Medicare costs come in four layers that behave differently: a monthly premium, an annual or per-admission deductible, a share of each service, and — for drugs only — a ceiling. The figures below are the 2026 amounts. CMS normally publishes the following year’s Part A and Part B figures in mid-November, and the 2027 amounts had not been announced when this guide was last reviewed, so nothing on this page projects them.
Part A: hospital insurance
About 99 percent of people with Medicare pay no Part A premium, because they or a spouse have at least 40 quarters of Medicare-covered employment. If you do not, you can buy Part A at either $311 or $565 a month in 2026 depending on how many quarters you have, and you must also take Part B to do so.
| What you pay | 2026 amount |
|---|---|
| Inpatient hospital deductible, per benefit period | $1,736 |
| Hospital days 1–60 | $0 after the deductible |
| Hospital days 61–90, per day | $434 |
| Lifetime reserve days 91–150, per day | $868 |
| Skilled nursing facility days 1–20 | $0 |
| Skilled nursing facility days 21–100, per day | $217 |
| Hospice prescription drug copayment | Up to $5 |
Source: CMS, 2026 Medicare Parts A & B Premiums and Deductibles, published November 14, 2025. The hospital deductible is charged per benefit period, not per year, so it can be charged more than once in a calendar year.
That last point is the one that surprises people. The $1,736 is not an annual deductible. A new benefit period starts after you have been out of hospital and out of a skilled nursing facility for 60 days in a row, and there is no limit on how many benefit periods you can have in a year.
Part B: medical insurance
The standard Part B premium is $202.90 a month in 2026, up from $185.00 in 2025. The annual deductible is $283, up from $257. After the deductible you generally pay 20 percent of the Medicare-approved amount for each covered service, with no cap.
Higher-income households pay more than the standard premium. That surcharge is called IRMAA and it has its own guide: how IRMAA works.
You pay the Part B premium every month whether or not you use any services, and for most people it is deducted from the Social Security payment rather than billed.
The thing Original Medicare does not have
There is no yearly limit on what you pay out of pocket under Original Medicare, unless you add supplemental coverage or join a Medicare Advantage plan. Twenty percent of a large bill is still twenty percent however large the bill gets.
This is the structural reason people buy something on top. A Medicare Advantage plan has a yearly out-of-pocket maximum; a Medigap policy covers cost sharing Part B leaves behind. Which route suits you is the subject of Medicare Advantage vs Medigap.
Drugs are the exception: there is a ceiling
Part D is the one part of Medicare with a hard annual limit on what you can be asked to spend on covered drugs. For 2027 that cap is $2,400, up from $2,100 in 2026, and no Part D plan may set a deductible above $700 in 2027, up from $615. Details are in the Part D guide.
If these numbers are not affordable
Programmes exist, they are substantially under-claimed, and the income limits are more generous than most people assume. Medicare Savings Programs can pay the Part B premium and, at the top tier, the Part A and Part B deductibles and coinsurance as well. Extra Help does the same job for Part D. Both are covered in Medicaid, Medicare Savings Programs and Extra Help.
Also on this site
Dated coverage of this topic, where the figures move year to year:
Frequently asked questions
What is the Part B premium in 2026?
The standard Part B premium is $202.90 a month in 2026, an increase of $17.90 from $185.00 in 2025. Higher-income households pay more through IRMAA.
What are the 2027 Medicare premiums?
They had not been announced when this guide was last reviewed. CMS normally publishes the following year’s Part A and Part B premiums and deductibles in mid-November, and every figure on this page is therefore the 2026 amount. Treat any 2027 Part B number circulating before the announcement as a projection.
Is the hospital deductible charged once a year?
No. The $1,736 is charged per benefit period. A new benefit period begins after you have been out of a hospital and a skilled nursing facility for 60 days in a row, so it is possible to pay it more than once in the same calendar year.
Does Original Medicare cap what I can spend in a year?
No. There is no yearly out-of-pocket limit under Original Medicare unless you add supplemental coverage or join a Medicare Advantage plan. Part D drug spending is the exception and has its own cap.
Sources
- Medicare costs — Medicare.gov · read 2026-10-19
- 2026 Medicare Parts A & B Premiums and Deductibles — Centers for Medicare & Medicaid Services · 2025-11-14 · read 2026-10-19
- Medicare drug coverage (Part D) costs — Medicare.gov · read 2026-10-19
This guide explains published rules and figures, with the source for each one. It is not advice about your own situation.