2026 Medicare Costs in Bedford, NH — Explained by a Local Agent - Gilman Agency

By Marc Gilman

📞 Call (800) 927-9326 or (603) 493-1394 | ✉️

If you’re on Medicare — or getting ready to enroll — knowing what you’ll pay in 2026 is the starting point for every coverage decision you make. This page lays out every major 2026 Medicare cost in plain English, with context that helps you understand what the numbers actually mean for your situation here in Bedford and Hillsborough County, New Hampshire.

Key Takeaways

The 2026 Part B premium is $202.90/month for most people — up from $185.00 in 2025.
The Part B deductible is $283 in 2026, an increase of $26 from 2025.
The Part A hospital deductible is $1,736 per benefit period — not per year, which is one of the most misunderstood costs in all of Medicare.
IRMAA surcharges kick in at $109,000 MAGI for single filers and $218,000 for joint filers — and are based on your 2024 tax return, not your income today.
A local Medicare review is always free — and can help you understand exactly what you’ll pay before you commit to a plan.

2026 Medicare Costs at a Glance

Medicare Part A (Hospital Coverage)

Cost2026 AmountMonthly premium (most people)$0 — premium-free with 40+ quarters of Medicare taxesMonthly premium (30–39 quarters)$311/monthMonthly premium (under 30 quarters)$565/monthInpatient hospital deductible$1,736 per benefit periodHospital coinsurance, Days 1–60$0Hospital coinsurance, Days 61–90$434/dayHospital coinsurance, Days 91+ (lifetime reserve)$868/day

What that Part A deductible really means: The $1,736 is not an annual deductible. It resets with each new benefit period, which begins when you’re admitted to the hospital and ends after you’ve been out of the hospital and haven’t received any inpatient care for 60 consecutive days. In theory, you could pay it more than once in a calendar year if you have two separate hospitalizations with a gap of 60+ days between them. This surprises a lot of people who assumed Medicare worked like regular health insurance with a single annual deductible.

Medicare Part B (Medical Coverage)

Cost2026 AmountStandard monthly premium$202.90/monthAnnual deductible$283Coinsurance after deductible20% of Medicare-approved amount for most services

What you actually pay at the doctor: After your $283 Part B deductible is met, Medicare covers 80% of the approved amount for most outpatient services, and you’re responsible for the remaining 20% — with no cap. That 20% is what Medicare Supplement (Medigap) plans are designed to cover, and it’s one of the main reasons people in Bedford and across Hillsborough County add a Medigap plan to their Original Medicare coverage.

Medicare Part D (Prescription Drug Coverage)

Cost2026 AmountMonthly premiumVaries by plan — average around $34–$39/monthAnnual deductibleUp to $590 (varies by plan)Catastrophic coverage threshold$2,000 out-of-pocket (new in 2025, carried into 2026)

The $2,000 cap: Starting in 2025, Medicare set a $2,000 annual cap on out-of-pocket drug costs under Part D — one of the most significant changes to Medicare drug coverage in years. Once you hit $2,000 in true out-of-pocket costs, your Part D plan covers 100% of covered drug costs for the rest of the year. This is worth factoring into your plan comparison if you take high-cost medications.

Medicare Part C (Medicare Advantage)

Part C premiums vary by plan and carrier. Some Medicare Advantage plans in Hillsborough County carry a $0 monthly premium — but premium is only one part of the cost picture. Deductibles, copays, network restrictions, and prior authorization requirements all affect your actual out-of-pocket exposure. A plan with a $0 premium and a $5,000 annual out-of-pocket maximum is not necessarily cheaper than one with a $40 premium and a $2,000 maximum.

2026 IRMAA Surcharges — What Higher-Income Beneficiaries Pay

IRMAA stands for Income-Related Monthly Adjustment Amount. It’s a surcharge added to your Part B and Part D premiums if your Modified Adjusted Gross Income (MAGI) exceeds certain thresholds. For 2026, <cite index=”3-1″>the IRMAA surcharge applies to beneficiaries with income exceeding $109,000 for single filers and $218,000 for joint filers, with total monthly Part B premiums ranging from $284.10 to $689.90 for those affected.</cite>

The two things that catch people off guard most often:

<cite index=”4-1″>Your 2026 Medicare premiums are based on your 2024 income due to Medicare’s two-year lookback rule.</cite> A home sale, a large IRA distribution, or a business event from two years ago can trigger IRMAA today — even if your income has since dropped significantly.
<cite index=”4-1″>IRMAA works as a cliff system, meaning exceeding an income threshold by even $1 can trigger the full surcharge for the next tier.</cite> This is not a gradual phase-in.

