Medicare updates its numbers and rules every year. Here is everything that changed for 2026 — premiums, deductibles, the drug cap, and income surcharges — with the exact figures.
The biggest change: your out-of-pocket spending on covered Part D drugs is now capped at $2,100 for the year. Hit it and covered medications cost you nothing for the rest of the year. The old "donut hole" coverage gap is fully gone (see the donut hole guide).
The standard Part B premium is $202.90/month in 2026, with a $283 annual deductible. Higher earners pay more through IRMAA.
The Part A hospital deductible is $1,736 per benefit period. The Part D national base premium is $38.99. Most people still pay $0 for Part A.
The income thresholds that trigger the IRMAA surcharge are indexed each year. For 2026 they start at $109,000 (single) / $218,000 (married filing jointly), based on your 2024 tax return. See the full 2026 IRMAA bracket table or run your number on the IRMAA calculator.
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New here? Start for $7.49 →The $2,100 annual out-of-pocket cap on covered Part D prescription drugs. Once you reach it, covered medications cost nothing for the rest of the year.
The standard Part B premium is $202.90 per month, with a $283 annual deductible. Higher-income beneficiaries pay more through IRMAA.
No. The Part D coverage gap was eliminated in 2025 and stays gone in 2026, replaced by a simpler three-phase benefit with a $2,100 out-of-pocket cap.
Figures on this page are verified against U.S. government primary sources: