Can I Cancel Medicare Part B?

Here's the short answer. Yes, you can cancel Medicare Part B at any time. You use Form CMS-1763 and send it to your local Social Security office. Your Part B coverage ends on the last day of the month after the month you send the form. The risk is later. If you want Part B again, you can only sign up at certain times, and you may pay a late penalty for as long as you have Part B. The penalty does not apply in some cases, such as when you drop Part B because you have job-based coverage.

How to cancel Part B, step by step

1. Get Form CMS-1763. It is called "Request for Termination of Medicare Premium Part A, Part B, or Part B Immunosuppressive Drug Coverage (Part B-ID)."
2. Fill it out. Pick Part B. Give your Medicare number and the month and year you want coverage to end. Sign and date it.
3. Send it to Social Security. Mail or fax the signed form to your local Social Security office. Find an office at SSA.gov/locator. You can also call Social Security at 1-800-772-1213.
4. Note the end date. Coverage ends the last day of the month after the month you submit the form. For example, if you send it April 5, coverage ends May 31.
5. Changed your mind? Contact Social Security before your coverage end date.

Part A works differently. You can only end Part A if you pay a premium for it. If you pay a premium for Part A, ending Part B also ends your Part A.

If you just got Medicare automatically

If you already get Social Security benefits, you get Part A and Part B automatically at 65. If you do not want Part B, tell Social Security before the coverage start date on your Medicare card. If you do nothing, you keep Part B and the premium comes out of your Social Security benefit.

What dropping Part B can cost you later

The late enrollment penalty is not a one-time fee. It is added to your monthly premium, and you usually pay it as long as you have Part B.

• The rate. You pay an extra 10% for each full 12-month period you could have had Part B but did not.
• An example for 2026. If you wait 2 full years and do not qualify for a Special Enrollment Period, that is a 20% penalty. On the $202.90 standard premium, that adds $40.58 a month.
• When you can restart. You can only sign up at certain times. One of them is the General Enrollment Period, January 1 to March 31, with coverage starting the month after you sign up.

For the full penalty rules, see Medicare late enrollment penalties.

The job-coverage exception

Many people delay Part B on purpose because they have coverage through current work. If you do, you can sign up for Part B:

• Any time you are still covered by the group health plan, or
• During the 8 months that begin the month after the job or the coverage ends, whichever happens first.

You usually do not pay a penalty if you sign up in this window. It must be coverage from current work, yours or a spouse's. COBRA, retiree coverage, and VA coverage do not count. Because COBRA does not count, dropping Part B while on COBRA can lead to a penalty. See COBRA and Medicare and Working Past 65.

Coverage that needs Part B

Some coverage depends on you keeping Part B. Check these first:

• Medicare Advantage. You must have Part B and keep paying your Part B premium to stay in your plan.
• Medigap. You must have Part B and keep paying the premium to keep your policy.
• TRICARE. You generally must sign up for Part A and Part B to keep it. Active-duty service members and their families are an exception.
• CHAMPVA. You must have Part A and Part B to keep it.
• Retiree coverage. It may not pay for your care if you lack both Part A and Part B.

If you have a health savings account, also read HSA and Medicare. If cost is the reason you want to drop Part B, see if a Medicare Savings Program could pay your premium.

Common questions

Official sources

• CMS: Form CMS-1763, Request for Termination of Medicare Premium
• Medicare.gov: Avoid late enrollment penalties
• Medicare & You handbook (Medicare.gov)
• SSA: Sign up for Medicare