By Chris Duncan, Certified Medicare Insurance Planner™, Retirement Income Certified Professional® | Veterans Advantage Financial® | Updated August 2026
Medicare takes $202.90 from your Social Security check every single month for Part B. Over a year, $2,435. Most veterans never learn what Page 11 of the Medicare handbook says about their Part B premium. My 82-year-old dad Wallace, a Vietnam-era veteran, found Page 11 before it was too late. He is not overpaying for Part B. By the end of this article, you will know what Dad knows.
What Medicare Part B Costs You
Start with the math. In 2026, the Medicare Part B premium is $202.90 a month. The premium goes up almost every year. These figures assume the premium never goes up. They are a floor, not a ceiling.
| Period | Part B Cost (2026 Rate, No Increases) |
|---|---|
| One month | $202.90 |
| One year | $2,435 |
| Ten years | $24,350 |
| Twenty years | $48,700 |
How You Pay the $202.90
How you pay depends on one thing. Whether you are drawing Social Security or not.
| Your Situation at 65 | What Happens |
|---|---|
| Drawing Social Security for 4 months or longer | Medicare enrolls you automatically in Part A and Part B. The $202.90 comes out of your Social Security benefit every month. Nobody asks you. Nobody warns you. It starts coming out. |
| Not drawing Social Security | Medicare does not enroll you automatically. You sign up yourself. You pay Part B through a bill from Medicare every three months. Miss your enrollment window and the penalties start. |
Either way, you pay $202.90 a month. $2,435 a year. The only difference is how it leaves your pocket.
What You Already Paid Through FICA
You remember the FICA box on your pay stubs. Every paycheck. Military service, civilian jobs, did not matter. FICA came out. If you earned $50,000 a year on average over a 40-year career, you paid about $58,000 into Medicare through FICA. If you earned more, you paid more.
So you paid $58,000 into Medicare through FICA. Now, at 65, Medicare asks you to pay again. $202.90 a month. $2,435 a year. $48,700 over 20 years.
You earned Medicare through FICA your entire career. Part C makes Medicare work harder for you.
What Page 11 of the Medicare Handbook Says
You get a Medicare handbook in the mail. Roughly 100 pages. Nobody highlights Page 11. Nobody circles it. Nobody calls you and says read this page before you do anything else. Social Security does not mention it. The VA does not mention it. Your Medicare enrollment letter does not mention it. Page 11 of the Medicare handbook is the one page showing options exist for your Part B premium.
On Page 11 of the 2026 Medicare and You handbook, Medicare says about Part C plans, “some plans may have a $0 premium and may help pay all or part of your Part B premium.” Medicare and You 2026 Handbook, Page 11
Let me break down the two parts of Medicare’s language.
“$0 premium”
Medicare rules allow Part C plans to have premiums as low as $0 per month. Here is what you need to know first. To be eligible for Part C, you must have Medicare Part A and Part B. You do not skip Part B and get Part C. Part A and Part B are the foundation.
“May help pay all or part of your Part B premium”
Options exist for your Part B premium. Right now, $202.90 comes out of your Social Security check every month. If the Part C plan in your county has this benefit, less comes out. Sometimes a lot less. If you are not drawing Social Security yet, you get a quarterly bill for Part B. The same thing applies. Instead of paying $202.90, you pay less. Part C makes Medicare work harder for you.
Benefits Beyond the VA, Original Medicare, and TRICARE for Life
Does the VA cover routine dental? Unless you have a 100% rating, no. Vision? Sometimes. Hearing? Sometimes. And most veterans do not have a 100% rating.
Original Medicare does not cover routine dental. Does not cover vision. Does not cover hearing. TRICARE for Life does not cover routine dental, vision, or hearing either. What about a gym membership? An over-the-counter allowance? None of them provide those.
Medicare Advantage, also called Part C, is allowed to provide benefits that go beyond what the VA, Original Medicare, and TRICARE for Life provide on their own. Benefits and costs vary by county and plan.
This is where we come in. We do not work for the companies offering Part C plans. We are independent, licensed in all 50 states. We represent the companies you know and many you do not know. Our job is to find the plan fitting your needs. Medicare rules allow us to provide all of our services free to veterans and we still make a living. No cost. No obligation. Not now. Not ever.
The VA Recommends Medicare
The VA’s own website asks a question and answers it.
“If I already have VA health care benefits, should I still sign up for Medicare when I turn 65?”
“Yes. We encourage you to sign up for Medicare as soon as you can.” VA.gov, VA Health Care and Other Insurance
Think about that. The VA is telling every veteran to get Medicare. Even 100% disabled veterans with full VA healthcare.
Why does the VA recommend this? Their website says it plainly.
“Funding for VA health care could change in the future. We encourage you to sign up for every health care benefit that you’re eligible for so you have options if you need them.” VA.gov, VA Health Care and Other Insurance
Benefits you rely on today could change tomorrow. And if you wait to enroll in Part B, the penalties follow you for life. The VA knows this. So they tell you to sign up at 65.
Do you have Part C options where you live? According to the Kaiser Family Foundation, 99% of Medicare beneficiaries have access to at least one Medicare Advantage plan where they live. The odds are good you have options in your county.
Dad’s Story: The VA Said No. His Part C Plan Said Yes.
My dad Wallace learned about Page 11 of the Medicare handbook the right way. Before it was too late. Dad is 82. Vietnam-era veteran. He uses the VA almost exclusively. We are happy with the care the VA gives him.
