Part B
If you delay Part B and you did not have coverage from a current employer that lets you delay it, the penalty is generally 10 percent of the standard premium for each full 12-month period you waited. It is added to the Part B premium for as long as you have Part B. The Part B penalty sketch uses the public 2026 figures and the dates you enter. It is not a bill from Social Security.
Part D
The Part D penalty generally applies when you go 63 days or more without Medicare drug coverage or other creditable drug coverage after you were first eligible. It is added to the Part D premium. The Part D penalty sketch is the same kind of estimate. Extra Help can change what you pay. The sketch cannot see that.
When it may not apply
Current job coverage, creditable drug coverage, and some Special Enrollment Periods can mean there is no penalty. COBRA usually does not give you extra time to delay Part B. Read still working at 65 and which enrollment window am I in? before you assume you were late. Confirm the amount with Social Security or Medicare.gov.
Common questions
- Is the penalty a one-time fee?
- No. Part B and Part D late-enrollment penalties are generally added to the monthly premium for as long as you have that coverage.
- Can this page tell me the exact amount I owe?
- No. The sketches use the dates you type and public CMS figures. Social Security or Medicare calculates the official amount.
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