Medicare Part B is the part of Medicare that primarily helps cover doctors and other health care providers, outpatient care, durable medical equipment, certain home health services and many preventive services.

For Minnesota residents, Medicare Part B is a federal Medicare benefit. The standard Part B premium, annual deductible and basic Original Medicare coverage rules aren’t different simply because you live in Minnesota.

This guide explains what Medicare Part B covers, what it costs in 2026, how the 20% coinsurance works and what to consider before delaying enrollment.

Learn First. Decide With Confidence.

What Does Medicare Part B Cover?

Medicare Part B is commonly called Medical Insurance.

Part B helps cover two broad categories of care:

Medically necessary services used to diagnose or treat a medical condition
Preventive services intended to prevent illness or detect health problems early

Covered services can include:

Doctors and other health care providers
Outpatient hospital services
Diagnostic tests
Mental health care
Durable medical equipment
Ambulance services when Medicare requirements are met
Certain home health services
Limited outpatient prescription drugs covered under specific Part B rules
Many preventive screenings and services

Medicare coverage requirements apply to each individual service.

Does Medicare Part B Cover Doctor Visits?

Yes.

Part B covers medically necessary services from doctors and many other health care professionals.

These can include services from:

Physicians
Nurse practitioners
Physician assistants
Clinical nurse specialists
Clinical psychologists
Clinical social workers
Mental health counselors
Marriage and family therapists
Physical therapists
Occupational therapists
Speech-language pathologists

Part B can also cover physician services you receive while you’re an inpatient in a hospital, even though the hospital facility portion of your care may be covered by Part A.

Does Medicare Cover Routine Physical Exams?

This is an important distinction.

Original Medicare generally does not cover routine physical examinations.

Medicare does cover specific preventive visits and services.

Welcome to Medicare Preventive Visit

During the first 12 months that you have Part B, Medicare covers a one-time “Welcome to Medicare” preventive visit.

This is not a comprehensive physical examination.

The visit focuses on your medical and social history, preventive care, screenings and planning for future health needs.

Yearly Wellness Visit

After you’ve had Part B for more than 12 months, Medicare covers a yearly Wellness visit once every 12 months.

The Wellness visit is designed to develop or update a personalized prevention plan.

It is also not a routine physical examination.

If your provider performs additional diagnostic or medical services during a preventive visit, deductible and coinsurance requirements may apply to those additional services.

Does Part B Cover Preventive Services?

Yes.

Medicare Part B covers many preventive services, including certain:

Screenings
Vaccinations
Counseling services
Preventive visits

For many Medicare-covered preventive services, you pay $0 when you meet Medicare’s requirements and receive the service from a provider who accepts Medicare assignment.

Coverage frequency and eligibility requirements vary by preventive service.

Does Medicare Part B Cover Diagnostic Tests?

Yes, when Medicare’s requirements are met.

Part B covers many medically necessary diagnostic tests.

Examples can include:

X-rays
CT scans
MRI scans
EKGs
PET scans
Laboratory testing

Costs depend on the type of test and where you receive it.

For many diagnostic imaging tests received in a doctor’s office or independent diagnostic facility, you generally pay 20% of the Medicare-approved amount after meeting the Part B deductible.

Medicare-covered diagnostic laboratory tests generally have $0 cost sharing.

Hospital outpatient testing can involve different copayments.

Does Medicare Part B Cover Durable Medical Equipment?

Yes.

Part B can cover medically necessary durable medical equipment (DME) prescribed for use in your home.

Examples can include:

Wheelchairs
Walkers
Hospital beds
Oxygen equipment
Certain blood sugar monitors
Other qualifying medical equipment

Both Medicare coverage requirements and supplier requirements must be met.

After the Part B deductible, you generally pay 20% of the Medicare-approved amount when the supplier accepts assignment.

How Much Does Medicare Part B Cost in 2026?

Standard Part B Premium

The standard Medicare Part B premium for 2026 is $202.90 per month.

