Medicare Part B: medical insurance
Doctors, outpatient care and prevention, with 20% coinsurance and no yearly cap.
Part B is the medical side of Original Medicare. It covers the care most people use most often: doctor visits, outpatient procedures, tests, preventive services and medical equipment.
It has a monthly premium ($202.90 standard in 2026), a $283 yearly deductible, and after that you usually pay 20% of the Medicare-approved amount. In Original Medicare there's no limit on how much that 20% can add up to.
What Part B covers
Part B covers services and supplies that are medically necessary, plus many preventive services:
- Doctors' services, including in a hospital, and many outpatient procedures.
- Outpatient hospital care, emergency room visits and ambulance services.
- Lab tests, X-rays and other diagnostic tests.
- Mental health care, including outpatient therapy.
- Durable medical equipment such as walkers, wheelchairs and oxygen equipment.
- Preventive services such as screenings, many vaccines, and the Welcome to Medicare and yearly wellness visits.
- Some drugs you don't usually give yourself, such as those given in a doctor's office or infusion center.
What Part B costs in 2026
- Premium: $202.90 a month for most people. Higher incomes pay more through IRMAA.
- Deductible: $283 a year.
- Coinsurance: usually 20% of the Medicare-approved amount after the deductible.
- Preventive services: many cost you nothing when your provider accepts assignment.
Assignment and excess charges
A provider who accepts assignment agrees to take the Medicare-approved amount as full payment. Most do. A provider who doesn't accept assignment can charge you up to 15% more than the approved amount; that extra is called an excess charge. Only Medigap Plans F and G pay excess charges.
Asking "Do you accept Medicare assignment?" before an appointment is a simple way to avoid surprises.
When you need Part B, and when you can wait
If you're not covered by a group health plan from your own or your spouse's current job, you generally need Part B when you're first eligible. Signing up late can mean a penalty of 10% of the premium for each full 12-month period you went without it, for as long as you have Part B.
If you are covered by a large employer's plan through current work, you may be able to delay Part B and sign up later during a Special Enrollment Period. COBRA and retiree coverage don't count.
Covering the 20%
Because Original Medicare has no out-of-pocket limit, a serious illness can leave you with a large share of the bills. Medigap policies, employer retiree coverage or Medicaid can pay some or all of it. Medicare Advantage plans replace the 20% with their own cost sharing and a yearly limit.
Common questions
If you get Social Security, Railroad Retirement or federal retirement benefits, it's usually taken out of your payment. Otherwise Medicare bills you, and you can pay online, by mail or by automatic deduction.
Only certain drugs, such as those given in a doctor's office, some cancer drugs and insulin used with a pump. Most prescriptions you fill at a pharmacy are covered by Part D instead.
Not in Original Medicare. The 20% coinsurance has no yearly cap, which is why many people add Medigap or choose a Medicare Advantage plan with an out-of-pocket limit.
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
- 2026 Medicare Parts A & B Premiums and Deductibles, Centers for Medicare & Medicaid Services. Checked September 29, 2026.
- Medicare costs, Medicare.gov. Checked September 29, 2026.
- Avoid late enrollment penalties, Medicare.gov. Checked September 29, 2026.
- Compare Medigap plan benefits, Medicare.gov. 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.