Medicare Costs in 2026: Arizona Guide
Every 2026 Medicare cost in one place from CMS: Part A and Part B premiums and deductibles, hospital and skilled nursing coinsurance, IRMAA brackets, Part D limits, and what is already known for 2027.
In 2026 the standard Part B premium is $202.90 a month and the Part B deductible is $283. Part A is premium-free for most people, with a $1,736 deductible for each benefit period. Part D drug costs are capped at $2,100 out of pocket for the year, rising to $2,400 in 2027. Higher earners pay more for Parts B and D through IRMAA. All figures below come from CMS. The 2027 Part B premium and deductible are usually announced in November, so we will update this guide when CMS publishes them.
Part A: hospital insurance costs
A benefit period begins the day you are admitted as an inpatient and ends once you have gone 60 days in a row without inpatient hospital or skilled nursing care. A new admission after that starts a new benefit period and a new deductible. Beyond your lifetime reserve days, you pay all costs.
| Cost | 2026 amount |
|---|---|
| Monthly premium, 40 or more work quarters | $0 |
| Monthly premium, 30 to 39 quarters | $311 |
| Monthly premium, fewer than 30 quarters | $565 |
| Inpatient deductible, each benefit period | $1,736 |
| Hospital coinsurance, days 1 to 60 | $0 |
| Hospital coinsurance, days 61 to 90 | $434 a day |
| Lifetime reserve days (60 over your lifetime) | $868 a day |
| Skilled nursing facility, days 1 to 20 | $0 |
| Skilled nursing facility, days 21 to 100 | $217 a day |
Part B: medical insurance costs
The 2026 standard Part B premium is $202.90 a month and the annual deductible is $283 (CMS, 2026). After the deductible, you generally pay 20 percent of the Medicare-approved amount for doctor services, outpatient therapy, durable medical equipment and most other Part B care, with no annual cap on Original Medicare alone.
If you receive Social Security, the premium is deducted from your benefit. Otherwise Medicare bills you. If you qualify for a Medicare Savings Program through AHCCCS, the state may pay your Part B premium for you.
IRMAA: what higher earners pay in 2026
If your modified adjusted gross income from two years earlier (your 2024 tax return for 2026) is above certain levels, you pay an income-related monthly adjustment amount on top of the standard Part B and Part D premiums.
| Single filer income | Joint filer income | Total Part B premium | Part D surcharge |
|---|---|---|---|
| $109,000 or less | $218,000 or less | $202.90 | $0 |
| Above $109,000 up to $137,000 | Above $218,000 up to $274,000 | $284.10 | $14.50 |
| Above $137,000 up to $171,000 | Above $274,000 up to $342,000 | $405.80 | $37.50 |
| Above $171,000 up to $205,000 | Above $342,000 up to $410,000 | $527.50 | $60.40 |
| Above $205,000 and below $500,000 | Above $410,000 and below $750,000 | $649.20 | $83.30 |
| $500,000 or more | $750,000 or more | $689.90 | $91.00 |
Part D: prescription drug costs
Premiums are set by each plan. In Arizona, the 9 standalone Part D plans in the CY2027 CMS Landscape file range from $5.30 to $191.50 a month.
| 2026 | 2027 | |
|---|---|---|
| Maximum standard deductible | $615 | $700 |
| Out-of-pocket cap on covered drugs | $2,100 | $2,400 |
| National base beneficiary premium (used for the late penalty) | $38.99 | $41.33 |
| Covered insulin, per month's supply | Up to $35 | Up to $35 |
Medicare Advantage and Medigap costs locally
Medicare Advantage premiums, copays and out-of-pocket maximums are set plan by plan. In the CY2027 CMS Landscape file, the average Part C premium across Maricopa County's 52 standard plans is about $1.90 a month and the average total premium including drug coverage is about $7.68. Out-of-pocket maximums range from $2,000 to $8,900. Pinal County's 47 plans average about $2.10 and $8.43, with the same range of maximums. You also keep paying your Part B premium.
