Medicare IRMAA: The 2-Year Lookback That Raises Your Premium
Watch on YouTube Medicare IRMAA surcharges raise your Part B and Part D premiums based on your income from two years ago - and most retirees never see it coming. Learn how the 2-year lookback works, what the 2026 IRMAA brackets are for both single and joint filers, which income counts toward your MAGI (including tax-exempt municipal bond interest), and the most common retirement triggers like Roth conversions, RMDs, and capital gains sales. Find the next video in the Social Security playlist for more Medicare deep dives.
▶ Watch next: Medicare IRMAA Appeal: How Form SSA-44 Can Lower Your Premium - Social Security https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=T0DJhqMSJRE
📺 Full playlist: Social Security (US - 2026) https://www.youtube.com/playlist?list=PLlIAFxS296491LWfYsLp6anRyo6_DO_pI
Chapters
Income-Related Monthly Adjustment Amount (IRMAA) surcharges raise your Part B and D premiums if your income from two years ago crossed thresholds. Your 2024 tax return determines your 2026 premiums. Retirement-year windfalls (stock options exercised, Roth conversions, large capital gains) can produce surprise $500+/month Medicare surcharges.
Key Topics
- How IRMAA works and why 2-year lookback exists
- The 2026 Part B IRMAA brackets (single/joint)
- The 2026 Part D IRMAA amounts
- What income counts (MAGI = AGI + tax-exempt interest)
- Common triggers: IRA distributions, RMDs, capital gains, Roth conversions
- Cliff effect: $1 over a bracket can cost $1,200+ per year
- Why pre-retirement tax planning around IRMAA thresholds pays off