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Your $75 Raise vs. a $209.50 Premium: How Much of Your 2027 Social Security Raise Will You Actually Keep?


 

Your 2027 Social Security raise is already decided: a 3.6% cost-of-living adjustment (COLA), announced by the Social Security Administration (SSA) on October 14, 2026, worth an average of about $75 more a month for retirees. But before you spend that $75, one number stands in its way: your Medicare Part B premium. Here is the honest math — and the one warning that matters most: the 2027 premium number is NOT official yet.

What is confirmed: The 3.6% COLA is locked in (SSA, October 14, 2026). Higher Social Security payments start in January 2027; higher SSI payments start December 31, 2026. The average raise is about $75 a month. Your exact amount depends on your own earnings record and deductions — nobody's notice shows the average. The 2026 standard Part B premium is $202.90 a month, with a $283 annual deductible (CMS 2026 figures, already in effect).

What is projected — not yet announced: The 2026 Medicare Trustees Report projects the 2027 standard Part B premium at $209.50 a month — $6.60 more than 2026, about 3.25% higher. The Part B deductible is projected at $292, up from $283. These are PROJECTIONS, not CMS's official announcement. CMS announces the official 2027 premiums in November — for 2026 figures, that announcement came on November 14, 2025. As of this article, CMS has not yet confirmed the 2027 number. If the projection holds, the math looks like this for the average retiree: $75 raise minus $6.60 premium increase = $68.40 left, before any Part D premium, tax withholding, or income-related surcharge (IRMAA) is taken out. Higher earners pay more: 2027 IRMAA surcharges are based on your 2025 tax return. Your own notice is the only exact number — never budget from a headline projection.

The three dates that decide your real number: (1) November 18, 2026 — if you do not already have a my Social Security account, create one AND enroll in paperless notices by this date to see your personalized COLA notice online in late November, up to three weeks before the mailed December notice. (2) Late November 2026 — your 2027 Medicare premium amount appears in your my Social Security Message Center. Check it there; do not trust any single premium number floating around online until CMS announces it officially. (3) December 7, 2026 — Medicare open enrollment ends. Your plan choice locks in your 2027 drug and Advantage costs. Compare total yearly cost, not just the premium.

What to do this week: Do not spend the raise before your January check arrives — the premium comes out of that same check for most people. Pull your Social Security record at ssa.gov and confirm your earnings record is correct. Check your ACA plan before December 15 too — open enrollment runs through January 15, 2027, and the cheapest premium can be the most expensive plan if your doctor is out of network. Use the site's Open Enrollment 2027 Checklist.

The bottom line: The raise is real. The premium increase is projected, not yet official. On the average numbers, about $68 of the $75 survives the premium rise — but your notice, not this article, tells you your number. Watch for the CMS announcement in November, check your Message Center in late November, and finish your Medicare comparison before December 7.

Also see:

Educational only — not financial advice. Figures: COLA via SSA press release October 14, 2026; 2026 Part B figures via CMS; 2027 premium/deductible figures are 2026 Trustees Report PROJECTIONS, not yet confirmed by CMS as of November 3, 2026.

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