FAQ & sources: 2027 COLA and the $90 Medicare rebate

The Social Security Administration is expected to announce the 2027 COLA on October 14, 2026, the same day the September 2026 consumer price index (CPI) is released at 8:30 a.m. ET. Until then, this calculator uses independent forecasts of 3.4% to 3.6%.

Forecasts range from 3.4% (CRFB) to 3.6% (AARP), with The Senior Citizens League at 3.5%. On a $2,000 monthly benefit, a 3.5% COLA adds $70 before Medicare. For comparison, the 2026 COLA was 2.8%.

The COLA is the percentage increase in the average consumer price index for urban wage earners and clerical workers (CPI-W) for July, August and September, compared with the same three months of the last year a COLA was set. It is rounded to the nearest 0.1%. The 2025 third-quarter average, the base for 2027, was 317.265.

The 2027 premium has not been announced yet; it is expected in November 2026 (CMS has not confirmed a date). The 2026 Medicare Trustees Report projects $209.50 a month, up from $202.90 in 2026. People with higher incomes pay more (IRMAA).

Social Security applies the COLA to your primary insurance amount (PIA) before any early-retirement or other reductions, then rounds down to the dime. This calculator applies the COLA to the benefit you enter, so the result can differ by a few cents up to about $1. Deductions such as tax withholding or Medicare Part D are not included. Your SSA COLA notice, usually posted in my Social Security in late November or December, is the final word.

If you were born on the 1st–10th, Wednesday, January 13, 2027; 11th–20th, Wednesday, January 20, 2027; 21st–31st, Wednesday, January 27, 2027. If you started benefits before May 1997 or get both Social Security and SSI, your January payment arrives Thursday, December 31, 2026, because January 3 falls on a weekend. SSI payments with the new rate also arrive Thursday, December 31, 2026.

For most people who have Part B taken out of their Social Security check, the yearly increase in the Part B premium cannot be larger than their COLA dollar increase, so the net check does not go down. It generally does not protect people who pay IRMAA or who are new to Part B, and it does not matter for people whose premium is paid by Medicaid. If the projected premium increase is bigger than your raise, the calculator shows a note.

Yes. We update the COLA after the SSA announcement and the Part B premium after CMS announces it, and record each change with its date on the FAQ & sources page.

According to the CMS FAQ dated October 3, 2026, about 20.8 million people in Original Medicare Part B who live in the United States, do not get Medicaid help paying their premium, and do not pay IRMAA. People enrolled in Medicare Advantage are not eligible. CMS lists these conditions with "or"; we read them as "all must be true," as news coverage does, but that is our interpretation.

CMS says direct deposits go out through Social Security on or around October 8, 2026. Paper Treasury checks are mailed later in October 2026, with the memo "Medicare Improvement Fund Payment; $90 Payment to Offset October Premium". CMS also says a letter or email from the President will follow in mid-October.

CMS does not describe any application; payments are sent automatically to eligible people. You never need to pay a fee or share your Social Security or bank details to receive it.

Call 1-800-MEDICARE (1-800-633-4227) about eligibility. For payment status, CMS says to call Social Security at 1-800-772-1213 beginning October 15, 2026.

No. The CMS FAQ says beneficiaries enrolled in Medicare Advantage are not eligible, even though they also have Part B.

No. CMS and the White House announced it, but members of Congress from both parties were surprised by it and some have questioned whether it is legal. As of October 5, 2026 we found no court ruling. The timing or the payment itself could change.

Very likely. Nobody from Social Security or Medicare will call to "unlock" your $90. You don't need to apply or pay anything. Hang up and report it at oig.ssa.gov.