Most beneficiaries pay the standard amount.

Some people pay more because of income.

What Is the 2026 Medicare Part B Deductible?

The Medicare Part B deductible for 2026 is $283.

Unlike the Part A hospital deductible, the Part B deductible is an annual deductible.

After you meet the deductible, Original Medicare generally pays its share of Medicare-covered Part B services and you pay the applicable coinsurance or copayment.

Some Part B services aren’t subject to the deductible.

How Does the 20% Part B Coinsurance Work?

For many Original Medicare Part B services, after meeting the annual deductible:

Medicare generally pays 80% of the Medicare-approved amount, and you generally pay 20%.

For example, if a covered service has a Medicare-approved amount of $100 and the Part B deductible has already been met, your coinsurance would generally be $20.

That is an example, not a universal rule.

Your actual cost can vary depending on:

The service
Where you receive it
Whether the provider accepts Medicare assignment
Other insurance you have
Whether special Medicare cost-sharing rules apply

Certain preventive services and diagnostic laboratory tests can have no beneficiary cost sharing when Medicare’s requirements are met.

Hospital outpatient services can also have separate facility copayments.

What Is the Medicare-Approved Amount?

The Medicare-approved amount is the amount Medicare determines as the payment basis for a covered service or item.

If a doctor or other provider accepts assignment, the provider agrees to accept the Medicare-approved amount as full payment for the covered service, subject to applicable deductible and coinsurance.

This can be important when estimating your potential Original Medicare costs.

What Does Medicare Part B Generally Not Cover?

Part B doesn’t cover every health-related service.

Original Medicare generally doesn’t cover services such as:

Routine physical examinations
Most routine dental care
Routine eye exams for prescription glasses
Hearing aids and exams for fitting them
Most long-term custodial care
Cosmetic surgery except in qualifying circumstances
Massage therapy

There are exceptions and special coverage circumstances, so check Medicare’s rules for the particular service you need.

What Is IRMAA?

Some higher-income Medicare beneficiaries pay more for Part B.

This additional amount is called the Income-Related Monthly Adjustment Amount (IRMAA).

For 2026, the standard Part B premium is $202.90 per month, but beneficiaries whose income exceeds applicable thresholds can pay a higher monthly amount.

Social Security generally determines whether IRMAA applies using income information supplied by the IRS.

Because the income thresholds and premiums can change each year, use current Social Security or Medicare information when determining whether IRMAA may apply.

Related: [Understanding Medicare IRMAA]

When Should You Enroll in Medicare Part B?

For most people becoming eligible for Medicare at age 65, the Initial Enrollment Period lasts seven months:

3 months before the month you turn 65
The month you turn 65
3 months after the month you turn 65

Some people are automatically enrolled in Part B, while others need to sign up through Social Security.

Your situation may be different if you have qualifying health insurance based on current employment.

Related: [Turning 65? Your Guide to Medicare in Minnesota]

Can You Delay Part B If You’re Still Working?

Sometimes.

If you or your spouse are actively working and you have qualifying group health plan coverage based on current employment, you may be able to delay Part B without a late-enrollment penalty.

Do not assume that having health insurance automatically means you can safely delay Part B.

Before delaying enrollment, determine:

Whether the coverage is based on your or your spouse’s current employment
The size of the employer
Whether Medicare or the employer plan pays first
Whether the employer plan requires Medicare enrollment
When the employment or group health coverage will end

Employer size can matter.

For someone becoming eligible for Medicare because of age, Medicare warns that if the employer providing the job-based insurance has fewer than 20 employees, that insurance might not pay properly if the individual doesn’t have both Medicare Part A and Part B.

Check with the employer benefits administrator before deciding to delay Part B.

Related: [65 and Still Working? Medicare Guidance for Minnesotans]

What Is the Part B Special Enrollment Period?

If you qualify because you delayed Part B while covered by a group health plan based on current employment, you can generally enroll:

While you or your spouse are still working and you remain covered by the qualifying group health plan, or
During the 8-month Special Enrollment Period after the employment ends or the qualifying group health coverage ends, whichever happens first.