Last year, Dad called me. “Chris, they won’t cover it.” He needed a procedure. The VA said the procedure was not medically necessary. Denied. 82 years old. Vietnam-era veteran. And the system he served said no.
But Dad had enrolled in Medicare on time. He found the right Part C plan in his county. His Part C plan covered the procedure. No arguments. No appeals. And most important for an 82-year-old, no stress.
Dad’s Part C plan costs $0 per month. Dad is not receiving any low income subsidies. Because of what Page 11 describes, Dad gets $185 of the $202.90 Part B premium covered through his Part C plan. Dad pays $17.90 a month for Part B. Not $202.90. $17.90. Our average client gets $145 of their Part B premium covered through their Part C plan.
IMPORTANT
Benefits and costs vary by county and plan. Dad’s situation is based on what is available in his county. Your county will have different plans with different options for your Part B premium.
Dad’s VA benefits did not change. VA benefits are not allowed to be changed by Medicare Advantage. And my dad says it best: “Chris, the VA is great, but it ain’t perfect.”
My dad, Ric, and our clients are happy they have options outside the VA system too. Part C plans are not allowed to change your VA health benefits in any way. Your VA benefits stay exactly the same.
Ric’s Story: 100% Disabled and Still Has Medicare
My friend Ric is a 100% disabled Vietnam veteran. I have known Ric for over 20 years. Full VA healthcare. Full disability compensation. The works. And Ric has Medicare. Not because someone forced him. Because he chose freedom.
- Freedom to see doctors outside the VA without VA approval.
- Freedom to get care immediately instead of waiting months.
- Freedom to walk into any emergency room in the country knowing he is covered.
Ric found Page 11 too. Coverage for things the VA does not provide. Coverage for things Original Medicare does not provide. Part C working harder for him.
Ric’s VA benefits did not change. They cannot. Medicare Advantage is not allowed to affect your VA health benefits.
Three Veterans. Same Eligibility. Three Outcomes.
| Veteran | What He Did | Where He Is Now |
|---|---|---|
| Veteran 1 | Listened to bad advice. Skipped Part B for 5 years. | Pays a 50% penalty every month. For life. And the premium goes up almost every year. Double whammy. The premium goes up and the penalty goes up. |
| Veteran 2 | Enrolled in Medicare. Never saw Page 11. | Pays full price for Part B. Leaves options on the table every single month. |
| Veteran 3 | Knows what Dad knows. Knows what Ric knows. Enrolled on time. Found Page 11. | Medicare Advantage working harder for him. His VA benefits did not change. |
Same eligibility. Three completely different outcomes. Which veteran are you going to be?
Your 7-Month Enrollment Window
If you are approaching 65, you have a seven-month window around your birthday to enroll without penalties. Three months before your birthday month. Your birthday month. Three months after.
Miss the window and the Part B late enrollment penalty is 10% for every full 12 months you delay. The penalty is permanent. For life. And it stacks on a premium going up almost every year. No reset button.
If you are already drawing Social Security, Part B starts automatically. The $202.90 comes straight out of your benefit. You do nothing to enroll. But you do have to know about Page 11 of the Medicare handbook. Nobody tells you about Page 11 automatically.
If you are not drawing Social Security, you sign up yourself and pay Part B through quarterly bills from Medicare. Either way, Page 11 applies to you. Options exist for your Part B premium.
2026 Quick Reference
| Fact | 2026 Figure |
|---|---|
| Medicare Part B standard premium | $202.90 per month |
| Part B cost per year | $2,435 |
| Part B cost over 20 years (no increases) | $48,700 |
| FICA paid into Medicare, $50,000 average over 40 years | About $58,000. If you earned more, you paid more. |
| Part B late enrollment penalty | 10% per full 12 months delayed. Permanent. |
| Initial Enrollment Period | 7 months around your 65th birthday |
| Beneficiaries with access to at least one Medicare Advantage plan | 99% (Kaiser Family Foundation) |
| Where Medicare describes Part C and your Part B premium | Page 11 of the Medicare handbook (Medicare and You 2026) |
You earned Medicare. Part C makes Medicare work harder for you.
Find Out What Page 11 Means in Your County
We spend 15 minutes on the phone with you and answer your questions. Have your Medicare card and your zip code handy. No cost. No obligation. Not now. Not ever.Call 888-960-8387Schedule a Free Call888-960-VETS (8387)
I wrote Medicare for Veterans, the complete field guide. You can read it free at freevetsbook.com or buy a copy on Amazon.
Veterans are sharing their experiences here: veteransadvantagefinancial.vet/our-veteran-client-testimonials/
Sources
- Medicare and You 2026 Handbook, Page 11: medicare.gov/publications/10050-medicare-and-you.pdf
- VA Health Care and Other Insurance: va.gov/resources/va-health-care-and-other-insurance
- Kaiser Family Foundation, Medicare Advantage 2026 Spotlight: kff.org
- Medicare forms for veterans, VA, and TRICARE: veteransadvantagefinancial.vet/medicare-forms-veterans-va-tricare/
Prefer to watch? See the full video here: Veterans Don’t Know $2,435 Is Hidden on Page 11
Chris Duncan | Certified Medicare Insurance Planner™ | Retirement Income Certified Professional® | We Speak Veteran®
Veterans Advantage Financial®. Independent agents, licensed in all 50 states. Medicare rules allow us to provide all of our services free to veterans and we still make a living.
Benefits and costs vary by county and plan.
I am not affiliated with or endorsed by Social Security, Medicare, the VA, TRICARE, or any government agency. Nor would I want to be. This is general education, not personal advice. Always review your own situation before making changes.