2026 Penalty Estimator
2026 base premium — $38.99
Enter uncovered months
Calculate from dates
Count full calendar months the member lacked Part D or other creditable prescription drug coverage after their Initial Enrollment Period ended.
First day of the first full uncovered month.
First day of the month Part D coverage began.
Estimated monthly penalty
$0.00/ month
Uncovered months—
Penalty rate (1% × months)—
2026 national base beneficiary premium$38.99
Raw penalty (rate × base premium)—
Rounded to nearest $0.10—
Formula: CMS calculates the Part D LEP as 1% of the current year's national base beneficiary premium, multiplied by the number of full months the beneficiary went without creditable drug coverage after their Initial Enrollment Period, rounded to the nearest $0.10, and added permanently to the plan's monthly premium. The base premium changes each year, so the dollar amount is recalculated annually even though the penalty is permanent. This tool is an estimate for agent reference only — always confirm the final amount with the member's plan, Medicare.gov, or CMS.