Medicare Advantage

2026 IRMAA in Eugene: Key Dates Retirees Can't Miss

People in Eugene can choose from 31 Medicare Advantage plans for 2027, against 44 this year. 15 of this year's plans are gone, 7 are new to Lane County, and 16 that continue have changed something in their terms, 5 of them under a new name.

EUGENE, Ore. — If your income crossed into IRMAA territory this year, the calendar matters as much as the dollar amount. Higher-income Medicare surcharges are tied to tax returns from two years back, and the windows to enroll, switch, or appeal all run on strict deadlines. Miss one, and you may be stuck with a bill — or a plan — you didn't want until the next window opens.

Here's how the timing works this fall for retirees in Eugene, and what to do if a date sneaks up on you.

What IRMAA is, in one paragraph

IRMAA — the Income-Related Monthly Adjustment Amount — is an extra charge added to your Part B and Part D premiums if your income is above a certain level. For 2026, the first bracket starts above $109,000 for single filers (and above $218,000 for married couples filing jointly). Social Security looks at your 2024 tax return to decide. That two-year lookback is why timing catches so many people off guard, especially in the first years of retirement.

The deadlines that decide your 2027 coverage

Two enrollment windows drive most decisions:

• Annual Enrollment Period (AEP): Oct. 15 – Dec. 7, 2026. This is when you can join, switch, or drop a Medicare Advantage or Part D plan for coverage starting Jan. 1, 2027. If IRMAA changed your budget, this is the main window to re-shop.
• Medicare Advantage Open Enrollment Period (MA-OEP): Jan. 1 – March 31, 2027. If you're already in a Medicare Advantage plan and it isn't working, you get one chance to switch to another MA plan or return to Original Medicare (and pick up a Part D plan if one is available to you).

Miss both, and in most cases you're locked in until the next AEP the following fall. There are Special Enrollment Periods for specific life events — moving, losing other coverage, qualifying for Extra Help — but they aren't automatic. You have to request them, usually within about 60 days of the event.

If IRMAA hit you because of a one-time income bump

This is the appeal most retirees don't know about. If your income was higher in 2024 because you sold a house, took a large IRA distribution, or were still working, and your income has since dropped due to a "life-changing event," you can ask Social Security to recalculate. Qualifying events include:

• Retirement or reduced work hours
• Marriage, divorce, or the death of a spouse
• Loss of pension income
• Loss of income-producing property (not from your own sale)

The form is SSA-44. File it as soon as the event happens — don't wait for the IRMAA letter. Bring proof: a retirement date, a pension statement, a death certificate. If approved, the surcharge can be reduced or removed for the year in question.

What happens if you miss a deadline

A few common scenarios worth knowing:

• You didn't enroll in Part D when first eligible and had no other creditable drug coverage. A late enrollment penalty gets added to your premium — for life — once you do enroll. Note that Oregon has 8 stand-alone Part D plans for 2027, sold statewide, so Eugene retirees on Original Medicare can join one of those, while others get drug coverage bundled into a Medicare Advantage plan (MA-PD).
• You wanted to switch plans but the calendar rolled past Dec. 7. If you're in a Medicare Advantage plan, you still have the Jan. 1 – March 31 window for one change. If you're on Original Medicare with a Part D plan, you generally have to wait for next AEP.
• You got an IRMAA letter and disagree with it. You have 60 days from the date of the notice to request a reconsideration.

How the local landscape fits in

When you're weighing choices during AEP, it helps to know the size of the field. Eugene is in Lane County, where CMS lists 31 Medicare Advantage plans from 8 carriers for 2027. Oregon has 8 stand-alone Part D plans for 2027, sold statewide, so retirees who want drug coverage can either join one of those PDPs alongside Original Medicare or look at MA-PD plans that bundle it in — or, if eligible, employer or union coverage.

None of that changes your IRMAA amount. IRMAA is set by Social Security based on income, not by the plan you pick. But it does affect the mechanics: your Part D IRMAA is billed separately from your plan's premium, usually deducted from Social Security.

Where to go for personalized help

Because IRMAA calculations depend on your own tax return and life events, this is one area where a real conversation beats any article:

• Medicare.gov — the official Plan Finder and enrollment tool.
• 1-800-MEDICARE (1-800-633-4227), 24/7.
• Social Security, at 1-800-772-1213, for IRMAA questions and SSA-44 filings.
• Oregon SHIBA (the state's SHIP program), which offers free, unbiased Medicare counseling to Lane County residents.