Ep 09 · Jul 1, 2026 · 36:29
Medicare, IRMAA, and the Surprise Bill
The income cliff nobody warns you about, and how a single Roth conversion can quietly raise your premiums.
Show notes
- IRMAA is a cliff, not a ramp — one dollar over costs you real money.
- The two-year lookback: why your 2024 return sets your 2026 premium.
- Filing form SSA-44 after a life-changing event.
- Planning Roth conversions around the brackets.
Transcript
00:00 · Host
IRMAA is the surcharge on Medicare Part B and D for higher incomes, and it's the least-explained number in retirement.
07:40 · Co-host
It's based on your tax return from two years ago. So the year you sell a rental property, you're paying for it twice.
18:05 · Host
One dollar over a threshold moves you into the next tier for the entire year. There's no partial credit.
29:20 · Co-host
If income dropped because you retired, file SSA-44. It's one page and most people never hear about it.