Quick Read – A two-year Medicare Part B delay locks in a permanent 20% surcharge, costing roughly $9,700 in extra premiums over 20 years on today’s base rate. – COBRA and VA healthcare do not stop the Part B penalty clock.
Only active employer group coverage at a company with 20 or more employees qualifies. – Part D carries its own 1% monthly late penalty applied to the national base premium, recalculated each year and permanent for life. – Learn 7 ways to generate income with a $1,000,000+ portfolio (sponsor) Medicare enrollment is not a deadline that can be easily revisited
If you miss the window, the financial consequence is not a one-time fee that eventually disappears. It is a permanent percentage added to your monthly premium for as long as you have Medicare, and it grows the longer you wait. The mechanics are simple and worth understanding precisely before they apply to you.
For every full 12-month period you go without Medicare Part B after you were first eligible, a 10% surcharge is added to the standard monthly premium, permanently. Two full years without coverage means a 20% penalty, and three years means 30%. In 2026, the standard Part B premium is $202.90.