The 2026 Baseline
- Part A: $0/month for most people (premium-free with enough working quarters).
- Part B: $202.90/month standard premium; $283 annual deductible.
- Part D: varies by plan — you pick the plan, you pick the premium.
- Higher incomes: if your income from two years ago exceeds set thresholds, an income-related amount (IRMAA) is added to Part B and Part D. It starts above $109,000 (single) / $218,000 (married filing jointly) for 2026.
The Part Nobody Prices In: Everything A and B Don't Pay
Original Medicare covers a great deal — and leaves deductibles, coinsurance, and gaps that have no annual out-of-pocket cap. That's the entire reason the Medigap-vs-Advantage decision exists: both paths are, at their core, different ways of handling those uncovered costs.
- Path 1 — Medigap route: you add a supplement premium every month, and in exchange most of the unpredictable costs become predictable.
- Path 2 — Advantage route: plan premiums are often low or $0, and in exchange you pay copays and coinsurance as you use care, inside a plan network, with an annual out-of-pocket maximum.
Neither is "cheaper" universally — one front-loads the cost, one pay-as-you-goes it. Which one costs less for you depends on your health and how you use care.
Costs Change Every Single Year
Premiums, deductibles, and income thresholds reset annually. The figures on this page are 2026 program figures; this page is updated when new figures are announced each fall. When comparing plans, always compare on current-year numbers — and during Annual Enrollment (October 15 – December 7), on the next year's numbers from your Annual Notice of Change.