Medicare late enrollment penalty calculator
Missing your Medicare window can add a penalty to your premium for as long as you have coverage. Enter the months you went without Part B or drug coverage to see what it adds, and how to avoid it in the first place.
If you sign up for Part B late without qualifying job coverage, your Part B premium goes up 10% for each full 12-month period you could have had it, usually for as long as you have Part B. If you go 63 days or more without Part D or other creditable drug coverage after your initial window, the Part D penalty is 1% of the national base premium for each month without coverage, rounded to the nearest 10 cents, added for as long as you have Part D. Enter your months without coverage to see the monthly amount.
Your numbers
For 2026, the Part B penalty is figured on the standard premium of $202.90 a month, and the Part D penalty on the national base premium of $38.99.
What would a late-enrollment penalty cost?
Enter the months you went without coverage after you were first eligible. Employer coverage from a company with 20 or more employees doesn't count as a gap for Part B; any creditable drug coverage doesn't count for Part D.
- Part B penalty
- —per month, for as long as you have Part B
- Part D penalty
- —per month, for as long as you have Part D
- Together, over 10 years
- —at 2026 rates; premiums rise most years
Based on the 2026 standard Part B premium ($202.90) and Part D base premium ($38.99). Penalties are recalculated each year as those figures change. Part B penalties usually end at 65 for people who had Medicare because of disability; otherwise both are permanent. An estimate, not a determination — Social Security and your Part D plan set the actual amounts.
How to avoid a penalty
- Know your window. Your Initial Enrollment Period runs seven months: the three months before your 65th birthday month, that month, and the three after. The turning-65 checklist lists the steps in order.
- Still working? Coverage from a current job at an employer with 20 or more employees lets you delay Part B without a penalty. Medicare while working past 65 explains the rules, including HSAs.
- Check drug coverage is creditable. If it isn't, join a Part D plan when you're first eligible even if you take no prescriptions. Part D in New York covers the options.
Not sure which window applies to you? Can I change my plan now? answers it in a few questions, or I'll set your dates with you at no fee.
- Avoid late enrollment penalties (medicare.gov) — Part B: 10% for each full 12-month period, usually for life
- Part D late enrollment penalty (medicare.gov) — 1% of the national base premium per month
We do not offer every plan available in your area. Currently we represent 10 organizations which offer 81 products in your area. Please contact Medicare.gov or 1-800-MEDICARE to get information on all of your options. 1-800-MEDICARE (TTY 1-877-486-2048) is available 24 hours a day, 7 days a week. Insurers' legal names and home offices: carriers page.
Common questions
Short answers to what people ask before they call.
Still have a question? Call (518) 902-8822 or book a call.
Do I get a penalty if I'm still working and have job coverage?
Not for Part B if the coverage comes from a current job (yours or your spouse's) at an employer with 20 or more employees; you get a Special Enrollment Period when it ends. For Part D, there's no penalty if your drug coverage was creditable, meaning expected to pay at least as much as standard Part D; your plan tells you in a yearly notice.
Does COBRA count as job coverage for Part B?
No. COBRA and retiree coverage don't count as coverage from current employment, so relying on them past your window can lead to a Part B penalty.
Can a penalty be removed?
If you think it's wrong, for example because you had creditable coverage, you can ask for a reconsideration. For Part D, people who qualify for Extra Help don't pay the late enrollment penalty.
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