How to Pay Your Medicare Part B Premium

A practical guide for beneficiaries not yet collecting Social Security

INTRODUCTION

Most people on Medicare have their Part B premium pulled automatically from their monthly Social Security retirement check. But if you are enrolled in Part B and have not yet started collecting Social Security benefits, the responsibility for paying that premium falls on you — and Medicare will send a bill directly.

This page covers the four payment methods Medicare accepts, the two methods that are not allowed, and a few practical notes that often trip people up the first time they pay.

Which Premiums Are We Talking About?

When Medicare sends you a bill, it can include any of the following premium components:

• Part A premium — most people don't pay anything for Part A because they earned premium-free coverage through work history, but a small number do owe a Part A premium.

• Part B premium — the standard monthly cost of Medicare Part B, which is $202.90 in 2026 for most beneficiaries.

• Part B IRMAA — an additional surcharge added to your Part B premium if your income from two years ago was above certain thresholds.

• Part D IRMAA — a separate income-based surcharge tied to your Part D drug coverage. Even though it relates to your Part D plan, it is paid to Medicare, not to your Part D plan provider.

If you are already drawing Social Security retirement benefits, you don't need to do anything — Medicare deducts the premiums from your monthly benefit automatically. The instructions below apply only to people enrolled in Part B who are not yet receiving Social Security.

What to Expect When You're Billed Directly

Medicare typically sends a paper invoice every three months covering the upcoming quarter. The invoice will show the amount due, your Medicare Number, and instructions for the various payment options. From there, you can choose any of the four methods below.

Four Approved Ways to Pay

1. By Mail — Check, Credit Card, or Debit Card

Paying by check: Write a check for the amount due, made payable to CMS Medicare Insurance, and mail it along with the payment coupon from your invoice. Personal checking accounts work, and Health Savings Account (HSA) checks are also acceptable if you have a checkbook tied to your HSA.

Paying by credit or debit card: Your invoice has a section where you can write in your card number, expiration date, and signature to authorize the charge. Then mail the invoice back. Standard credit and debit cards work, and so do HSA debit cards.

Mail payments to:

Medicare Premium Collection Center P.O. Box 790355 St. Louis, MO 63197

2. Online Bill Pay Through Your Bank

If you already pay other bills through your bank's online bill pay system, you can add Medicare as a new payee. Set up the payee as CMS Medicare Insurance and use your Medicare Number as the account number. Your Medicare Number appears both on your red, white, and blue Medicare card and on every premium invoice.

Each time you receive an invoice, log in to your bank and send the payment as you would for any other bill.

3. Medicare Easy Pay (Automatic Monthly Withdrawal)

Medicare Easy Pay automatically deducts your premium from your checking account each month — usually around the 20th — instead of billing you quarterly. To enroll, complete and return the SF-5510 Authorization Agreement form, available at cms.gov.

The form gets mailed to a different address than your regular payments:

Medicare Premium Collection Center P.O. Box 979098 St. Louis, MO 63197

Processing the Easy Pay enrollment generally takes 6 to 8 weeks. While your form is being processed, you should still pay the first quarter's bill using one of the other methods so your coverage isn't interrupted. Automatic withdrawals will begin once Medicare has finished setting up the account.

4. Online Through Your MyMedicare.gov Account

If you've created an account at Medicare.gov, you can pay directly through their portal:

1. Sign in to your account.

2. Click "My Premiums" from the dashboard.

3. Choose "Pay Now."

4. Select your payment source — credit card, debit card, checking account, or savings account.

5. Follow the on-screen prompts to finish.

From the same area of the website, you can also enroll in Easy Pay so future premiums are pulled automatically each month — without having to mail in the SF-5510 form.

Two Ways You Cannot Pay

Medicare does not accept either of the following:

• Cash payments — there is no walk-in option to pay your premium with cash.

• Phone payments — Medicare does not take credit card information over the phone for premium payments. Anyone calling and asking for your card number to pay a Medicare bill is almost certainly running a scam.

Helpful Reference Links

• Medicare Easy Pay — official information on automatic monthly payments at medicare.gov/basics/costs/pay-premiums/medicare-easy-pay

• Medicare Premiums and Costs (including IRMAA details) — medicare.gov/basics/costs/medicare-costs

Have Questions?

If you have any questions about the information on this page, feel free to reach out — we're happy to help point you in the right direction.

512-298-5404 / gofouroaks.com

This page is provided for informational purposes only and does not constitute legal, tax, or financial advice. Four Oaks is not affiliated with the Social Security Administration or the federal Medicare program.