MEDICARE PLANNING · 2026

What is IRMAA?

IRMAA — the Income-Related Monthly Adjustment Amount— is an extra amount higher-income retirees pay on top of their standard Medicare Part B and Part D premiums. It isn’t a tax you file; it’s a surcharge Social Security applies automatically based on your income from two years ago.

Quick facts

APPLIES TOMedicare Part B & Part D (not Part A)

2026 STARTS ABOVE$109,000 single · $218,000 married

BASED ONYour 2024 MAGI (a 2-year lookback)

NUMBER OF TIERS5 surcharge brackets, each a cliff

THE 2026 BRACKETS

What you’ll actually pay in 2026

Based on your 2024 modified adjusted gross income (MAGI). The standard Part B premium is $202.90; everything above it is IRMAA.

TIERSINGLE (MAGI)MARRIED (JOINT)PART B / MOPART D IRMAA

StandardUp to $109,000Up to $218,000$202.90Plan only

1$109,001 – $137,000$218,001 – $274,000$284.06+$14.50

2$137,001 – $171,000$274,001 – $342,000$405.80+$37.50

3$171,001 – $205,000$342,001 – $410,000$527.54+$60.40

4$205,001 – $500,000$410,001 – $750,000$649.28+$83.30

5$500,000 & above$750,000 & above$690.06+$91.00

Part B amounts are the total monthly premium (standard + IRMAA). Part D IRMAA is added on top of your drug plan’s premium. Married-filing-separately thresholds differ. Figures are 2026 amounts (Social Security / CMS) and are subject to annual adjustment — verify before publishing.

HOW IT’S DECIDED

Two rules that catch people off guard.

The two-year lookback

Your 2026 premiums are set by your 2024 tax return. A one-time income event — a home sale, a large Roth conversion, an inherited IRA — can raise your premiums two years later, long after the money is spent.

It's a cliff, not a ramp

Cross a threshold by a single dollar and you jump to the next tier's full surcharge — for the entire year. That's why the last few thousand dollars of income before a bracket edge matter so much.

Ways I help clients plan around it

Timing Roth conversions to fill — but not overflow — a bracket

Spreading capital gains and large withdrawals across tax years

Using Qualified Charitable Distributions to lower MAGI

Appealing IRMAA after a life-changing event (Form SSA-44)

Coordinating with Social Security so the net check stays healthy

LET’S TALK

See what a coordinated retirement plan feels like.

A complimentary 45-minute conversation — no products, no pressure. Just a clear look at where you stand and what’s possible.

Schedule a Consultation 385.374.9100