This Is Exactly How Much Medicare Cost Increases Will Decrease Your Social Security COLA in 2026

Group 1 - Retirees will receive a 2.8% Cost of Living Adjustment (COLA) in 2026 to help Social Security benefits keep pace with inflation [1][7] - This year's COLA is larger than last year's 2.5% increase, providing retirees with a reasonable amount of extra money compared to past years [2] - A significant portion of the COLA increase will be offset by rising Medicare premiums, which will reduce the net benefit retirees receive [2][5] Group 2 - In 2026, baseline Medicare premiums for Part B will increase to $202.90 per month from $185.00 in 2025, resulting in a loss of $17.90 from the Social Security COLA [5] - For a typical retiree receiving around $2,000 in monthly benefits, losing $17.90 means nearly a third of the COLA will not reach their bank accounts [6] - The increase in Medicare premiums could force retirees to withdraw more from their 401(k) or other retirement plans to cover rising costs [8]