Congress Reveals a Huge Problem Leading to Higher Medicare Premiums

Medicare premiums have become a huge financial worry for many seniors as premiums are increasing rapidly, affecting retirees' budgets. In 2026, alone, monthly premiums for Medicare Part B rose $17.90, jumping to $202.90 from the $185 seniors paid in 2025.

Things are only going to get worse, too -- at least according to a Joint Economic Committee issue brief prepared for the United States Congress. The brief highlights a major problem that will have serious consequences for Medicare recipients.

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Congressional report reveals major Medicare problem that's costing retirees

According to a March 2026 report prepared by the Joint Economic Committee (a bicameral committee of the U.S. Congress), Medicare costs have been rapidly on the rise, and will continue to increase sharply upward, for a simple yet surprising reason: Medicare Advantage is overpaid.

Medicare Advantage is an alternative to traditional Medicare that combines Part A (hospital coverage) with Part B (outpatient care coverage). Medicare Advantage was supposed to be cheaper than traditional Medicare because the plans were intended to incorporate the efficiencies of private sector managed care.

Medicare Advantage plans now cover around 55% of Medicare enrollees, but instead of saving money, costs have increased dramatically. In 2025, payments to Medicare Advantage totaled around $84 billion more than the amount it would have cost to provide the same benefits via traditional Medicare. That's 120% of the costs of traditional coverage.

Unfortunately, Medicare's financing structure is designed to pass on around 26% to 28% of increases in expenditures to beneficiaries in the form of higher premiums.

Since Medicare Advantage plans now cost the government so much, passing even this small portion of costs onto Medicare recipients is causing huge cost increases -- and things are likely to get worse.

How much higher are Medicare premiums due to expensive Advantage plans?

So, how much higher have Medicare premiums climbed because of the added costs of Advantage plans being passed on?

The Joint Economic Committee report indicates that overpayments to Advantage Plans increased Part B premiums by $212 per enrollee in 2025. That's $14.3 billion more in premium costs that plan participants have to cover.

And when you go back a little further, the numbers become even more staggering. Since 2016, for example, Medicare Advantage overpayments have added a shocking $82 billion to Medicare Part B premiums.

Since the funding formula results in these costs being shared with traditional Medicare beneficiaries, it's not just those on Advantage plans who are paying the price for this expensive coverage.

If trends continue, the Joint Economic Committee warns Medicare premiums are going to approximately double by 2035, rising from around $2,440 to around $5,000. This is a huge burden for seniors to cope with. Younger workers who still have time to make retirement plans should be prepared for the fact that they'll need a lot more money than they might imagine to cover their Medicare costs -- unless something changes.

Investing wisely to build up a generous nest egg can help older Americans to ensure that they'll be able to pay for Medicare premiums even if this Medicare Advantage problem isn't solved. Those who aren't yet retired should focus on making sure they contribute enough to their 401(k) or IRA and that they are making the smartest investment decisions possible.

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