Medicare offset calculator
The Part B premium comes out of the Social Security payment before it reaches the bank. What it costs depends on an income figure from two tax years ago, and the ladder is steeper than most people expect.
General information, not financial, tax, legal or benefits advice. Figures show what published rates and formulas produce for the amounts you enter; your actual payment depends on your earnings record, claim age, withholding and Medicare status. COLA Ledger is not affiliated with or endorsed by the Social Security Administration, the Bureau of Labor Statistics, CMS or any U.S. government agency. Confirm your figures with SSA or your my Social Security account.
- Gross after the COLA
- $2,056
- Part B premium charged
- $202.90standard premium, no IRMAA
- Net payment
- $1,853
- Annual net
- $22,236
2026 standard Part B premium
$202.90
+$18 on 2025. Above the first income threshold the premium steps to $284.10 and keeps going.
What each tier costs a $2,000 benefit
| Single income from | Premium | Net payment | Against standard |
|---|---|---|---|
| Standard, no adjustment | $202.90 | $1,853 | — |
| $109,001 | $284.10 | $1,771 | -$82 |
| $137,001 | $405.80 | $1,650 | -$203 |
| $171,001 | $527.50 | $1,528 | -$325 |
| $205,001 | $649.20 | $1,406 | -$447 |
| $500,000 | $689.90 | $1,366 | -$487 |
A 2.8% adjustment adds +$56 a month to a $2,000 benefit. Crossing the top income threshold costs $487.00 a month — more than 8.7 times the entire raise.
The 2026 brackets
| Single | Married filing jointly | Married filing separately | Adjustment | Total Part B | Part D adjustment |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Up to $109,000 | Up to $218,000 | Up to $109,000 | none | $202.90 | none |
| $109,001 to $137,000 | $218,001 to $274,000 | — | $81.20 | $284.10 | $14.50 |
| $137,001 to $171,000 | $274,001 to $342,000 | — | $202.90 | $405.80 | $37.50 |
| $171,001 to $205,000 | $342,001 to $410,000 | — | $324.60 | $527.50 | $60.40 |
| $205,001 to $499,999 | $410,001 to $749,999 | $109,001 to $390,999 | $446.30 | $649.20 | $83.30 |
| $500,000 and above | $750,000 and above | $391,000 and above | $487.00 | $689.90 | $91.00 |
The 2026 brackets in detail, with the reconstruction check · the second charge, on Part D.
Married filing separately is not a middle path
That filing status gets three tiers rather than 6: the standard premium up to the first threshold, then a jump straight to $649.20, then the top. The intermediate brackets do not exist for it. The calculator implements the real three-tier table rather than reusing the single-filer ladder.
SSI is a different case entirely
No Part B premium should ever be deducted from an SSI payment. SSI recipients are categorically Medicaid-eligible in most states and the premium is paid by the state under a Medicare Savings Program buy-in. Deducting $202.90 from an SSI payment is simply wrong, and the engine behind this calculator refuses to do it rather than producing a plausible wrong number. The SSI figures.
Common questions
Which year of income decides my premium?
The 2024 tax return — two years back. Where that return is not available to the agency, the one from three years back is used instead. That fallback is why a bracket can look wrong to someone whose income changed sharply.
Is the adjustment phased in across a bracket?
No. It is a cliff. One dollar over a threshold moves the whole premium to the next tier — $81.20 a month, $974 a year, at the first one.
What if the premium is more than my benefit?
Then nothing is paid out and the excess is billed separately rather than withheld. The calculator shows that case explicitly instead of returning a negative payment.
Does hold harmless protect me if I pay IRMAA?
No. The protection is disabled entirely for anyone in an income-related tier, at any income level, and also for people new to Medicare or not yet drawing Social Security.
Related
- COLA calculatorgross first
- How IRMAA worksthe mechanism
- Hold harmlessthe premium cap
- Part B by yearthe premium series
- When it takes everythingsmall benefits
- $2,000 ledgera worked page
Sources and freshness
- Federal Register — Medicare Program; Medicare Part B Monthly Actuarial Rates, Premium Rates, and Annual Deductible Beginning January 1, 2026 — verified 10 August 2026
- Federal Register — Medicare Program; Medicare Part B Monthly Actuarial Rates, Premium Rates, and Annual Deductible Beginning January 1, 2025 — verified 10 August 2026
- SSA Office of the Chief Actuary — Cost-of-Living Adjustments — verified 10 August 2026
- SSA POMS HI 01101.020 — Income-related monthly adjustment amount — verified 10 August 2026
Figures effective 1 January 2026. Page figures last verified against the sources above on 10 August 2026. Corrections: the correction log · support@inventum.com.au