan or Original Medicare with a supplement costs less overall depends on your situation — that is exactly what a free review compares.
No — and on purpose. The rules that govern Medicare marketing mean we do not name, rank, or recommend specific plans or carriers on the website. This estimator gives you the federal numbers so you walk into your free, no-obligation review already knowing what to expect.
Figures are 2026 federal amounts (CMS / Social Security) and are illustrative — your actual costs depend on your income, the coverage you choose, and your specific care and prescriptions. We do not offer every plan available in your area, and nothing here is a recommendation of a specific plan or carrier. You can contact Medicare.gov, 1-800-MEDICARE, or your State Health Insurance Assistance Program (SHIP) for all of your options.
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Before you go
No pressure and no plan names — just a plain-English guide plus the offer of a free, no-obligation review with Medicare Twins, licensed Texas agent serving Texas. Leave an email or phone and we’ll send it over.
