Medicare Part B Could Rise to $209.50 in 2027 and Take a Bite of Seniors’ Social Security Raise

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The standard Part B premium, which is deducted automatically from most beneficiaries’ monthly checks, is projected to rise $6.60 to $209.50 a month in 2027, according to the Medicare trustees’ annual report, as summarized by AARP.

That figure is a projection, not a final bill. The Centers for Medicare & Medicaid Services (CMS) will set the official premium later this fall. The Social Security Administration is scheduled to announce the 2027 cost-of-living adjustment (COLA) on Oct. 14, after the federal government releases September inflation data.

The stakes are personal for older adults on fixed incomes and for the adult children who help them budget. Part B covers doctor visits, outpatient care, screenings, and drugs given in a doctor’s office, and its premium comes out of the same check the COLA is meant to protect.

Forecasters expect the 2027 COLA to land between 3.5% and 3.6%. That would be the largest adjustment since 2023 and higher than the 2.8% increase for 2026. The final number will be posted on the Social Security Administration’s COLA page once it is announced.

The average retired worker received about $2,086 a month as of July, AARP estimated. Using that figure, a 3.5% COLA would add about $73 a month, and a 3.6% COLA would add about $75. Subtracting the projected $6.60 Part B increase would leave a net gain of roughly $66 to $68 a month.

In other words, the projected premium increase would take about 9% of the average retiree’s raise. For a beneficiary with a smaller check, the share is larger, because the premium increase is a flat dollar amount.

A Senior Citizens League projection reported by MLive found that a 3.5% COLA would lift the group’s average benefit across all recipients by $67.90, from $1,940.08 to $2,007.98. The projected premium increase would cut that gain to about $61.

The trustees also expect the annual Part B deductible to rise from $283 to $292.

The 2027 projection is milder than last year’s jump. The standard premium rose 9.7%, or $17.90, to $202.90 for 2026. The projected 2027 increase is about 3.3%.

The relief may not last. The trustees project the standard premium will grow about 6% a year on average through 2031, reaching $272.10 a month, according to AARP. Social Security’s trustees project COLAs averaging 2.4% a year from 2027 to 2031.

Harriet Komisar, a senior policy adviser at the AARP Public Policy Institute, told AARP that “people will see Medicare premiums taking up a growing portion of the yearly increase.”

Not everyone faces the same burden. The Social Security Act’s hold-harmless provision prevents a Part B increase from reducing some recipients’ net Social Security payment below the prior year’s amount. But AARP reported that about 30% of Part B enrollees are not protected by it. They include people who do not receive Social Security checks and higher-income enrollees who pay surcharges.

Those surcharges, known as the income-related monthly adjustment amount (IRMAA), apply when modified adjusted gross income from two years earlier exceeds set limits. About 5.1 million beneficiaries paid IRMAA in 2025, AARP said.

Lower-income seniors face a different risk. According to KFF data cited by AARP, 12% of Part B enrollees, or 7.4 million people, spent more than 10% of their income on Part B premiums in 2024. State Medicare Savings Programs, run through Medicaid offices, can help eligible low-income beneficiaries pay Part B premiums and, in some cases, deductibles.

Some households are getting short-term help, but it is limited. About 20.8 million Original Medicare Part B enrollees are receiving a one-time $90 payment this month from the Medicare Improvement Fund to help cover premiums, according to CMS.

To qualify, recipients must be enrolled in Original Medicare Part B, live in the United States and not receive Medicaid help with premiums. People in Medicare Advantage plans and those who pay IRMAA are not eligible. The payment covers less than half of one month’s 2026 premium.

The trustees’ projections are not always exact. The Military Officers Association of America noted that last year’s report projected a 2026 premium of $206.50, about $4 higher than the final $202.90. Official 2027 rates, including IRMAA brackets, are expected in November.

Timing matters. Medicare open enrollment runs from Oct. 15 to Dec. 7, so many beneficiaries will compare plans before CMS confirms the final Part B premium. Social Security typically sends personalized COLA notices in December.

Households can check the official COLA once Social Security posts it and estimate their net raise by subtracting about $6.60 from the increase, treating the result as a rough guide. They can also review whether their 2025 income could trigger IRMAA in 2027. People struggling with premiums can ask a State Health Insurance Assistance Program counselor about Medicare Savings Programs.

Be cautious about calls, texts, or emails claiming to deliver the $90 payment or a COLA “bonus,” especially any that ask for bank account details.

MedicalDaily will update this report with the official COLA and the final Part B premium.

What is the projected 2027 Medicare Part B premium?

The Medicare trustees project a standard premium of $209.50 a month in 2027, up $6.60 from $202.90 in 2026. CMS will set the official amount later this fall.

How much of the Social Security raise could the premium absorb?

For the average retired worker, a $6.60 increase would take about 9% of a 3.5% to 3.6% COLA, leaving a net raise of roughly $66 to $68 a month. The share is larger for people with smaller checks.

The Social Security Administration is scheduled to announce it on Oct. 14, after September inflation data are released.

It prevents a Part B premium increase from reducing some beneficiaries’ net Social Security payment below the prior year’s amount. About 30% of Part B enrollees are not protected by it.

Beneficiaries whose income from two years earlier exceeds set limits pay IRMAA surcharges. About 5.1 million people paid them in 2025.

Who gets the one-time $90 Medicare payment?

About 20.8 million Original Medicare Part B enrollees who live in the United States do not get Medicaid premium help and do not pay IRMAA. Medicare Advantage enrollees are not eligible.

Where can seniors get help paying Part B costs?

State Medicare Savings Programs, available through Medicaid offices, can cover premiums for eligible low-income beneficiaries. State Health Insurance Assistance Program counselors offer free guidance.