The Centers for Medicare & Medicaid Services (CMS) announced 2026 Medicare changes, to include changes in premiums and deductibles for Medicare Part A, Part B, Medicare health plans and Medicare prescription drug coverage.¹

We’ve compiled a list of everything new or different about Medicare in 2026, including cost changes, new benefits and more.

• 2026 Medicare Part B changes
• 2026 Medicare Part A changes
• 2026 Medicare Advantage (Part C) changes
• 2026 Medicare drug coverage changes (Medicare Advantage prescription drug plans and Part D drug plans)
• 2026 Medicare Supplement (Medigap) changes

It's especially important during fall Medicare open enrollment to fully review your potential 2026 Medicare costs and plan accordingly.

We offer plans from Humana, UnitedHealthcare^®, Anthem Blue Cross and Blue Shield*, Aetna, Healthspring Healthcare, Wellcare, or Kaiser Permanente.

Medicare Part B costs increase in 2026

The costs of Medicare Part A and Part B (known together as Original Medicare) generally change every year, and usually they go up.

The standard Part B premium and the Part B deductible increased in 2026.

2026 Medicare Part B deductible

The Part B deductible for 2026 is $283 per year. 

2026 Medicare Part B premiums

The standard Medicare Part B premium is $202.90 per month in 2026. Higher-income earners may pay higher premiums for their Part B benefits through what's called the 2026 5 Part B IRMAA (income-related monthly adjustment amount).

Medicare Part A costs go up in 2026

2026 Medicare Part A costs are set to go up. 

2026 Medicare Part A deductible

The Medicare Part A is $1,736 per benefit period in 2026. 

• The Part A deductible is applied to each benefit period, which begins the day you are admitted for inpatient hospital or skilled nursing facility care and ends once you have gone 60 consecutive days without inpatient care.
  
  
• This means you could potentially experience multiple benefit periods in a single year, and you'd need to meet the Part A deductible amount each time before your Part A benefits kick in.

Medicare Part A daily copayments for inpatient care also increased in 2026.

• 2026 Part A copayments for days 61-90 of an inpatient hospital stay are $434 per day.
  
  
• Inpatient hospital stays that last longer than 90 days require you to use lifetime reserve days (you have 60 total to use in your lifetime). 2026 Part A copays for lifetime reserve days are $868 per day.
  
  
• The 2026 Medicare Part A copay for inpatient stays at skilled nursing facilities is $217 per day for days 21-100. 

2026 Medicare Part A premiums

The Part A premium (for those who must pay it) costs $311 to $565 per month in 2026, depending on your work history.

• Most people don't pay a premium for Medicare Part A. The amount you pay for Medicare Part A depends on the number of years you’ve paid Medicare taxes. 

2026 Medicare Advantage (Part C) Average premiums

According to data from the CMS, the average monthly premium for a Medicare Advantage (Medicare Part C) plan is $11.02 per month in 2025.²

Average 2026 Medicare Advantage maximum out-of-pocket limit (MOOP)

Meanwhile, the maximum out-of-pocket limit (MOOP) for Medicare Advantage plans will be $9,250 in 2026.³ This means after you spend $9,350 out of pocket on covered Medicare services, your plan will cover the costs of your covered care for the remainder of the year.

It's important to note, however, most Medicare Advantage plans have out-of-pocket limits that are lower than the established maximum. The average Medicare Advantage plan out-of-pocket limit for in-network care in 2026 is $6,073.93.²

2026Medicare Part D changes to costs and benefits

Average 2026 Medicare Part D plan premium

The average premium for a Medicare Part D plan is $46.50 per month in 2025.

2026 Medicare Part D deductible

The maximum allowable deductible for 2026 Part D plans is $615, though some plans have deductibles that are lower than the maximum. 

2026 Medicare Part D donut hole

The Medicare donut hole coverage gap was eliminated for 2026. After you spend $2,000 in out-of-pocket costs for covered drugs, you enter what’s called the Medicare catastrophic coverage phase. Once you spend this amount, your drug plan will cover your covered drugs for the rest of the year with no copay/coinsurance costs to you.

Medicare Advantage and Medicare Part D plan members will receive a letter in the mail each fall called an Annual Notice of Change. This letter details any changes to the plan and it’s important to review the notice each year so you can determine if you wish to remain in the plan or shop for a different plan during the Annual Enrollment Period (AEP), also called the fall Medicare open enrollment period.

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Medicare Supplement (Medigap) deductibles and out-of-pocket limits go up

2026 Medicare Supplement Deductibles

Medicare Supplement Insurance (Medigap) Plan F and Plan G have high-deductible versions in which beneficiaries pay a lower monthly premium in exchange for having a deductible. In 2026, the deductibles for high-deductible Plan F and Plan G are $2,950 per year. 

2026 Medicare Supplement maximum out-of-pocket spending limit

Two Medigap plans contain an annual out-of-pocket limit, and those too increased from last year.

• The out-of-pocket maximum for Plan K is $8,000 in 2026
• The out-of-pocket maximum for Plan L is $4,000 in 2026

We offer plans from Humana, UnitedHealthcare^®, Anthem Blue Cross and Blue Shield*, Aetna, HealthSpring^SM, Wellcare, or Kaiser Permanente.

Enrollment may be limited to certain times of the year. See why you may be able to enroll today.