10/09/2026
A national Medicare premium average can be good news without being your retirement healthcare budget.
CMS projects that the weighted average monthly Medicare Advantage premium will decline from $14.37 in 2026 to $12.00 in 2027. The average stand-alone Part D premium is projected to increase by less than $1, from $35.09 to $36.¹
Those are useful numbers.
They still do not tell an individual retiree what healthcare will cost next year.
The plan someone actually uses may have different premiums, deductibles, copays, drug coverage, provider networks and other benefits. CMS specifically encourages beneficiaries to review their current coverage because plan costs and benefits can change from one year to the next.¹
Medicare Open Enrollment begins October 15.²
For retirement planning, the takeaway is broader than choosing a health plan.
Healthcare belongs in the retirement cash-flow conversation.
An average tells us what is happening across millions of beneficiaries. A retirement plan has to account for what is happening in one household.
Sources
1. Centers for Medicare & Medicaid Services, 2027 Medicare Advantage and Part D projections: CMS 2027 Medicare outlook
2. Medicare.gov, Open Enrollment: Medicare Open Enrollment information
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