Always current · Updated every year
Strategy is timeless. Numbers change every year.
Every earnings limit, premium, and threshold that matters for your Social Security and Medicare decisions — verified against SSA, CMS, and IRS sources and kept current, in one free PDF.
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Key Social Security & Medicare Numbers — 2026 Edition
The companion to The Social Security Playbook, Appendix A — refreshed every year so your book never goes out of date.
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The numbers that move every year
A sample of what’s inside the PDF — every figure verified against SSA and CMS primary sources.
| Figure | Current amount | Why it matters |
|---|---|---|
| Cost-of-living adjustment (COLA) | 2.8% | Raises every check in January |
| Earnings limit (under FRA) | $24,480/yr | $1 withheld per $2 over the limit |
| Earnings limit (year you reach FRA) | $65,160/yr | $1 per $3 over, pre-FRA months only |
| Maximum taxable earnings | $184,500 | Payroll tax cap and credit math |
| Substantial gainful activity (SGA) | $1,690/mo | The SSDI work threshold (non-blind; $2,830 if blind) |
| Medicare Part B standard premium | $202.90/mo | Deducted from most Social Security checks |
| Part B deductible | $283/yr | What you pay before coverage starts |
| First IRMAA income threshold | >$109,000 single / >$218,000 joint | Above this, Part B rises to $284.10/mo (first tier) |
Sources: ssa.gov/cola · ssa.gov/oact/cola/sga.html · cms.gov 2026 Parts A & B fact sheet (Nov 14, 2025). Last verified: July 21, 2026. Full table with citations in the PDF.
These numbers plug into a bigger playbook.
The Social Security Playbook teaches the 7 Big Decisions with timeless strategy — then points here for the current figures. That’s why it never goes out of date.