Medicare Part B Premium 2027 and IRMAA Brackets Explained

The standard Medicare Part B premium for 2027 is projected at $209.50 a month, up from $202.90 in 2026. If your 2025 modified adjusted gross income was above $112,000 (single) or $224,000 (married filing jointly), you will likely pay more because of IRMAA, with projected totals ranging from $293.30 to $712.30 a month per person.

What Part B costs in 2027

Medicare Part B covers doctor visits, outpatient care, lab tests and many medical supplies. Most people pay a monthly premium for it, and for many retirees that premium is taken directly out of their Social Security check.

For 2026, the official standard premium is $202.90 a month and the annual deductible is $283. For 2027, the Medicare Trustees projected a standard premium of $209.50 a month and a deductible of about $292. That is an increase of $6.60 a month, or $79.20 over the year, for someone paying the standard amount.

These 2027 numbers are projections, not final figures. The Centers for Medicare & Medicaid Services typically publishes the official premium in mid-November, so the final amount could be slightly higher or lower. We will treat the projected numbers as a planning guide, not a promise.

The premium increase arrives at the same time as the 3.6% cost-of-living adjustment for 2027. The average retired worker's benefit is estimated to rise by about $75 a month, so for most people the COLA comfortably covers the higher premium. You can read more about how that raise works in our 2027 Social Security COLA guide.

What IRMAA is and how the lookback works

IRMAA stands for Income-Related Monthly Adjustment Amount. It is an extra charge added to your Part B premium (and to your Part D drug coverage) when your income is above certain limits. Social Security decides whether you owe it, using information from the IRS.

The key detail is timing. Your 2027 premium is based on your modified adjusted gross income (MAGI) from your 2025 tax return. For IRMAA, MAGI is your adjusted gross income plus any tax-exempt interest, such as interest from municipal bonds.

This two-year lookback surprises many new retirees. If 2025 was your last full year of work, or the year you sold a rental property or took a large IRA withdrawal, your 2027 premium may reflect that higher income even though your current income is much lower.

Projected 2027 IRMAA brackets

The table below shows the projected 2027 brackets for single filers and married couples filing jointly, along with the total monthly Part B premium per person and the surcharge above the standard amount.

Married filing separately

If you are married, file separately and lived with your spouse at any point during the year, the brackets are much tighter. With 2025 MAGI of $112,000 or less you pay the standard projected premium of $209.50. From $112,001 up to just under $388,000 you would pay $670.40, and at $388,000 or more you would pay $712.30. For most couples, this makes separate filing an expensive choice where Medicare is concerned.

Part D surcharges

IRMAA also applies to Medicare Part D prescription drug coverage. The extra Part D amount is paid to Medicare, not to your drug plan, and it is usually deducted from your Social Security payment alongside Part B. The same income brackets trigger it.

Worked examples

A single retiree just over the line

Linda is single. Her 2025 MAGI was $130,000. That falls in the second single bracket ($112,001 to $141,000), so her projected 2027 Part B premium is $293.30 a month instead of $209.50.

Her surcharge is $83.80 a month. Over 12 months, that is $1,005.60 in extra Part B premiums, before any Part D surcharge.

The cliff effect

Now suppose Linda's 2025 MAGI had been exactly $112,000. She would pay the standard $209.50. At $112,001, just $1 more, her premium jumps to $293.30. That single dollar of income costs her $1,005.60 for the year. This is why it pays to know where the bracket limits sit before you take a large IRA distribution or sell an investment.

A married couple

Robert and Maria file jointly. Their 2025 MAGI was $300,000, which lands in the third joint bracket ($282,001 to $352,000). Each of them pays a projected $419.00 a month.

Each person's surcharge is $209.50 a month, or $2,514 a year. Together, the couple pays $5,028 more in Part B premiums in 2027 than a couple paying the standard rate.

Ways to manage IRMAA

Because IRMAA is based on income from two years earlier, planning tends to work best well in advance. A few ideas worth discussing with a tax professional:

• Watch large one-time income. Roth conversions, capital gains and big IRA withdrawals all raise MAGI. Spreading them over several years can sometimes keep you under a bracket limit.
• Plan for required minimum distributions. RMDs add to your income whether you need the money or not. Our guide to required minimum distributions explains how they are calculated, and the RMD calculator can estimate yours.
• Consider qualified charitable distributions. From age 70½, giving directly from an IRA to a charity counts toward your RMD and is left out of income, which can help keep MAGI lower.
• Remember the tax-exempt interest. Municipal bond interest is not taxed federally, but it does count toward IRMAA.

Higher income can also make more of your Social Security taxable. If you want to see how the pieces fit together, our article on whether Social Security is taxable walks through the rules, and the senior tax calculator estimates your overall federal tax.

Appealing IRMAA after a life-changing event

If your income has fallen since 2025, you do not have to simply accept the higher premium. Social Security allows you to request a new decision when your income dropped because of a qualifying life-changing event. Common examples include:

• Stopping work or reducing your hours
• Marriage, divorce or the death of a spouse
• Losing income from a property because of a disaster
• Losing pension income

The request is made with Form SSA-44. You report the event and provide an estimate of your more recent income, along with supporting documents such as a letter from your former employer. If approved, Social Security uses the newer, lower income to set your premium.

For example, if you retired in 2026 and your income fell from $180,000 to $70,000, filing Form SSA-44 could move you back to the standard premium. Without it, you might pay a much higher premium in 2027 based on your final working year.

Don't forget the late enrollment penalty

IRMAA is not the only way Part B can cost more than the standard amount. If you did not sign up for Part B when you were first eligible and did not have other qualifying coverage, such as an employer health plan, you may owe a late enrollment penalty. It adds 10% to your premium for each full 12-month period you could have had Part B but did not, and it generally lasts as long as you have Part B.

For instance, a 10% penalty on the projected 2027 standard premium would add $20.95 a month, bringing the total to $230.45.

Part B premiums are often withheld from Social Security checks, so it helps to know when those deposits land. Our Social Security payment schedule shows every 2027 date.

This guide is for general education and is not financial, tax or legal advice. Rules and amounts can change; confirm details with the Social Security Administration, the IRS or Medicare. Spotted an error? Let us know.