Quick answer
What are the IRMAA brackets for 2026?
For 2026, Part B is $202.90 a month at or below $109,000 of MAGI (single) or $218,000 (joint). The surcharge tiers raise it to $284.10, $405.80, $527.50, $649.20 and $689.90, with the top tier starting above $500,000 single or $750,000 joint. Part D adds $14.50 to $91.00 a month. The income test uses your 2024 return.
Key takeaways
- 01Standard Part B for 2026: $202.90 a month (up from $185.00 in 2025).
- 02Five surcharge tiers top out at $689.90 Part B plus $91.00 Part D.
- 03A couple $1 over the first joint threshold pays about $2,297 more a year.
- 04Married filing separately jumps straight to $649.20 above $109,000.
| Premium year | 2026 |
|---|---|
| Income year used | 2024 tax return |
| Standard Part B | $202.90 a month |
| Part B deductible | $283 |
| Top Part B | $689.90 a month |
| Top Part D add-on | $91.00 a month |
The Short Answer
What are the IRMAA brackets for 2026?
For 2026, Part B is $202.90 a month at or below $109,000 of MAGI (single) or $218,000 (joint). The surcharge tiers raise it to $284.10, $405.80, $527.50, $649.20 and $689.90, with the top tier starting above $500,000 single or $750,000 joint. Part D adds $14.50 to $91.00 a month. The income test uses your 2024 return.
Married people who file separately and lived with their spouse at any point in the year face a compressed schedule: $202.90 up to $109,000, $649.20 from $109,000 to $391,000, and $689.90 above that. The income thresholds below $500,000 / $750,000 are fixed at these levels in law until inflation indexing resumes in 2028.
The Table
What is the full 2026 IRMAA table?
The table below shows 2026 monthly amounts per person for single filers (including head of household and qualifying surviving spouse) and joint filers. The ranges are MAGI from your 2024 return.
| MAGI (single / joint), 2024 return | Part B monthly | Part D add-on monthly |
|---|---|---|
| $109,000 or less / $218,000 or less | $202.90 | $0.00 |
| $109,000–$137,000 / $218,000–$274,000 | $284.10 | $14.50 |
| $137,000–$171,000 / $274,000–$342,000 | $405.80 | $37.50 |
| $171,000–$205,000 / $342,000–$410,000 | $527.50 | $60.40 |
| $205,000–$500,000 / $410,000–$750,000 | $649.20 | $83.30 |
| Above $500,000 / Above $750,000 | $689.90 | $91.00 |
Standard Part B rose from $185.00 in 2025 to $202.90 in 2026, and the Part B deductible is $283. Part D add-ons are paid to Medicare separately from your plan premium.
Filing Separately
What are the IRMAA brackets for married filing separately?
| MAGI (2024 return) | Part B monthly | Part D add-on monthly |
|---|---|---|
| $109,000 or less | $202.90 | $0.00 |
| $109,000–$391,000 | $649.20 | $83.30 |
| Above $391,000 | $689.90 | $91.00 |
This schedule applies when spouses file separately but lived together at any time during the tax year. A spouse who lived apart for the entire year uses the single-filer brackets.
Yearly Cost
How much does each IRMAA tier cost per year?
Chart
Extra yearly Medicare cost for a married couple, 2026 (Part B + Part D IRMAA)
Calculator
Your 2026 IRMAA cost
Enter your tier's Part B premium and Part D add-on from the table, and how many people on your return have Medicare.
Extra cost vs standard, per year
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Total Part B paid, per year
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Extra cost over 10 years (flat)
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Where Embark fits
$1 over a bracket can cost a couple about $2,297 a year. Can a big gain stay off the return?
Run your ticker to see the income a position could target without a taxable sale.
- A §721 in-kind contribution is not a sale: $0 tax at contribution, so no capital gain lands in MAGI that year
- Avoids the one-year gain spike that a large stock sale creates two years before your Medicare bill
- Targets 10%+ annual income from shares you already own; that income is taxable and counts in MAGI
Run the numbers
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Cliffs
Why do IRMAA brackets act like cliffs?
IRMAA is not phased in. A joint return with $218,000 of MAGI pays the standard premium; a return with $218,001 pays the full first tier for both spouses, about $2,297 more for the year. The same jump happens at every edge.
That is why planners treat the thresholds as targets: realize gains, convert to Roth or take withdrawals up to just below an edge, not just above it. Because the income year is two years before the premium year, this planning starts at age 63, not 65.
Indexing
Will the IRMAA brackets go up?
The top thresholds ($500,000 and $750,000) and the lower thresholds are set in law. The lower thresholds were indexed for inflation starting in 2020, and the top thresholds are scheduled to resume indexing in 2028. The premiums themselves are reset every year by CMS when it publishes the Part B premium notice in the Federal Register.
Embark
Can Embark help you stay below a bracket?
If a single lookback year contains a large stock sale, it can push a household several tiers up for one year. Contributing appreciated shares to Embark under §721 is not a sale, so there is $0 tax at contribution and no gain in that year's MAGI. Embark targets 10%+ annual income; that income is taxable and counts in MAGI, so size it against the bracket edges. 3-year lock-up; accredited investors only.
FAQ
Frequently asked questions
What is the 2026 Part B premium?
$202.90 a month for people with 2024 MAGI at or below $109,000 single or $218,000 joint.
What is the highest IRMAA bracket for 2026?
MAGI above $500,000 single or $750,000 joint, which sets Part B at $689.90 a month and adds $91.00 a month to Part D.
What are the 2026 Part D IRMAA amounts?
$14.50, $37.50, $60.40, $83.30 and $91.00 a month per person for the five surcharge tiers.
Are IRMAA brackets based on gross income?
No. They use modified adjusted gross income: AGI plus tax-exempt interest and a few excluded foreign-source items.
Is the 2026 IRMAA based on 2024 income?
Yes. Social Security normally uses the tax return from two years before the premium year.
Do IRMAA brackets change every year?
Premiums change every year. The lower income thresholds are indexed for inflation; the top thresholds resume indexing in 2028.
Sources
Primary sources
Sources
- Federal Register 2025-20251: Medicare Part B premium and IRMAA amounts for 2026 (GovInfo)
- CMS fact sheet: 2026 Medicare Parts A and B premiums and deductibles, Part D IRMAA
- Illinois Department on Aging (SHIP): 2026 Part D IRMAA table
- 20 CFR §418.1010: IRMAA definitions, including modified adjusted gross income
- 26 U.S. Code §721: Nonrecognition of gain or loss on contribution to a partnership
Cite this article
Embark Funds Research. “IRMAA Brackets 2026 Every Tier, Every Filing Status.” Embark Funds, updated October 29, 2026. https://www.embarkfunds.com/insights/irmaa-brackets-2026
Not tax, legal or investment advice: This article is educational and is not tax, legal, investment or Medicare advice. Rules and dollar amounts change every year and depend on your facts. Work with a CPA or financial planner before acting. Embark income figures are targets, not guarantees. Contributed shares have a 3-year lock-up, and Embark is open to accredited investors only.
Retirement Income & Medicare Series
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