Shocker: Medicare Part D Premiums Soar. How Did Yours Fare?

December 28, 2025 — Medicare Part B premiums are going up in 2026 – the increase is just under 10%, from $185 in 2025 to $202.90 in 2026. That increase is well over the Social Security COLA of 2.6%. Another part of the premium outlook for 2026 is how much your Part B supplemental, Part C, and Part D premiums will increase in the new year.

I received a big shocker last week when I received the bill for my Part D premiums. My Aetna Silver Script monthly expense is going to more than double next year, from $48.30 to $98.30/month. That monthly expense is almost equal to what I paid in 2025 for our supplemental Medicare policy.

Needless to say, the increase is shocking, yet another blow to affordability. Since I only noticed this increase recently, I was too late to change plans this year. Those have to be made during the fall’s Open Enrollment Period, or a special enrollment period.

What Can You Do?

You can go to Medicare’s Part D comparison tool to explore your options for next year. I did that and found that I could replace my Silverscript/Aetna plan with Wellcare for a $0 monthly premium and the same yearly deductible of $615. Apparently Wellcare might not cover as many drugs as some plans, but it did cover the 4 drugs I entered. The Humana Value RX Plan is another option for $25.90/month. Medicare’s comparison tool provides a helpful comparison of the monthly premiums, yearly deductible, and estimated total cost of the drugs you use plus premiums. Sure wish I had switched to Human or Wellcare during the Open Enrollment Period this fall! Yet another case of me advising Topretirements members to check out their Medicare plans every year, but not following my own advice!

Premiums for Supplemental Part B Insurance

I am not sure yet what my supplemental premiums will be in 2026, but it is a pretty good bet they are going up. In 2025 I paid $104/month for a good plan from Anthem.

Not on Medicare yet?

Are you too young for Medicare, or can’t qualify for it? The big news in health care insurance right now is about the 22 million people not covered by Medicaid or Medicare who are looking at staggering premium increases in 2026. These are the folks who will lose their enhanced ACA health insurance subsidies, thanks to the failure of Congress to extend the subsidies. KFF, a nonpartisan health policy research group, estimates the average recipient would see their premiums more than double in 2026, pricing many out of the market. As an extreme example, A 60-year-old couple earning about $85,000/year (~402% of the federal poverty level) would see their annual health insurance premium payments increase by more than $22,600 in 2026 compared to 2025 — after accounting for both the premium hikes insurers are charging and the loss of enhanced tax credits. This could make premiums roughly a quarter of their annual income, up from about 8.5% previously.

Comments? What is happening with your Part D and other Medicare related premiums. Are they OK, or out of control? What do you plan to do to cope with the situation.