IRMAA Explained: Why Your Medicare Premium Uses Your Income From 2 Years Ago

Описание: IRMAA explained in plain English: Medicare sets your Part B and Part D premiums using your income from two years ago, and in 2026 the surcharge starts above $109,000 for single filers and $218,000 for joint filers. Bill shows how it works, where people get caught, and how Form SSA-44 can help if your income dropped.

In this video:
0:00 Why Medicare cares what you earned two years ago
0:39 What IRMAA is
1:38 How it actually works
4:50 Where people get caught
6:31 What you can do about it
8:37 The decision, framed
9:17 Recap

Sources
CMS: 2026 Medicare Parts A & B Premiums and Deductibles (https://www.cms.gov/newsroom/fact-she...)
SSA: POMS HI 01101.010, Modified Adjusted Gross Income (https://secure.ssa.gov/poms.nsf/lnx/0...)
SSA: Form SSA-44, Medicare Income-Related Monthly Adjustment Amount, Life-Changing Event (https://www.ssa.gov/forms/ssa-44.pdf)
SSA: POMS HI 01120.030, Work Stoppage (https://secure.ssa.gov/poms.nsf/lnx/0...)
SSA: Request to lower your IRMAA (https://www.ssa.gov/medicare/lower-irmaa)
SSA: Medicare premiums, rules for higher-income beneficiaries (https://www.ssa.gov/benefits/medicare...)
IRS: 2025 Form 1040 (https://www.irs.gov/pub/irs-pdf/f1040...)
IRS: Topic 701, Sale of Your Home (https://www.irs.gov/taxtopics/tc701)
IRS: Retirement Plan FAQs Regarding IRAs, Distributions (https://www.irs.gov/retirement-plans/...)

A note on line numbers: on the 2024 Form 1040, adjusted gross income is line 11. On the 2025 form it's line 11a. Tax-exempt interest is line 2a on both.

The 2027 IRMAA brackets and Part B premium haven't been announced yet (CMS usually publishes them in the fall). Bill will cover them on the channel when they're out.

Bill is the narrated voice of this channel. The research and scripts are written and checked by the channel's creator against CMS, SSA and IRS sources. Figures are current as of October 2026; corrections, if any, are pinned in the comments.

Educational only. Not affiliated with Medicare, the Social Security Administration or any government agency. Not insurance, tax or legal advice. For free one-on-one help, contact your State Health Insurance Assistance Program (SHIP) at shiphelp.org. Voice and visuals made with AI tools.