Medicare Part D

Earning Over $109K? Here's How IRMAA Hits Rome Retirees

ROME, N.Y. — As Medicare's fall Annual Enrollment Period runs through December 7, higher-earning retirees in the Mohawk Valley are getting a fresh reminder that income tax returns from two years ago can quietly raise this year's Medicare bill. For 2026, the income-related monthly adjustment amount — better known as IRMAA — kicks in once a single filer's modified adjusted gross income tops $109,000, or $218,000 for a couple filing jointly.

If you're near those numbers, the difference between falling just under a bracket and just over one can mean a noticeably larger Part B and Part D premium next year. Here's what Rome-area readers should know before choosing coverage for 2026.

What IRMAA actually is

IRMAA is not a separate bill or a penalty — it's an extra amount added to your standard Part B premium and your Part D drug plan premium when your income is above a set threshold. Most people with Medicare pay only the standard Part B premium. But roughly the top 8% of earners pay more, and that surcharge is set each year by the Social Security Administration using IRS data.

The important quirk: Social Security looks at your tax return from two years earlier. So your 2026 premiums are based on the modified adjusted gross income (MAGI) you reported for 2024.

The 2026 income thresholds

For 2026, IRMAA begins at these MAGI levels:

• Single filers: above $109,000
• Married filing jointly: above $218,000
• Married filing separately: a much lower threshold applies, so check medicare.gov directly.

From there, the surcharge climbs in tiers. The higher your income, the higher both your Part B and your Part D surcharges. The top bracket applies to single filers with MAGI at or above $500,000 (or $750,000 for joint filers).

Both surcharges are billed the same way your regular Part B premium is — usually deducted from your Social Security check. The Part D surcharge is paid to Medicare directly, even though your drug plan premium itself goes to your insurer.

Why Rome residents should look twice this year

Rome sits in Oneida County, where retirees often see income swings from selling a home, taking a large IRA withdrawal, or cashing out a pension when leaving a longtime employer. Any of those events in 2024 could push a 2026 return over an IRMAA cliff — the surcharges are not gradual, they jump at each bracket.

It's also the first full year of Medicare's redesigned Part D benefit. In 2026, out-of-pocket drug spending is capped at $2,100, the Part D deductible maxes out at $615, and the old coverage gap ("donut hole") remains gone. If you take expensive medications, those changes matter separately from IRMAA — but they don't reduce the surcharge itself.

What to do if your income has dropped

If you had a "life-changing event" since that 2024 tax year — retirement, the death of a spouse, divorce, loss of pension income, or a work reduction — you can ask Social Security to recalculate. File Form SSA-44 ("Medicare Income-Related Monthly Adjustment Amount – Life-Changing Event") with documentation. Approval means your 2026 premium reflects your current situation, not a snapshot from two years ago.

Selling stock or a house at a gain, unfortunately, does not count as a life-changing event.

Where to get local help

Oneida County residents can contact New York's State Health Insurance Assistance Program (called HIICAP in New York) for free one-on-one counseling. Counselors don't sell plans and don't earn commissions — they're trained to explain exactly how IRMAA, Part D, and enrollment periods apply to your situation.

You can also call 1-800-MEDICARE or visit medicare.gov to see the current bracket chart and confirm what you'd owe at a given income.