COBRA doesn’t extend this 8-month Part B Special Enrollment Period.

Retiree insurance also doesn’t provide the same Part B Special Enrollment Period protection as qualifying current-employment group coverage.

What Is the Medicare Part B Late-Enrollment Penalty?

If you don’t enroll in Part B when you’re first eligible and don’t qualify for an applicable Special Enrollment Period or other exception, you may owe a late-enrollment penalty.

The Part B penalty is generally:

10% of the standard Part B premium for each full 12-month period you could have had Part B but didn’t enroll.

For example:

If you delayed Part B for two full years without qualifying for a Special Enrollment Period, your penalty would generally be 20%.

Unlike some temporary penalties, the Part B late-enrollment penalty generally continues for as long as you have Part B.

This is why it’s important to verify that you qualify to delay Part B before declining or postponing enrollment.

Part B and Medicare Advantage

You must generally have both Medicare Part A and Part B to join a Medicare Advantage plan.

When you enroll in Medicare Advantage:

You remain enrolled in Medicare Parts A and B.
You continue paying your Medicare Part B premium.
The Medicare Advantage plan provides your Medicare-covered Part A and Part B benefits according to Medicare requirements and the plan’s terms.

The Original Medicare $283 deductible and 20% Part B coinsurance described on this page do not necessarily represent what you will pay in Medicare Advantage.

Medicare Advantage plans establish their own Medicare-approved deductibles, copayments and coinsurance.

Review the specific plan’s Evidence of Coverage.

Part B and Medicare Supplement Insurance in Minnesota

If you have Original Medicare, a Minnesota Medicare Supplement policy may help pay certain Part B cost sharing.

Minnesota Medicare Supplement coverage is standardized differently from Medicare Supplement insurance in most other states.

Minnesota residents should therefore use Minnesota-specific Medicare Supplement information rather than assuming national letter-plan descriptions apply.

There is another important federal/Minnesota interaction:

For individuals considered newly eligible under applicable Medicare Supplement law, a Medicare Supplement policy cannot cover the Medicare Part B deductible.

That means you shouldn’t assume a Medicare Supplement policy will eliminate every Part B out-of-pocket expense.

Related: [Medigap – Medicare Supplement Insurance in Minnesota]

Medicare Part B: Important Numbers for 2026

Part B cost	2026 amount
Standard monthly premium	$202.90
Annual Part B deductible	$283
Coinsurance for many Original Medicare services	Generally 20% after deductible
Certain qualifying preventive services	$0
Medicare-covered diagnostic laboratory tests	Usually $0

Higher-income beneficiaries may pay more than the standard Part B premium because of IRMAA.

These amounts apply to 2026 and can change each year.

What Should Minnesota Medicare Beneficiaries Remember About Part B?

The key points are:

Part B primarily covers medically necessary physician and outpatient services and many preventive services.
The standard Part B premium is $202.90 per month in 2026.
The 2026 Part B deductible is $283 per year.
After the deductible, you generally pay 20% of the Medicare-approved amount for many Original Medicare Part B services.
Not every Part B service follows the 20% rule.
Medicare’s yearly Wellness visit is not a routine physical examination.
Delaying Part B can result in a long-term late-enrollment penalty if you don’t qualify for a Special Enrollment Period or another exception.
Employer coverage must be evaluated carefully before delaying Part B.
Medicare Advantage plans can use different cost-sharing arrangements from Original Medicare.
Minnesota-specific rules become relevant when considering Medicare Supplement coverage.

Next Steps in Minnesota

Confirm your enrollment window and deadlines
Understand monthly premiums, deductibles, and coinsurance
Pair Part B with Part A and optional coverage like Medigap or a Medicare Advantage plan for full protection

YourMedicareMN can help you choose the right coverage for your medical needs and budget.

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For official Medicare information, visit the Medicare.gov website.