For the past 7 years that I've been on disability with Medicare, I haven't had to pay anything more than $9.00/mo for prescription coverage. Suddenly for 2026 I'm getting charged $209.00/mo just for Part B whether I see a doc or not! I cannot afford that!!! Hell, I just got out of financial trouble over medical costs thanks to you guys help late last year! This will put me right back in financial crisis again!

Is everyone on Medicare getting screwed over like this, or am I seeing some kind of mistake made???

Edit to add: FWIW, I went to the Medicare website to try to make sense of it, but as is typical, just went in endless circles without any solid answers.

Did you turn 65?

Yes...

quote:

Originally posted by bronicabill:
Yes...

Im going to assume you were taken off the disabled Medicare and moved to regular retirement Medicare.I pay 209.00 for my part B

Just hope they don't decide to tack on IRMAA too.

Well shit... I get bit every time I turn around anymore! No wonder older poor people don't care about themselves or anything else any longer. Screw this...

^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^Reference Trigger Treat Comment
Yep that is probably correct.I think it may be means tested and I would look into that. If so I would imagine a lower rate. Call Medicare and find out. I do not know what meds you are on but there are discount cards for many of them. You could also call your doctor"s office.

I did some more digging by going to the SSA site instead of Medicare, and they have been deducting around $200/mo for Part B all along; I just didn't realize it. I have a drug plan called ValueScript which keeps the costs of my med under control, so apparently I just misunderstood and overreacted to what I saw on the Medicare website.

It still sucks for poor people who are barely getting by though!

He will not have IRMAA. From what he said his income is nowhere near where that would happen. Glad it worked out. All kinds of folks draft from your bank account. You have to keep up with that.

quote:

Originally posted by bronicabill:
Is everyone on Medicare getting screwed over like this, or am I seeing some kind of mistake made???

I will be 65 this year and researching Medicare and the supplement programs. Everyone pays for Part B, it was approx. $185 last year, but went up in 2026. So for those 65 and older, yes, Medicare costs money. I will likely add Supplement G and that will cost more each month as well, rates vary in the $150/month range.

There are financial assistance programs for low income folks who cannot afford Part B. Eligibility depends on income and financial resources. https://www.medicare.gov/publi...Medical-Expenses.pdf

Before I started collecting Social Security I would get a bill every 3 months for $525 for Part B. Now they just take it out of my SS payment. Not sure how much it is now but probably more than $525 for 3 months.

Check to see if there is a Medicare Supplemental policy in your area that you are ok with, some of them will reimburse you for the cost meaning your Plan B nets to zero if you go on the supplemental

Humana, Aetna etc. Call around and see if you can get a local ins agent that specializes in these plans.

I was self-employed and had to buy my own medical insurance before 65. I paid thousands each year for crappy ACA and then thousands for deductibles if I used it, plus having to find doctors in my network.

Medicare is an incredible deal and then you pay about $200 each for the deductible on B & G for the year (total $400). My Part D is free and almost all drugs are no more than a few bucks.
I think this is an incredible deal.

So what's the problem again?

quote:

Originally posted by bronicabill:
For the past 7 years that I've been on disability with Medicare, I haven't had to pay anything more than $9.00/mo for prescription coverage. Suddenly for 2026 I'm getting charged $209.00/mo just for Part B whether I see a doc or not! I cannot afford that!!! Hell, I just got out of financial trouble over medical costs thanks to you guys help late last year! This will put me right back in financial crisis again!

Is everyone on Medicare getting screwed over like this, or am I seeing some kind of mistake made???

Edit to add: FWIW, I went to the Medicare website to try to make sense of it, but as is typical, just went in endless circles without any solid answers.

It will behoove you to thoroughly understand Medicare if that's what you're on. I learned about Medicare just mostly form the .gov site. At the very top, very first link, there's the tab titled "Basics." Under that, there are two items that I just read line by line. "Get started with Medicare" and "Medicare costs." That's all I read to get a handle on it. I read just a few sections at a time and I read it until I understood it. Medicare, after all, is your money and nobody is going to care more about your money than you.

Your very first sentences conflate two things: "$9.00 / mo for prescription coverage" and "Suddenly for 2026 I'm getting charged $209/mo just for Part B"

Prescription coverage (which is Part D) is separate for Part B coverage.

And the monthly charge is $202.90 per month for Part B, NOT the $209 you said.

Under Medicare Costs, there's three main sections: Learn what Medicare costs, Get help with costs, and Pay Medicare Premiums.

If you go to Costs, it's broken up in different sections: Part A (Hospital Insurance) costs, Part B (Medical Insurance) costs, Medicare Advantage Plan (Part C) costs - the alternative to Parts A & B, and Part D (Drug Coverage) costs - this covers prescriptions.

There's a fourth section called Medicare Supplemental Insurance (Medigap) which, as the name says, is supplemental to your Parts A and B coverage.

I want to challenge you to go back and learn from that Medicare website. I'm sorry but when someone says "but as is typical, just went in endless circles without any solid answers," I'm calling bullshit. If you had come in citing some part that you need help understanding, that's one thing. But saying there aren't any solid answers comes across as just being intellectually lazy.

And, maybe I'm triggered because I have the impending premonition that I will inevitably become a drooling idiot at some point, but while I can, I'm staving that date off by exercising my mind while I still can.

quote:

Originally posted by ZSMICHAEL:
^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^Reference Trigger Treat Comment
Yep that is probably correct.I think it may be means tested and I would look into that. If so I would imagine a lower rate. Call Medicare and find out. I do not know what meds you are on but there are discount cards for many of them. You could also call your doctor"s office.

Original post was referring to $209 / month for Part B. You are talking about discounts for Part D. Not the same thing. Part B is Medical Insurance, Part D is Prescription Drug coverage. Two totally different things.

quote:

Originally posted by bronicabill:
Well shit... I get bit every time I turn around anymore! No wonder older poor people don't care about themselves or anything else any longer. Screw this...

getting old sucks but the alternative sucks more

quote:

For the past 7 years that I've been on disability with Medicare, I haven't had to pay anything more than $9.00/mo for prescription coverage. Suddenly for 2026 I'm getting charged $209.00/mo just for Part B whether I see a doc or not!

You’re comparing prescription drug coverage under your Medicare disability to Medicare Part B, which sounds like apple to orange. I’ve never been on Medicare disability, so I’ll have to ask, What do you pay monthly for disability coverage, and I’m not talking about prescription drug? Or do you pay nothing except for the $9/mo for drug coverage? I can’t imagine you’ve been paying nothing for Medicare with disability.

Prescription drug coverage for over 65 folks under Medicare is called Part D, as V-Tail mentioned above.

I don't understand the angst here. I've been on Medicare B for almost 15 years now. You have always had to pay for it.

quote:

Medicare Advantage Plan (Part C)

Thanks I used the incorrect term supplemental earlier.

Bill check out the Advantage plans, one might work better than plan B for you, I know my dad did that, saved money and got quite a bit more benefits, think it included 26 uber rides, monthly money for groceries, some plans reimburse you so it's monthly cost is zero.

You need a local licensed agent you can trust to help you though the plans. Yes you can buy them on your own direct, but having someone that knows the field and doesn't charge to help you is paramount to getting the best deal that fits your budget and Health care needs

quote:

Originally posted by Rey HRH:
I want to challenge you to go back and learn from that Medicare website. I'm sorry but when someone says "but as is typical, just went in endless circles without any solid answers," I'm calling bullshit. If you had come in citing some part that you need help understanding, that's one thing. But saying there aren't any solid answers comes across as just being intellectually lazy.

I agree, the official website is actually very informative and fairly concise.