Medicare late enrollment penalty calculator
What a late start could add to your premiums, for life.
Medicare charges a penalty if you don't sign up for Part B or Part D when you're first eligible and you didn't have qualifying coverage instead. Unlike most penalties, these usually last as long as you have the coverage.
Your estimated penalties
- Added to your monthly premiums
- $46.10
- Part B penalty
- $40.60 a month
- Part D penalty
- $5.50 a month
Using 2026 figures. Both penalties usually last as long as you have that coverage.
2 full 12-month periods × 10% = 20% of the $202.90 standard premium, so you'd pay $243.50 a month.
14 months × 1% × the $38.99 national base beneficiary premium, rounded to the nearest 10 cents, added to your plan's premium.
An estimate on Medicare's published formulas, not a determination. Social Security decides the Part B penalty and your drug plan decides the Part D penalty; you can ask for a reconsideration if you think either is wrong. People who get Extra Help don't pay the Part D penalty.
How the penalties work
Part B: 10% of the standard premium ($202.90 in 2026) for each full 12-month period you could have had Part B but didn’t. Months when you (or your spouse) had group health coverage from current employment don’t count. COBRA, retiree coverage and VA health care don’t protect you.
Part D: 1% of the national base beneficiary premium ($38.99 in 2026; $41.33 in 2027) for each full month you went 63 days or more in a row without Part D or other creditable drug coverage after your Initial Enrollment Period. Because the base premium changes each year, the dollar amount changes too.
Part A: most people get Part A without a premium, so no penalty applies. If you have to buy Part A and sign up late, the premium can rise 10% for twice the number of years you went without it.
The full explanation, and how to avoid all three, is in our guide to Medicare late enrollment penalties.
Want help with your own choices?
Every state runs a State Health Insurance Assistance Program (SHIP) with trained counselors who give free, unbiased Medicare help and do not sell plans. Find yours on our Medicare by state pages, or call Medicare at 1-800-MEDICARE (1-800-633-4227) (TTY 1-877-486-2048, 24 hours a day, 7 days a week).
Planning the rest of your coverage in retirement? We can help with life insurance later in life and final expense coverage.
Sources
- Avoid late enrollment penalties, Medicare.gov. Checked September 29, 2026.
- Costs for Medicare drug coverage, Medicare.gov. Checked September 29, 2026.
- 2026 Medicare Parts A & B Premiums and Deductibles, Centers for Medicare & Medicaid Services. Checked September 29, 2026.
General information about the federal Medicare program, not advice about your situation. Figures are for 2026 unless stated and change every year; last reviewed September 29, 2026. Quote My Policy is a private company. Not connected with or endorsed by the United States government or the federal Medicare program.
Quote My Policy does not sell Medicare plans on this site. For plan-specific help, contact Medicare at 1-800-MEDICARE (1-800-633-4227) (TTY 1-877-486-2048, 24 hours a day, 7 days a week) or your State Health Insurance Assistance Program.