UNITED STATES—Dear Toni, my wife, Joyce, who is not 65, was released from her job in February and our joint income has changed because she is no longer earning $230,000 per year. My Social Security check for 2026 is $4,000 monthly. I began taking my Required Minimum Distributions (RMDs) from my 401(k) when I turned 73 last October. For 2026, Medicare uses our joint income of $278,000 to charge me a monthly Medicare premium of $443.30 for 2026 which is $405.80 for Part B and $37.50 for Part D.
Please explain (1) how I advise Medicare that my income level has changed since Joyce is unemployed and our yearly income now is below $218,000? (2) When I began taking my RMDs last fall, is this amount also added to the total yearly income for my Medicare premium. Thanks, Toni for your help. — Gerald from Lubbock, Texas
Hi Gerald: Yes, taking your RMD at 73 can raise your Medicare Part B and D premiums. Many Americans do not realize that any increase in your Modified Adjusted Gross Income (MAGI) when you are filing jointly can increase your premiums. Medicare bases your premium on both you and your spouse’s income whether one is Medicare age or under.
Your RMDs and Social Security check, combined with your wife’s income of $230,000 has raised your Medicare premiums. The 2026 Part B premium of $ 405.80 and $37.800 for Part D tells me that your joint income in 2026 was from $274,001 to $342,000.
I have good news for you, Gerald! Since Joyce is no longer employed or earning a salary of $230,000 since February of this year, you can file an appeal with Social Security to have your Medicare Parts B and D premiums reduced.
Gerald, the important question is: Do you want to wait 2 years for the IRS to inform Medicare via Social Security that your income has decreased due to a “Life-Changing Event” (such as lay off, retiring, death of a spouse or divorce) or do you want to let Medicare know now, by filing a form with Social Security notifying them you have had a “Life Changing Event” and are no longer in that income bracket? Simple answer is yes. Inform Medicare that your income has changed.
The Social Security form is SSA-44 “Medicare Income-Related Monthly Adjustment Amount-Life-Changing Event” and is available at www.ssa.gov/forms. The SSA-44 form can help to lower your Income Related Monthly Adjusted Amount (IRMAA). Examples of life-changing events that can help lower your reported MAGI (Modified Adjusted Gross Income) are:
- You have gotten married, divorced, or your spouse has died.
- You or your spouse has stopped working or have reduced your hours.
- You or your spouse has lost an alternate income source (e.g., income-producing property, pension income).
Fill out form SSA-44 and attach the original documents or certified copies to verify your change in income. (Toni’s Medicare Survival Guide Workbook includes examples of the Social Security forms to enroll in Medicare properly such as CMS-L564, CMS-40B and the SSA-44.) Once Social Security is satisfied with the evidence, it will update its records and correct Part B and Part D premiums to reflect your current income. A lower income amount can lower your Medicare Part B and D monthly amount.
In 2026, if your income as an individual is over $109,000 or married over $218,000; your Medicare Parts B and D premiums will be higher. Social Security explains in the letter received that your Part B and D premiums are based on your Modified Adjusted Gross Income (MAGI) from your last filed tax return. Gerald, your MAGI was over $274,001 and the letter you received from Social Security shows what the Part B and Part D premium adjustment will be. You will have to keep filing the SSA-44 form each year until your annual income, whether as an individual or couple, finally corresponds to the year’s “MAGI” lower amount.
For a Medicare checkup, call the Toni Says Medicare hotline at 832-519-8664 or email info@tonisays.com regarding your Medicare plans or options. Toni’s Medicare books with a bundle discount are available at www.tonisays.com. Sign up for the Toni Says monthly newsletter and download Toni Say’s Medicare Roadmap.
