There are three legitimate ways to avoid paying IRMAA, Medicare’s income-based premium surcharge: keep modified adjusted gross income at or below $109,000 (single) or $218,000 (married filing jointly) in the year Medicare measures, file form SSA-44 if a life event like retirement has since lowered your income, or ask Social Security to correct the record if it used wrong or outdated tax data. There is no opt-out beyond those — when the measured return is over a threshold, per the Social Security Administration’s rules, the surcharge attaches to your Part B and Part D premiums automatically.
Revised: 7/24/26
Jason Baar
Fee-Only Medicare Advisor
NPN #2033715
It shows where Medicare’s five income lines sit in 2026, what counts toward them, and the timing moves that can keep you under.
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The long answer
The measurement runs two years behind: 2024 income sets 2026 premiums. That is why the most effective avoiding happens before a bill ever exists — managing which accounts you draw from, when gains are realized, and how large a Roth conversion is, in the years from about age 63 on.
The surcharge itself is collected with your regular premium — typically deducted from a Social Security payment, or billed by Medicare if you have not started benefits. The first tier adds $95.70 a month; higher tiers add more.
One steadying fact: IRMAA is re-decided every single year. Paying it once, after a high-income year, does not put you on a permanent list — the next lower return brings premiums back down by itself.
Printed from JasonKnowsMedicare.com — “How to Avoid Paying IRMAA”. The free IRMAA Planning Guide is available at tally.so/r/81gEEA · Questions: (850) 810-1000
This page is educational information, not personal financial, tax, or legal advice. For decisions about your own situation, talk with a qualified professional.