A House bill would create a one-year Part D premium credit for 2027 after the stabilization demonstration lapses

Representative Gus Bilirakis of Florida has introduced H.R. 10185, a bill that would direct the Department of Health and Human Services to create a one-year premium credit for people enrolled in stand-alone Medicare Part D drug plans in 2027. The credit would equal the average premium reduction produced by the Part D Premium Stabilization Demonstration, a temporary program that lowered drug plan premiums in 2025 and 2026 [Summary]. HHS would calculate the credit using 2025 and 2026 data, plans would subtract it directly from what enrollees owe, and HHS would then reimburse the plans [Summary]. The bill does not apply to drug coverage that comes bundled inside a Medicare Advantage plan, and as of the reporting date it has not moved past introduction in the House [Summary].

The bill responds to a real cost shift already confirmed by federal data. The Centers for Medicare & Medicaid Services is ending the stabilization demonstration at the end of 2026, and the Part D base beneficiary premium is set to rise about 6%, from $38.99 in 2026 to $41.33 in 2027 ^[2]. The Part D national average monthly bid amount also rose, to $296.05 for 2027 ^[2]. CMS had not yet published the enrollment-weighted average standalone Part D premium for 2027 as of the source's reporting, and CMS Administrator Mehmet Oz has said premiums are expected to rise by less than $10 for most Medicare recipients, with some even seeing lower premiums, once plans finalize their bids — though that has not been confirmed with final plan-level numbers ^[2].

Other 2027 Medicare figures remain unsettled. CMS had not yet released the 2027 average Medicare Advantage premium, enrollment totals, or plan-count figures as of the source's reporting; those numbers typically arrive in the agency's fall landscape announcement, which came out on September 26 for the 2026 plan year ^[2]. The 2027 standard Part B premium and deductible also had not been announced, with official figures typically released in mid-November ^[2]. For reference, the 2026 Part B premium is $202.90 a month with a $283 deductible, up from $185.00 and $257 in 2025 ^[2].

Why it matters for patients

For people who take GLP-1 medications like semaglutide (Ozempic, Wegovy, Rybelsus) or tirzepatide (Mounjaro, Zepbound) and rely on a stand-alone Part D plan rather than Medicare Advantage, the premium a plan charges affects the overall cost of staying on coverage that may include these drugs. If the stabilization demonstration ends as scheduled, stand-alone Part D enrollees could see premiums rise in 2027 compared with the artificially held-down rates of the prior two years ^[2]. H.R. 10185 is aimed at cushioning that increase for one year by crediting back roughly the amount the demonstration had been saving enrollees [Summary]. But the bill only helps people in stand-alone Part D plans; it explicitly would not apply to drug coverage inside a Medicare Advantage plan [Summary]. Because the bill has only been introduced and has not advanced through committee or a floor vote, there is no guarantee it becomes law before the 2027 plan year begins, and enrollees should not assume a credit will show up on their bills [Summary].

What happens next

The Medicare Annual Enrollment Period for 2027 coverage runs from October 15 to December 7, 2026 ^[2]. CMS is expected to release its fall landscape announcement with 2027 Medicare Advantage and Part D premium, enrollment, and plan-count figures around that time, following the pattern of a September 26 release the prior year ^[2]. The 2027 Part B premium and deductible are typically announced in mid-November ^[2]. Whether H.R. 10185 advances beyond introduction, and whether any premium credit is in place before enrollees choose 2027 plans, is not yet known from available sources.