2026 Medicare Costs
Most parts of Medicare come with associated costs like premiums, deductibles, coinsurances, copays, and other expenses. While Medicare Part A is $0 premium for most people, Medicare Part B and Medicare Part D will charge Medicare premium that is based on your income.
For a helpful overview of the parts of Medicare, visit Medicare Simplified.
In this section:
2026 Medicare Part A Costs
Generally speaking, Medicare Part A does not charge a monthly premium as long as you meet the requirements for $0 premium Part A coverage. Premiums, co-pays and co-insurances for Medicare Part A are as follows:
Hospital costs
- No monthly premium if you or your spouse worked at least 40 quarters in your lifetime
- 30-39 quarters worked - $311 monthly premium
- Less than 30 quarters worked - $565 monthly premium
- $1,736 deductible for a hospital stay
- $0 for the first 60 days of a benefit period
- $434 per day for days 61 through 90
- $868 per day for 60 Lifetime reserve days
- All Costs after Lifetime Reserve Days
Skilled Nursing Facility (SNF) costs
- $0 for the first 20 days of a skilled nursing facility (SNF) stay
- $217 per day for days 21-100 for an SNF stay
- All costs past day 100 of an SNF stay
2026 Medicare Part B Costs
Premium for Medicare Part B
Medicare Part B covers doctor visits, lab tests, medical products, and associated costs, and this carries a monthly premium.
In 2026, for the state of New Jersey, the base monthly premium for Medicare Part B is $202.90. This amount is adjusted annually and is based on the Modified Adjusted Gross Income (MAGI) from two years prior. The premium can increase depending on your income. Below is a chart with a breakdown of the Medicare Part B premium tiers.
*If you have a low income the State of New Jersey may be able to help pay your Medicare premium.
2026 Medicare Part B Annual Deductible
In 2026, Medicare Part B's annual deductible is $283. If you keep Original Medicare (Parts A & B) will owe this deductible every year when they first use their coverage. After that is reached Medicare pays 80% and you are responsible for 20% coinsurance. Certain Medicare Supplement plans may cover the Medicare Part B annual deductible.
If you take a Medicare Advantage plan (Part C), the Medicare Part B deductible is covered by your plan and is not owed by you.
2026 Medicare Part D Costs
If you enroll in Medicare Part D for prescription drugs, the monthly premium for your plan can vary. Additionally, if you have a high income (same income brackets as Part B high income surcharge) you will be assessed an additional fee for the drug plan plan you choose. This monthly fee is added onto your Part D premium and is billed by Medicare (CMS) directly.
2026 Phases of Drug Coverage
Medicare Prescription Drug plans are structured similarly with the following phases of coverage for each calendar year:
- Deductible: Ranges from $0 to $615 and varies by plan. During this stage you pay the full cost of the medication up to the deductible amount.
- Initial Coverage: Once the deductible is met you then pay a copay or coinsurance for your medication. The cost depends on the tier of the medication with lower tier "generics" having a lower copay than higher tier "brand name" medications.
- Catastrophic Coverage: If the amount paid by you reaches $2,100 in 2026 then you don't have a cost for covered medicaitons for the balance of the year.