Do Veterans Have to Pay for Medicare Part B?

Answered by Anthony Orner, Licensed Medicare Insurance Broker — NJ & 34 states

Yes, at the same price as everyone else. The standard Part B premium is $202.90 a month in 2026, and there is no veteran rate, VA discount or service-connected exemption. A disability rating changes what you owe at a VA facility, not what Social Security withholds. Part B itself is voluntary for most veterans, so you can decline it — but TRICARE For Life and CHAMPVA both require it, and delaying it without employer coverage adds a 10% penalty for every year you wait, permanently. The programs that do reduce the premium are the Medicare Savings Programs, which are means-tested and open to veterans on the same terms as anyone.

Why There Is No Veteran Rate

Part B is funded by beneficiary premiums and general revenue, and Congress sets one standard amount. Nothing in the statute varies it by military service. Veterans pay $202.90, the same as a retired teacher.

What service does change is your cost at the VA. Higher priority groups and service-connected conditions mean lower or no VA copays. That is a separate system with a separate bill.

Can You Just Not Take It?

Legally, yes, for most veterans. Practically, it is a bet that you will never need care the VA does not cover. VA.gov itself encourages veterans to enroll at 65, citing non-VA hospitals and the possibility that funding changes for lower priority groups.

Two exceptions are absolute. TRICARE For Life ends if you do not carry Part B. CHAMPVA requires it once you are eligible for premium-free Part A.

The Cost of Waiting

VA health care is not employer coverage. It does not give you a special enrollment period. Sign up at 70 instead of 65 and the premium is 50% higher for the rest of your life, on top of a wait until the January-to-March general enrollment window.

EasyKind Medicare is an independent brokerage licensed in NJ and 34 states. Not affiliated with Medicare, the Department of Veterans Affairs, or any government agency. Last updated: September 2026.