Yes, Medicare Part B premiums are automatically deducted from your Social Security payments. Most people never receive a separate bill for Part B. Instead, the premium is subtracted before your Social Security deposit hits your bank account, so the amount you see each month is your benefit minus the Medicare premium.
How the Deduction Works
If you’re already receiving Social Security benefits when you turn 65, you’ll be automatically enrolled in Medicare Part A (hospital coverage) and Part B (medical coverage). The Part B premium, currently $185 per month in 2025 and rising to $202.90 in 2026, gets pulled directly from your monthly Social Security payment. You don’t need to set anything up or authorize the deduction.
Part A has no monthly premium for most people, since it’s funded by the payroll taxes you paid during your working years. So the deduction you’ll notice on your Social Security statement is almost always for Part B.
If you’re not yet collecting Social Security when you enroll in Medicare, there’s no benefit to deduct from. In that case, the Centers for Medicare & Medicaid Services will mail you a quarterly bill with instructions on how to pay directly. You can also set up automatic payments from a bank account.
What About Medicare Advantage and Part D?
Medicare Advantage (Part C) and prescription drug (Part D) plans are sold by private insurers, and their premiums are not automatically deducted from Social Security. However, you can request that they be withheld from your Social Security payment if you prefer a single, consolidated deduction rather than paying the plan separately. This is called a “premium withhold,” and you’d arrange it through your drug plan or Medicare Advantage plan after enrolling.
Higher Premiums for Higher Earners
The standard Part B premium applies to most people, but if your income exceeds certain thresholds, you’ll pay more through what’s called an Income-Related Monthly Adjustment Amount (IRMAA). Social Security determines your surcharge based on your tax return from two years prior. For 2026 premiums, the IRS income figures used come from your 2024 return.
For single filers, the surcharges kick in above $109,000 in modified adjusted gross income. For married couples filing jointly, the threshold is $218,000. Here’s how the Part B premium scales for single filers in 2026:
- $109,001 to $137,000: $284.10 per month
- $137,001 to $171,000: $405.80 per month
- $171,001 to $205,000: $527.50 per month
- $205,001 to $499,999: $649.20 per month
- $500,000 or more: $689.90 per month
Married couples filing jointly see the same premium tiers, but at double the income thresholds (starting at $218,001). These surcharges also apply to Part D prescription drug coverage and are deducted from Social Security in the same way. If you’ve had a life-changing event like retirement, divorce, or the death of a spouse that significantly lowered your income, you can ask Social Security to use a more recent year’s income instead.
The Hold Harmless Protection
One important safeguard: a rule called the “hold harmless provision” prevents your Social Security payment from shrinking year over year because of a Part B premium increase. If the Part B premium rises but your Social Security cost-of-living adjustment isn’t large enough to cover it, your premium increase is capped so your net Social Security check doesn’t go down compared to the previous year.
To qualify, you need to be receiving Social Security benefits and have your Part B premium deducted from those benefits in both December of the current year and January of the next. The protection does not apply if you’re enrolling in Part B for the first time, if you pay an IRMAA surcharge, or if your state Medicaid agency pays your premium on your behalf.
Help Paying Medicare Premiums
If the premium deduction takes a meaningful bite out of your Social Security check, you may qualify for a Medicare Savings Program that covers part or all of your Medicare costs. There are several tiers based on income and assets, with the broadest program (Qualified Medicare Beneficiary) covering Part B premiums, deductibles, and coinsurance for individuals earning up to $1,350 per month with resources under $9,950 in 2026. For married couples, the limits are $1,824 per month in income and $14,910 in resources.
Higher-income tiers exist as well. The Qualifying Individual program, for example, covers just the Part B premium for individuals earning up to $1,816 per month. Limits are slightly higher in Alaska and Hawaii, and some states use more generous thresholds than the federal floor. You apply through your state Medicaid office, not through Medicare or Social Security.