Free Tools
Part B Penalty Estimator
If you don't sign up for Part B when first eligible and don't have creditable coverage, a permanent penalty is added to your premium — 10% for each full 12-month period you could have had it. The penalty lasts as long as you have Part B. We'll estimate yours and show you how to avoid it.
Use the penalty estimator below
Enter the number of months you'd delay past eligibility — the calculator uses the actual 2026 standard Part B premium ($202.90/mo) to show your exact penalty percentage, monthly dollar amount, and annual cost. Example: a 36-month delay adds 30% permanently ($60.87/mo on the 2026 premium).
Questions, answered
How do I avoid the Part B penalty?
Enroll during your Initial Enrollment Period, or keep creditable employer coverage and use a Special Enrollment Period when it ends. We track your dates.
Does the Part B penalty ever go away?
No — once assessed, the 10%-per-12-months surcharge is added to your Part B premium for as long as you have Part B, for life. There's no way to have it removed later, which is why avoiding it in the first place matters.
Is the penalty based on the standard Part B premium or my own premium?
The penalty percentage is applied to the current year's standard Part B premium ($202.90/month in 2026), not a fixed dollar amount from when you were first eligible — so the actual dollar penalty rises each year the standard premium rises.
What counts as "creditable coverage" to avoid the penalty?
Generally, coverage from a current employer with 20 or more employees. COBRA and retiree coverage typically do NOT count as creditable for this purpose — enrolling in COBRA instead of Part B when first eligible is a common, costly mistake. We check whether your specific coverage qualifies before you decide to delay.
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