What Will Medicare Actually Cost Me?
Most people pay $202.90 a month for Medicare Part B in 2026. There is also a $283 deductible each year. Part A costs nothing if you have 40 quarters of Medicare-taxed work. On top of that you pay either a Medicare Supplement and a separate drug plan, or a Medicare Advantage plan. Insurers set those prices, and they vary by ZIP code.
This estimator answers one question — what Medicare is likely to cost you per month — from three inputs. You pick a path: Medicare Advantage, Original Medicare plus a Supplement, or both shown side by side. Then you say whether your income from two years ago was under the usual threshold, or enter your filing status and that year's MAGI so the tool applies the right IRMAA tier.
It returns a line-by-line monthly breakdown. Part A shows as premium-free for most people with ten or more years of Medicare-taxed work. Part B is the exact CMS-set amount for your income tier ($202.90 at the standard tier), and a Part D IRMAA surcharge line appears when your income triggers one. The market pieces — a Supplement premium, a stand-alone drug plan, or an Advantage plan premium — are shown as typical ranges, and the total is given as a range rather than a single number.
The estimator itself asks for no name, email or ZIP code and stores nothing; the optional sign-up and callback forms below it do collect contact details.
The limits are printed on the page. Government-set amounts are exact; the ranges are typical-market bands, not quotes or offers of coverage, and real premiums vary by ZIP code, age, tobacco use and carrier. Advantage copays, paid as you use care, cannot be known in advance. It enrolls no one.
Next: look at the IRMAA tiers in detail, read how Supplement plans are standardized, or have a licensed agent turn these ranges into real numbers for your ZIP code.
Frequently asked questions
How much does Medicare cost a month in 2026?
Part B is $202.90 at the standard income tier and Part A is premium-free for most people with 40 quarters of Medicare-taxed work. Supplement and drug plan premiums are set by insurers and vary by ZIP code.
Is Medicare Part A really free?
There is no premium if you have at least 40 quarters of Medicare-taxed work. Part A still has cost-sharing, though. The $1,736 inpatient deductible applies to each benefit period, not once a year.
What makes my Medicare premium higher than the standard amount?
Income, through IRMAA. Medicare reads the modified adjusted gross income on your return from two years earlier. Above $109,000 single or $218,000 joint, a surcharge is added to both Part B and Part D.
Does Original Medicare cap what I can spend in a year?
No. Original Medicare has no yearly out-of-pocket maximum, which is why people pair it with a Medigap policy. Every Medicare Advantage plan must set an in-network cap, no higher than $9,250 in 2026.
Updated September 15, 2026. Dollar figures are 2026 plan-year amounts transcribed from CMS publications and last verified by IM65 against the source for each: Parts A & B premiums, deductibles and IRMAA (August 11, 2026); Medicare Advantage out-of-pocket maximum (October 1, 2026).