Free tool
Part B late enrollment penalty calculator
A late Part B enrollment adds ten percent to the standard premium for every full twelve-month period you went without coverage. The surcharge generally lasts as long as you keep Part B.
Figures reviewed for 2026
Count from the month your initial window ended until the month coverage began.
Only complete twelve-month periods count, and partial periods are dropped. If you have group coverage through a current employer that is not on this list, no penalty applies and the answer should be zero.
Your estimated monthly premium
$223.19
- Standard 2026 Part B premium
- $202.90
- Full 12-month periods without cover
- 1
- Monthly penalty
- $20.29
- Penalty cost per year
- $243.48
The surcharge applies for as long as you have Part B, not for a fixed number of years.
Three ways the penalty is avoided
Enrolling during your initial window is the obvious one. The second is staying on an employer plan while you or a spouse is still working and the employer has twenty or more employees, which creates a special enrollment period when that coverage ends. The third is in the details: a period of coverage that ends and restarts within the same twelve months may not create a countable gap at all.
The penalty is calculated on your age when you finally enroll rather than on the year you turned sixty-five, so delaying doesn’t reduce the percentage. It is applied to the base premium, not to any IRMAA surcharge you may owe on top of it.
Official sources
Check it at the source
Every figure on this page comes from the agencies below. They are the primary record, and none of these links costs you anything.
No cost, no obligation
Get your free 2026 Medicare quote
One conversation with a licensed agent. We compare every carrier we represent and tell you plainly which option fits your doctors, your prescriptions, and your budget.