If you did not sign up for Part B when you were first eligible and had no other creditable coverage, Medicare adds 10% to your premium for every full 12-month period you went without it. The penalty is permanent and it is recalculated each year against that year’s standard premium — so it rises as the premium rises.
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Medicare Part B Late Enrollment Penalty: how it works
How the penalty is calculated
Medicare counts the full 12-month periods you could have had Part B but did not. Each one adds 10% of the standard premium. Three full years late is 30%. Eleven months late is nothing at all, because the period was not complete. The penalty is then added to your premium for as long as you have Part B.
When you are not late at all
Working past 65 with employer coverage from a company of 20 or more employees usually means you are not late — you get a Special Enrollment Period of 8 months after that coverage ends. COBRA and retiree coverage do not protect you this way, which is where most penalties come from.
Common questionsCommon questions
Does the Part B penalty ever go away?
No. For most people it lasts as long as they have Part B. The one common exception is someone who was penalised while under 65 on disability — the penalty resets when they turn 65.
Does the penalty amount stay the same every year?
No. The percentage stays the same but it is applied to the current year’s standard premium, so the dollar amount rises whenever the premium does. This calculator uses the official 2026 standard premium of $202.90.
Can I appeal a Part B late enrollment penalty?
You can ask for a reconsideration if you believe the penalty is wrong — for example if you did have creditable employer coverage, or if you were given bad information by a federal employee. Social Security handles the request.