Medicare Part B projected at $209.50 as $90 payments go out
Medicare's trustees project the standard Part B premium will rise $6.60 to $209.50 a month in 2027, AARP and Kiplinger report. CMS will set the real figure later this fall. Meanwhile, about 20.8 million people in original Medicare are due a one-time $90 payment this month, less than half of one month's premium.
Medicare's monthly Part B premium is expected to rise again next year. The Medicare trustees project the standard premium will climb $6.60, to $209.50 a month in 2027, AARP and Kiplinger report. Part B covers doctor visits, outpatient care, screenings and some drugs given in a doctor's office.
The deductible, the amount you pay before coverage starts, is projected to rise from $283 to $292. The Centers for Medicare & Medicaid Services will announce the actual 2027 numbers later this fall.
The projected rise is much smaller than this year's. The 2026 premium jumped 9.7%, or $17.90, to $202.90, AARP reported. The trustees' guesses have sometimes landed close. They were off by 10 cents for 2024 and 30 cents for 2020.
The bigger question is your Social Security check. Most people have Part B taken straight out of their benefits. The 2027 cost-of-living raise will be announced Oct. 14. AARP expects about 3.6%, or roughly $75 a month for the average retiree. If that holds, the raise would outpace the premium increase. But the trustees expect Part B to grow about 6% a year through 2031, reaching $272.10 a month.
There is also short-term help. President Donald Trump announced that 20.8 million people in original Medicare will get a one-time $90 payment this month to help with Part B. People in Medicare Advantage, people whose premiums Medicaid helps pay, and higher earners who pay an income surcharge do not qualify, AARP reported. Most will get it by direct deposit from Social Security. KFF's Juliette Cubanski said the payment "may not go far" against rising costs.
What to do now: Medicare open enrollment runs Oct. 15 to Dec. 7. That is the window to switch between original Medicare and Medicare Advantage, or to change drug plans. Kiplinger reports the 2027 yearly cap on Part D drug costs rises to $2,400, and the standard Part D deductible rises to $700.
To check eligibility for the $90 payment, call 800-MEDICARE (800-633-4227). For payment status, call Social Security at 1-800-772-1213.
What we know: The trustees project $209.50 for Part B in 2027, and open enrollment starts Oct. 15.
What we don't: The final premium CMS will set, and the official cost-of-living raise.
Where outlets agree AARP and Kiplinger both report the trustees project the standard Part B premium will rise $6.60 to $209.50 a month in 2027, with the deductible going to $292.
Where they differ AARP puts the premium rise at 3.25% and expects a 3.6% cost-of-living raise, while Kiplinger, using older inflation data, cites 3.5% and 3.8%.