A plan with a $0 premium still has costs when you use it, so read the copays for the services you use most, and the out-of-pocket maximum, before comparing premiums.
Medigap premiums are not in the CMS Landscape file. They depend on the plan letter, your age, the company's pricing method and, after your open enrollment window, possibly your health. Ask for quotes from several companies and compare how their rates have changed over time.
What a year can look like
Here is an illustration using 2026 figures, not a quote. A person on Original Medicare with Medigap Plan G and a standalone Part D plan pays twelve months of the $202.90 Part B premium, the Plan G and Part D premiums, the $283 Part B deductible and their drug copays, which are capped at $2,100 for the year. A hospital stay adds little, because Plan G pays the Part A deductible and coinsurance.
A person on a Medicare Advantage plan with a $0 plan premium pays the $202.90 Part B premium each month and copays when they use care. In a quiet year that may be very little; in a hard year it can reach the plan's out-of-pocket maximum for medical care, plus drug costs up to the cap.
Ways to lower what you pay
- Check the Medicare Savings Programs through AHCCCS. If you qualify, Arizona can pay your $202.90 Part B premium, and QMB also covers deductibles and coinsurance.
- Apply for Extra Help if your 2026 income is below $23,940 single or $32,460 married. It lowers Part D premiums and copays.
- Review your Part D plan every fall. The lowest premium is not always the lowest yearly cost once your drugs and pharmacy are priced.
- If your income fell after you retired, file form SSA-44 to ask Social Security to recalculate IRMAA using a more recent year.
- Enroll on time. The Part B penalty (10 percent per full year late) and the Part D penalty (1 percent per month) last as long as you have the coverage.
- Use the preventive services Medicare covers at no cost when your provider accepts assignment, such as your yearly wellness visit and many screenings.
- If a Part D bill is hard to manage, opt into the Medicare Prescription Payment Plan to spread drug costs across the year.
What we know about 2027 so far
- Part D: maximum deductible $700 and out-of-pocket cap $2,400 (CMS CY2027 Rate Announcement).
- Part D national base beneficiary premium: $41.33 (CMS announcement, July 28, 2026).
- Medicare Advantage and Part D plans for 2027 are in the CY2027 CMS Landscape file and can be compared during the Annual Enrollment Period, October 15 to December 7, 2026.
- Part A and Part B premiums, deductibles and IRMAA brackets for 2027: CMS usually announces these in November. Until then, 2026 figures are the latest official numbers.
The bottom line
For 2026, budget $202.90 a month for Part B, a $283 Part B deductible, and a $1,736 Part A deductible per benefit period if you have no other coverage, plus whatever your supplement, Advantage or Part D plan charges. If your income is above $109,000 single or $218,000 joint, check the IRMAA table. If your income is limited, look at Medicare Savings Programs and Extra Help, which can cover much of this.
Want to go through this with someone?
Viola Lucero and the Rise Up Benefits team in Chandler will go through your doctors, your prescriptions and your real numbers, and explain plainly what we found. We speak insurance, so you don't have to.
Prefer to learn in a group? See our Medicare workshops online or in Chandler, the events calendar, and official CMS videos and forms on our Resources page.
Sources
- 2026 Medicare Parts A and B premiums and deductibles, Centers for Medicare & Medicaid Services
- CY2027 Medicare Advantage and Part D Rate Announcement, Centers for Medicare & Medicaid Services
- CY2027 Part D national average bid and base beneficiary premium, Centers for Medicare & Medicaid Services
- CMS Medicare Advantage and Part D Landscape, contract year 2027 (Maricopa and Pinal counties, Arizona), Centers for Medicare & Medicaid Services
Please note: We do not offer every plan available in your area. Any information we provide is limited to those plans we do offer in your area. Please contact Medicare.gov, 1-800-MEDICARE, or your local State Health Insurance Program (SHIP) to get information on all of your options. Rise Up Benefits Group is not connected with or endorsed by the United States government or the federal Medicare program. Medicare has neither endorsed nor reviewed this information.