2026 IRMAA Bracket Table

2024 MAGI (Single)2024 MAGI (Joint)Total Part B PremiumPart D SurchargeUp to $109,000Up to $218,000$202.90/month$0$109,001–$137,000$218,001–$274,000$284.10/month+$14.50/month$137,001–$171,000$274,001–$342,000$405.80/month+$37.50/month$171,001–$205,000$342,001–$410,000$486.20/month+$59.80/month$205,001–$500,000$410,001–$750,000$567.90/month+$83.30/monthAbove $500,000Above $750,000$689.90/month+$91.00/month

If your income has dropped since 2024: There is an appeal process — SSA Form SSA-44 — for people who experienced a qualifying life-changing event (retirement, death of a spouse, divorce, loss of income) that reduced their income. If you received an IRMAA notice and your current income is materially lower than your 2024 income, it’s worth looking into. I help clients navigate this regularly.

What These Costs Mean for Plan Selection in Hillsborough County

Understanding the base Medicare costs matters because they affect which coverage option actually makes sense for you:

If you have Original Medicare only, you’re exposed to the 20% Part B coinsurance with no cap, the per-benefit-period Part A deductible, and any Part D costs. That’s a significant out-of-pocket risk without supplemental coverage.

If you add a Medicare Supplement (Medigap) plan, you gain predictability — Medigap plans fill most or all of those gaps, at the cost of a higher monthly premium. New Hampshire has specific Medigap guaranteed-issue rules that affect when you can enroll without medical underwriting.

If you choose Medicare Advantage, your cost-sharing structure changes entirely — copays, in-network requirements, and plan-specific out-of-pocket maximums replace the Original Medicare cost structure. 2026 is an important year to review these plans carefully in Hillsborough County, as carrier availability shifted significantly from prior years.

Frequently Asked Questions

How much is the Medicare Part B premium in Bedford, NH for 2026? The standard Part B premium is $202.90/month for most beneficiaries in 2026. It’s the same across the country — your location in Bedford, Hillsborough County, or anywhere else in NH doesn’t change the standard premium. However, your income from 2024 can affect it through IRMAA.

Did Medicare costs go up in 2026? Yes. The Part B premium increased from $185.00 in 2025 to $202.90 in 2026 — a $17.90 monthly increase. The Part B deductible rose $26, from $257 to $283. The Part A deductible increased $60, from $1,676 to $1,736 per benefit period.

What is IRMAA and will it affect me? IRMAA is a surcharge on your Part B and Part D premiums for higher-income beneficiaries. For 2026, it applies if your 2024 MAGI exceeded $109,000 (single) or $218,000 (joint). If you received a letter from Social Security about your 2026 Medicare premium and the amount was higher than you expected, IRMAA is likely why.

Can I appeal my IRMAA if my income dropped? Yes. SSA Form SSA-44 is the appeal form for IRMAA when a qualifying life-changing event — retirement, death of a spouse, divorce, reduction in income — lowered your MAGI since the year being used to calculate your premium. Call us and we can walk you through whether an appeal makes sense.

Is a Medicare review free in Bedford, NH? Yes. Working with a licensed Medicare agent costs you nothing. Carriers pay agent commissions, and your premium is the same whether you enroll through an agent or directly with the plan.

Serving All of Hillsborough County

Gilman Agency helps Medicare beneficiaries across all of Hillsborough County understand their costs and coverage options — including Bedford, Manchester, Nashua, Merrimack, Goffstown, Amherst, Milford, Hudson, Hollis, Litchfield, Pelham, Brookline, New Boston, Weare, Antrim, Bennington, Deering, Francestown, Greenfield, Greenville, Hancock, Hillsborough, Lyndeborough, Mason, Mont Vernon, New Ipswich, Peterborough, Sharon, Temple, Wilton, and Windsor.

If you live in any of these communities and want to understand how 2026 Medicare costs affect your specific plan options, call (800) 927-9326 or email for a no-cost review.

2026 Medicare Costs in Bedford, NH — Explained by a Local Agent | Gilman Agency

Key Takeaways