Your Medicare premium is going up in 2027 — here's the number
Plus free help with a brutal summer power bill, the shut-off scam feeding on the heat, and about $50 to claim before mid-August.
Hi ,
The government now projects you'll pay about $209.50 a month for Medicare Part B in 2027 — up from $202.90 today, pulled straight from your Social Security check. Before that worries you: what you actually pay is more in your control than you're told. That's where we start, then a brutal power bill, the shut-off scam feeding on the heat, and about $50 to claim by mid-August.
Medicare's premium is rising in 2027 — but some of you can pay less
The 2026 Medicare Trustees Report projects the standard Part B premium climbing to about $209.50 a month in 2027, up from $202.90 now (KFF). It's deducted from your check automatically, so it quietly shrinks your take-home. But this is a projection, not final — Medicare sets the real number this fall.
Here's what most people miss: the premium isn't fixed for everyone. If your income tops roughly $109,000 (single) or $218,000 (a couple), you pay a surcharge based on your tax return from two years ago (SSA). If your income has since dropped from a life-changing event — you retired, lost a spouse, divorced — you can file Form SSA-44 and have it recalculated on today's income. That can be worth over a thousand dollars a year.
And if money's tight, a Medicare Savings Program may cover your entire Part B premium — the full ~$2,400 a year (Medicare.gov). Limits vary by state, and many who'd qualify never apply.
→ Your move: Ignore anyone who calls to "confirm your premium" or "lock in your rate" for a fee — the real figure comes free from Medicare this fall. If a life event lowered your income, file Form SSA-44 (or call 1-800-772-1213). Tight budget? Check a Medicare Savings Program at Medicare.gov.
Struggling with a summer power bill? Free help exists
In this heat, running the AC isn't a luxury. If your bill has climbed, LIHEAP helps about 6.7 million households with energy costs, and many states run summer cooling help (USAGov). It's free — not a loan. But it varies by state and often closes when funds run out, so move fast.
→ Your move: Find your state's program at usa.gov/help-with-energy-bills, or dial 2-1-1 (free) for local help. Then ask your utility for a payment plan — many states also bar shut-offs during extreme heat, so you may have more protection than you think.
Scam of the week: "your power is off within the hour"
Utility shut-off scams spike in a heat wave: a call, text, or email claiming your power will be cut within the hour unless you pay a "past-due" balance now — by gift card, wire, crypto, or a payment app (FTC).
| The one tell: a real utility mails written notices first and never demands a specific payment method — and no legitimate company takes a gift card. "Buy a gift card to keep your lights on" is a scam, every time. |
→ Do this: Hang up. Don't trust the caller ID — it can be faked to show your utility's name. Call your utility from the number on a paper bill. Never pay with a gift card. Report it at ReportFraud.ftc.gov.
This week's deadline: about $50 from Comcast by August 14
Were you an Xfinity (Comcast) customer notified of the 2023 data breach? You can claim $50 with no proof (or up to $10,000 for documented losses) plus three years of identity monitoring, from Comcast's $117.5 million settlement. File free at comcastbreachsettlement.com — you'll need the member ID from your notice — by August 14, 2026. A real settlement never charges a fee to claim.
Your turn: which bill has jumped the most on you this summer? Hit reply and tell me — it tells me where the next issue can do the most good. And if this helped, forward it to someone who'd want to lower what they pay for Medicare.
Talk soon,
— Ellen Marsh, Editor, Retirement Shield
Retirement Shield is educational information only — not financial, tax, or legal advice. We will never ask you for an account number, Social Security number, password, or payment.