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The standard Medicare Part B premium in 2026 is $202.90 a month. That is $2,435 a year. Most veterans were never shown the options that exist for that premium.
You paid for Medicare twice. Through two different taxes.
Most veterans were never shown where the money came from. Here it is.
Your FICA taxes funded Part A
You remember the FICA box on your pay stubs. Every paycheck. Military service, civilian jobs, didn’t matter. FICA came out. That money funded your Part A hospital coverage.
If you averaged $50,000 a year over a 40-year career, you paid about $58,000 into Medicare through FICA. If you earned more, you paid more.
Your income taxes fund the Part B subsidy
The federal government’s general fund pays approximately 75% of the cost of Medicare Part B. Your $202.90 premium is your share, roughly 25%. The federal subsidy on top is roughly $7,300 a year per beneficiary.
That subsidy is funded by federal income taxes. The income taxes you paid your entire working life.
You earned both. The question is whether you’ll use what you earned.
Don’t take my word for it. Take Medicare’s.
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.
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.
We’re not saying every plan has these. Benefits and costs vary by county and plan. But Part C is allowed to fill gaps the others can’t.
On Page 11 of the 2026 Medicare and You handbook, it says about Medicare Part C plans:
“Some plans may have a $0 premium and may help pay all or part of your Part B premium.”
— 2026 Medicare and You handbook, Page 11. Medicare’s own language. Options exist for your Part B premium.
A Part C plan with this option can change what comes out of your Social Security check every month. Not yet drawing Social Security? Then you’re getting a quarterly bill for Part B, and the same thing applies. Instead of paying $202.90, you pay less.
Important: to be eligible for Part C, you must have Medicare Part A and Part B. You can’t skip Part B and get Part C. Part A and Part B are the foundation, and you must continue to pay your Part B premium.
Every exhibit on this page comes from the official Medicare and You handbook published by the Centers for Medicare & Medicaid Services. Want the full handbook? Download Medicare and You at medicare.gov.
I learned it. Then I applied it to my own father.
My 82-year-old dad Wallace is a Vietnam-era veteran. He uses the VA, and he has a Part C plan on top of it. Medicare and his VA health benefits complement each other.
Dad’s Part C plan costs $0 per month. Dad is not receiving any low income subsidies. 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.
Our average client gets $145 of their Part B premium covered through their Part C plan.
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.
Call us. We’ll get you scheduled with a veterans Medicare specialist.
With nearly 20 years of Medicare experience, my organization specializes in helping veterans. We’re independent and licensed in all 50 states, so we look up the plans available in your county and walk you through the options. You make the decision.
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.
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Veterans Advantage Financial® · We Speak Veteran® · 888-960-VETS (8387)
Christopher Duncan · Licensed Insurance Agent · Certified Medicare Insurance Planner™ · Retirement Income Certified Professional® · Licensed in all 50 states
We are not affiliated with or endorsed by Social Security, Medicare, the VA, TRICARE, or any government agency. This is general education, not personal advice. Benefits and costs vary by county and plan. Always review your own situation before making changes. For information on all of your options, visit Medicare.gov or call 1-800-MEDICARE (TTY 1-877-486-2048), 24 hours a day, 7 days a week.