Welcome to Navigating IRMAA: Protecting Your Retirement Income from Stealth Surcharges, an interactive workshop designed to help families protect their hard-earned retirement savings from unexpected Medicare cost increases. Many retirees are surprised to learn that their income level can directly increase their healthcare expenses. The Income-Related Monthly Adjustment Amount, or IRMAA, is a federal surcharge added to Medicare Part B and Part D premiums for higher-earning households. Today’s session offers a practical environment to understand how IRMAA works, why it catches so many families off guard, and how to keep your retirement cash flow secure.

Throughout this workshop, we will explore the mechanisms behind IRMAA, including the two-year lookback rule that determines your current premiums based on past tax returns. We will examine common financial triggers—such as Required Minimum Distributions (RMDs), home sales, capital gains, and Roth conversions—that can accidentally push your income over strict bracket thresholds. Because exceeding an IRMAA bracket by even a single dollar can result in thousands of dollars in added annual surcharges, learning how to recognize these steep income cliffs is essential for effective distribution planning.

By the end of our time together, you will possess concrete strategies to minimize IRMAA exposure and coordinate your income streams efficiently. We will cover proactive tax-bracket management, distribution sequencing, and the formal appeal process using Form SSA-44 if you have experienced a life-changing event like retirement or widowhood. We encourage you to participate, ask questions, and take notes as we build a strategic roadmap to keep more of your retirement income working for your family.