Medicare Premium Hike Quietly Eats Up a Third of Your 2026 Social Security Raise

If you're collecting Social Security, here's some math the headlines aren't showing you. The 2026 cost-of-living adjustment (COLA) raised the average monthly check by $56. But Medicare Part B premiums have jumped by $17.90, an increase automatically deducted from your benefit. That means nearly a third of your COLA raise is gone before it ever reaches your bank account. For most retirees, the real net increase is closer to $38 a month.