You worked hard your whole career, you saved, you did everything right — and now you're on Medicare and you get a letter from Social Security telling you that you owe hundreds of dollars extra every single month in premiums just because you made too much money!

No warning. No opt-out. Just, what looks like punishment for doing a good job and setting yourself up for retirement.

That's IRMAA. And what most people don't know is that in certain situations, you can fight back — and win.

Today we're breaking all of it down. The real numbers, the real rules, and exactly how to use the appeal process strategically if you qualify.

More specifically, we discuss:

• What is Income Related Adjustment Amount (IRMAA)?
• How to calculate what your potential Medicare premium surcharges will be
• Common situations that cause Medicare enrollees to be subject to IRMAA surcharges
• When and how can you appeal IRMAA surcharges on your Medicare premiums?
• Practical tips when appealing IRMAA surcharges
• Strategies to avoid IRMAA surcharges

Resources:

• Access Episode Show Notes and Sign Up for the Retired·ish Newsletter
• Ask Cameron A Question!

Key moments:

(02:56) IRMAA Medicare Premium Surcharges: How it Works

(05:50) Calculating Your MAGI (Income) for IRMAA

(09:27) IRMAA Brackets and Cliff System

(17:37) Common IRMAA Medicare Premium Surcharge Triggers

(23:07) Appealing IRMAA with Form SSA-44

(26:52) IRMAA Appeal Example Scenarios

(31:37) Non-Qualifying Events for IRMAA Appeal

(40:02) Practical Tips for Filing an IRMAA Appeal

(41:00) Strategies to Avoid IRMAA

(46:51) Listener Question: IRMAA appeal for deferred compensation