What the IRMAA surcharge actually costs in 2026
$1,148 to $6,936 a year, per person on Medicare
Source: CMS-published 2026 Medicare premium tables, released November 14, 2025.
Medicare’s income surcharge — called IRMAA — starts when 2024 income crosses $218,000 for a couple filing jointly, or $109,000 for a single filer. In 2026 it runs from about $1,148 to $6,936 per year, per person on Medicare, on top of standard premiums. Couples with both spouses on Medicare pay it twice.
If you retired after that tax year, Social Security may still be billing you as if you were earning your peak salary. That is exactly the situation the appeal exists for — and the correction is often worth thousands of dollars a year.
2026 IRMAA surcharges — married filing jointly
| 2024 joint MAGI | Added cost per month, per person | Added cost per year, per person |
|---|---|---|
| Up to $218,000 | $0 | $0 |
| $218,001 – $274,000 | $95.70 | $1,148.40 |
| $274,001 – $342,000 | $240.40 | $2,884.80 |
| $342,001 – $410,000 | $385.00 | $4,620.00 |
| $410,001 – $749,999 | $529.60 | $6,355.20 |
| $750,000 or more | $578.00 | $6,936.00 |
Combined Part B + Part D surcharge above the standard premium. Both spouses on Medicare? It applies to each of you. Source: CMS 2026 premium tables, released November 14, 2025.
The cliff: one dollar over a line costs the full tier. At $274,001 instead of $274,000, the surcharge jumps by about $1,736 a year, per person.
The kit includes the verified tables for every filing status — single, head of household, and the steep married-filing-separately structure.
New to the surcharge? Start with the plain-English overview: IRMAA, explained.
Who this appeal is for — and who it isn’t
- Your 2024 income (joint) was above $218,000 — or above $109,000 filing single — and Medicare’s letter arrived or is coming.
- You retired, cut back to part-time, lost a pension, or lost your spouse — and your income today is lower than that 2024 return.
- You’d rather handle a few-page government form yourself with clear instructions than pay someone hundreds of dollars to do it for you.
And who it isn’t for, honestly
- Your high-income year was a one-time event — a business sale, a large Roth conversion. There is no appeal for that, and the kit says so plainly in section 3.
The good news: that situation corrects itself automatically next year, and the kit explains exactly how and when. If that’s you and you’d rather know before buying: that’s the answer, free.
Inside the kit: Form SSA-44, step by step
- The letter you just got — what it actually means. Translated from government language, in plain English.
- The 2026 IRMAA brackets and the cliff. Verified tables for every filing status — single, joint, head of household, and the steep married-filing-separately structure — and why one dollar over a line costs a full tier.
- Do you qualify to appeal? The eight life-changing events Social Security recognizes, as a checklist — and a clear list of what does not qualify, so you don’t waste a filing.
- Form SSA-44, step by step. All five steps of the appeal form, with a worked example showing a couple recovering about $2,297 a year.
- Evidence — what Social Security accepts. Event by event, exactly what to attach.
- Three appeal letter templates. Retirement, work reduction, and loss of a spouse — fill in the blanks and mail.
- What happens next. The timeline, the refund of overcharged months, the reconciliation, and what to do about a denial.
- The two-year lookback. Why 2024 income set your 2026 bill — and why next fall may take a second, easy filing.
- When professional help makes sense. A plain-spoken section on what’s self-serviceable and what isn’t.
- Your one-page worksheet. Locate your tier, compute your savings, check off the filing packet.
A look inside
$29 · 14-page PDF by email within minutes · 45-day, no-questions-asked guarantee
Why the price is $29
Because the form is free and the process is learnable. What you’re buying is the assembled path: verified 2026 numbers, the eligibility rules, the evidence lists, and the letters — organized so you file once, completely, instead of piecing it together from government PDFs and forum posts.
And the $29 counts toward more if you want more. If you later book any advisory package — Prescription Drug Plan Analysis ($250), Full Medicare Analysis ($500), or White Glove Service ($1,000) — your $29 credits toward it, with no expiration date. See the advisory packages.
Who wrote this
Jason Baar is an independent, fee-only Medicare advisor — clients pay a flat fee for analysis, and he accepts no commissions from insurance companies, ever. Licensed insurance agent, Florida license W149493. This kit is his appeal process, the same one he walks higher-income clients through, written down.
This publication is independent. It is not affiliated with, endorsed by, or approved by the Social Security Administration, CMS, or the Medicare program. General information, not legal or tax advice.
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Want your money back? Any reason — or no reason. Email or call, and you get a full refund. You don’t have to explain anything.
Questions people ask before buying
How do I get it?
The PDF arrives by email within a few minutes of checkout, sent personally from Jason’s address.
Is this the official government form?
No — Form SSA-44 itself is free from Social Security, and the kit tells you exactly where to get the current version. The kit is the instructions, eligibility rules, evidence lists, and letters that make your filing complete the first time.
Does this work in my state?
Yes. IRMAA and its appeal process are federal — identical in all 50 states.
Is it current?
This is the 2026 Edition. Every dollar figure comes from the CMS-published 2026 Medicare premium tables released November 14, 2025.
Is checkout secure?
Payment runs through Shopify’s checkout — the same system used by millions of stores. We never see your card number.
What if it turns out I can’t appeal?
Section 3 will tell you plainly — including the cases that fix themselves next year without any filing. And the kit carries a 45-day, no-questions-asked, 100% refund: if it didn’t help, ask and it’s refunded.
$29 · 14-page PDF by email within minutes · 100% Satisfaction Guarantee — 45 days, no questions asked
Questions first? Call (850) 810-1000.
The IRMAA Appeal Kit — 2026 Edition · $29 at www.JasonKnowsMedicare.com · (850) 810-1000