Medicare premium increase reduces Social Security COLA for 2026

Retirees received the good news in late October that those receiving average Social Security retirement benefits each month will see an inflation-adjusted increase of roughly $56 a month starting in January.

The bad news hit in November: Retirees will hand over another $17.90 a month as the standard monthly premium for Medicare Part B hits $202.90 a month for 2026.

And that’s how an average $56 cost-of-living adjustment in monthly Social Security retirement benefits could end up at around $38 a month for many, but not all, people.

Many people have their Medicare Part B premium automatically deducted from the Social Security benefits each month, which means the bottom-line increase could be smaller than some would expect.

Sharp eyes spotted that the Centers For Medicare and Medicaid Services released information about Medicare Part B premiums for 2026 via a fact sheet online, not a news release on Friday, Nov. 14.

That’s the second-highest Part B premium increase in program history in terms of dollars. The record increase was $21.60 a month set in 2022.

It could have been worse.

Earlier, the Medicare Trustees report had forecast that the 2026 Medicare Part B premium would rise from $185 in 2025 to $206.50 per month in 2026. That would have been an increase of $21.50.

Medicare Part B covers physician services, outpatient hospital services, certain home health services, durable medical equipment and certain other medical and health services not covered by Medicare Part A.

For some lower-income households receiving Social Security benefits, the $17.90 a month hike in the Medicare Part B premium exceeds the dollar amount of what they’ll actually see as an increase in Social Security benefits each month in 2026.

The cost-of-living boost for Social Security beneficiaries is not a flat dollar amount. Instead, it is based on a percentage of what you receive in benefits each month. The next COLA hike will land at 2.8% in 2026.

A 2.8% COLA would add up to $56 a month — or $672 a year — for retirees receiving an average benefit of around $2,008 a month for retired workers.

Some receive more in monthly benefits; others receive far less. As a result, some people cannot bank on seeing their Social Security benefits go up by $56 a month in January.

If you’re getting $600 a month in Social Security benefits, for example, you’d only be looking at a COLA hike of $16.80 a month — which is less than the Medicare Part B premium hike set for 2026.

In case you missed it: Here’s why you may want to hold off on year-end giving

“A Part B increase of this size would trigger the hold harmless provision for Social Security recipients with a Social Security benefit of $640 or less,” said Mary Johnson, an independent Social Security and Medicare policy analyst.

Without that hold harmless provision, she noted, the increase in Part B would swallow the entire COLA for someone receiving a very small monthly Social Security check. But she stressed this group would be protected from reductions to their Social Security benefit.

The hold harmless provision will mean that a small number of people will see little or no increase in their Part B premium — and their Social Security benefit checks will remain the same — because the amount of their cost-of-living adjustment isn’t large enough to cover the increase, as Social Security explained earlier online.

Under the hold harmless provision that applies to some beneficiaries, the increase in Medicare Part B premiums is limited to the dollar amount of a recipient’s COLA, said Shannon Benton, executive director of the Senior Citizens League, which was established in 1992.

Individuals who have other automatic deductions, such as Medicare Advantage or Part D premiums, could see further reductions to Social Security payments that they receive.

Higher income households also can pay out much more for Medicare Part B premiums each month.

Since 2007, a beneficiary’s Part B monthly premium has been based on his or her income.

Social Security beneficiaries who are single with an adjusted gross income of more than $109,000 will pay more than $202.90 a month in 2026 for Medicare Part B benefits. The same is true for a married couple with an adjusted gross income that exceeds $218,000.

According to the Centers for Medicare and Medicaid Services, roughly 8% of people with Medicare Part B face income-related adjustments. The 2026 Part B premiums for high-income beneficiaries with full Part B coverage are outlined in detail on the latest fact sheet.

A beneficiary who files a joint tax return could pay $405.80 a month for full Part B coverage, for example, if the modified adjusted gross income on the return is greater than $274,000 and less than or equal to $342,000 a year.

Contact personal finance columnist Susan Tompor: stompor@freepress.com. Follow her on X @tompor.

This article originally appeared on Detroit Free Press: Medicare premium hike cuts into 2026 Social Security COLA