How to read your IRMAA letter
Find the individual monthly Part B IRMAA or Part D IRMAA surcharge on your letter. A full Part B premium includes the standard premium plus IRMAA. A drug-plan premium is separate from Part D IRMAA. A CMS-500 bill can combine several months or past amounts, so its total cannot be checked as one month's surcharge.
The worksheet supports final 2025 and 2026 figures. It stops before an automated comparison for a preliminary notice, unsupported year, immunosuppressive-drug-only Part B coverage, or a married-filing-separately case where the spouses lived apart all year or the answer is uncertain. Use “Load fictional example” in the worksheet to see the flow without using your own letter.
Does your IRMAA surcharge match the table?
A match means the surcharge agrees with the published table for the fields entered. It does not prove that Social Security used the right MAGI, return, filing status, tax year, or Medicare coverage. The MAGI calculator helps locate the income calculation, while the two-year lookback guideexplains why an older tax year usually appears on the notice.
If a newer or amended return is available, raise that specific fact with Social Security. If a recognized life-changing event reduced your income, the SSA-44 worksheet explains that request. For other disagreements or corrections, review the IRMAA appeal and reconsideration guide for the different request paths. Your notice and SSA's current instructions control the route.
Useful comparisons and calculators
Review the final 2025 IRMAA brackets or 2026 IRMAA brackets, then use the IRMAA calculator to explore a different income. For a planned transaction, you can compare IRMAA before and after the added income. For separate Part D context, read the Part D IRMAA guide.
Common questions
- What is an IRMAA letter?
- An IRMAA letter is a Social Security notice about whether an income-related monthly adjustment amount applies to your Medicare Part B or Part D premiums. An IRMAA determination notice explains SSA's decision and your appeal rights. This checker compares the monthly surcharges on a determination notice; preliminary notices and Medicare Premium Bills need different guidance.
- What numbers should I enter from my IRMAA letter?
- Enter the premium year, tax year, filing status, MAGI, and the individual monthly Part B and Part D IRMAA surcharges shown on the notice. Do not enter the full Part B premium, a drug plan premium, a quarterly bill total, or an amount covering several months.
- Does a matching surcharge mean the letter is correct?
- No. A match only means the monthly surcharge agrees with the final published table for the fields you entered. It does not confirm that Social Security used the right tax return, MAGI, filing status, coverage, or other facts.
- Which years can the checker compare?
- The checker compares final 2025 and 2026 IRMAA figures. It does not use projected 2027 or 2028 figures to assess a real notice.
- Why can’t the checker compare every Medicare letter or bill?
- Preliminary IRMAA notices, Medicare Premium Bills (CMS-500), immunosuppressive-drug-only Part B coverage, and some married-filing-separately cases follow different rules or may contain totals that are not one monthly IRMAA surcharge. The checker directs those documents to official guidance instead.
- What if Social Security used older or incorrect income information?
- A newer or amended tax return, incorrect IRS information, a qualifying life-changing event, and disagreement with a determination can lead to different request or appeal paths. Review the notice and the relevant Social Security instructions before choosing a form or process.
- Does the checker send or save my letter information?
- No. The worksheet runs in your browser and asks for no name, Social Security number, Medicare number, or document upload. Its generic usage events do not include the financial fields or result.
Official sources and limitations
The comparison uses the final SSA and CMS surcharge tables for 2025 and 2026. Document guidance comes from SSA's Medicare premium and notice instructions and Medicare's CMS-500 bill explanation. Review SSA's Medicare premium guidance or request a lower IRMAA after a life event.
Sources verified September 5, 2026: SSA POMS HI 01101.020 tables; SSA POMS HI 01101.035 notices; CMS 2025 and CMS 2026 premium fact sheets; and Medicare Premium Bill (CMS-500) guidance. This checker is informational and cannot determine whether SSA's full decision is correct or replace the instructions on your notice.