SPRINGFIELD, MA— Ways and Means Committee Ranking Member Richard E. Neal (D-MA) released the following statement after the Centers for Medicare & Medicaid Services (CMS) buried the 2026 Medicare premiums, deductibles, and coinsurance rates, announcing cost increases across the board— including a 10% rise in Part B premiums—in a late Friday news dump:
“The across-the-board cost increases in Medicare announced by the Trump Administration show that nobody will be spared from their endless assault on people’s wallets and the public health system. Not content with exorbitant premium hikes for those who purchase their own coverage, Trump has taken action to raise costs for all Americans with employer coverage and is now hiking costs for people covered by Medicare by more than $200 a year. After years of cost-saving measures by Democrats that delivered lower prescription drug prices, lower premiums, capped out-of-pocket costs, and record enrollment, Republicans’ only plan mirrors their governing strategy: reverse progress, drive up costs, and hope no one notices.
“With Americans of all ages staring down daunting price hikes, vague concepts and closed-door listening sessions aren’t going to cut it. Trump and House Republicans must show their cards and tell people what their plan is to keep affordable coverage in reach. We’ve shown that lower costs are possible, but all Republicans can muster are loose ideas nobody’s seen and brainstorming sessions that won’t protect Americans the next time they find themselves in need of health care.”
###
