Tools
Part B Late Penalty Calculator for Houston
Miss your Part B start date without coverage from a job you or your spouse still work at and Medicare bills you extra. Forever, in most cases. Plenty of Houston retirees from the energy and port sectors hit this after leaving a severance plan they assumed counted.
Run the numbers below, then read the notes to see whether the penalty touches you at all.
- Adds 10% for every full year you waited
- The charge sticks for as long as you hold Part B
- Active job coverage keeps you clear of it
Estimate
Run your penalty estimate
Enter your details
Only count months you had no employer coverage from active work.
Use the current year's standard premium published by Medicare.
Estimated penalty
- Full 12-month periods delayed
- 1
- Penalty rate
- 10%
- Added each month
- $18.50
- Added each year
- $222.00
- Your estimated total premium
- $203.50
Estimate only. Medicare calculates the penalty as 10% of the standard premium for each full 12-month period you could have had Part B but didn't, and it generally applies for as long as you have Part B.
Context
Who gets hit and who walks free
Group coverage tied to a job you or your spouse currently hold keeps you safe. Retiree plans, COBRA, and marketplace policies do not. Once that active work ends the clock starts, and you get eight months to pick up Part B clean.
Drug coverage carries a second, separate penalty. Thinking about delaying? Read up on Part D drug plans too, and see the full list of mistakes to avoid.
Houston Senior Insurance is not a government agency
This calculator is an educational estimate and is not affiliated with or endorsed by Medicare or any government agency. For an official determination, contact Social Security.
Afraid a penalty is already on your bill?
Call before you enroll. Sometimes an equitable relief request or a Special Enrollment Period wipes it out.