The IRMAA Appeal Checklist
Requesting a lower Medicare premium after a life-changing event — 2026 edition
What Is IRMAA?
Social Security set your 2026 Medicare premium using your 2024 tax return. If your income dropped since then because you retired, a spouse died, or a pension ended, you may be able to ask Social Security to use a more recent year instead.
This free checklist covers what's involved:
The eight life-changing events listed on Form SSA-44 — and the common income spikes that aren't on that list
Examples of the documentation Social Security may request for each event type
A MAGI estimate worksheet you can print and fill in
The date rule that catches otherwise-valid requests
The full 2026 IRMAA bracket table, Part B and Part D, with annual surcharge per person
What to look at instead if no qualifying event applies to you
Free, no email required. Educational information only.
Where to go from here
IRMAA usually isn't a standalone problem — it's downstream of a Roth conversion, a retirement date, a capital gain, or a Social Security decision.
Run your numbers: 2026 IRMAA Calculator
Go deeper: Complete IRMAA Planning Guide
See where you stand overall: Retirement Readiness Checkpoint
Talk it through: schedule a 20-minute Retirement Fit Call
Patrick Thompson, AWMA®
Serving pre-retirees in South Orange County and virtually nationwide.
Sentient Financial, LLC is a state-registered investment adviser in California. This information is for educational purposes only and does not constitute investment, tax, or legal advice. Nothing here should be taken as a recommendation to buy or sell securities or to implement a specific strategy. IRMAA thresholds and Medicare premiums change annually — figures shown are for the 2026 plan year and should be verified against the official CMS announcement at [cms.gov](https://www.cms.gov/newsroom/fact-sheets/2026-medicare-parts-b-premiums-deductibles). Consult a qualified tax professional before implementing any strategy. Past performance does not guarantee future results.