Confused about IRMAA adjustment letter saying 'another letter coming' - is this normal?
Just got my IRMAA reduction approval letter dated 2/12/25 and I'm not sure if this is standard procedure. I filed a life-changing event form about 3 weeks ago when my income dropped after retiring last September. The letter confirms my Medicare premium is being reduced (thank goodness!), but at the bottom it says 'you will receive another letter explaining how this will affect your Social Security benefits.' Is this normal? Does everyone get two separate letters? I'm just worried because the reduction amount isn't huge, but every dollar counts on a fixed income. The letter mentions 'you stopped working or received a settlement payment and a change in income' which is basically correct. The remaining pages are just the standard appeal rights info. Has anyone gone through this IRMAA adjustment process recently? How long did it take to get the second letter? And did your benefits actually change the next month or was there a delay?
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Zoe Papanikolaou
Yes, this is completely normal! The first letter you received is from Medicare confirming your IRMAA appeal was approved. The second letter will come from Social Security showing how your monthly benefit payment will increase now that your Medicare premium is lower. When I had my IRMAA reduced last year, it took about 10-14 days between letters. The adjustment showed up in my direct deposit the following month. The second letter just breaks down your new benefit calculation with the reduced premium.
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QuantumQuasar
•Thank you so much! That's exactly what I needed to know. So I should expect the second letter within the next two weeks then? Do you remember if they applied any retroactive adjustments or just started the new premium amount going forward?
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Jamal Wilson
I went thru this last yr and it was a NIGHTMARE!!! Got the 1st letter like yours but NEVER got the 2nd one they promised. Had to call SSA like 20 times & got disconnected EVERY TIME!!!! Finally had to go back to the office in person & wait 3 hrs just to find out they never processed the 2nd part! RIDICULOUS!!! Make sure u follow up if u dont get letter #2 within 2 weeks!!
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QuantumQuasar
•Oh no! That sounds awful. I really hope I don't have the same experience. Did they eventually fix it and give you back pay for the higher premiums you paid in the meantime?
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Jamal Wilson
•Yes they fixed it but took 3 MORE weeks & the backpay was wrong!!! Had to go back AGAIN! Total disaster! Just keep on them!!
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Mei Lin
This is the standard process for IRMAA adjustments based on life-changing events. When you submit Form SSA-44 (which is what you filed), the processing happens in two parts: 1. Medicare (technically CMS) approves the IRMAA reduction first 2. Social Security then calculates how this affects your monthly benefit payment The second letter typically arrives within 7-14 business days. The adjustment will be made for the next available payment cycle, and any retroactive adjustments (if applicable) will be included as a separate line item. Your reduction should be effective starting the month after you filed the life-changing event form. The reason for the two letters is that while Medicare determines IRMAA amounts, Social Security handles the actual benefit payments and premium deductions.
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Liam Fitzgerald
•Just to add to this excellent explanation - I found that calling the main SS number was useless when I went through this. If you need to follow up, I discovered Claimyr.com which got me through to an actual SSA agent in about 10 minutes instead of waiting for hours or getting disconnected. They have a video showing how it works: https://youtu.be/Z-BRbJw3puU - totally worth it when dealing with IRMAA issues since those departments are specialized and regular reps often don't know how to help.
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Amara Nnamani
•I got my 2nd letter in exactly 9 days after the first. But my local office told me that different processing centers have different backlogs. some take longer than others rite now
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Giovanni Mancini
wait does irmaa mean income related monthly adjustment amount? i think thats whats making my medicare so high but i didnt know u could appeal it if ur income goes down? is there a form for this?
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Mei Lin
•Yes, IRMAA stands for Income-Related Monthly Adjustment Amount. You can absolutely appeal it if you've had a life-changing event that reduced your income! Use Form SSA-44 "Medicare Income-Related Monthly Adjustment Amount - Life-Changing Event" which you can find on ssa.gov or at your local office. Qualifying life-changing events include retirement, reduced work hours, death of spouse, divorce, loss of income-producing property, and a few others. It's definitely worth filing if your income has dropped significantly since the tax return they're using to calculate your IRMAA.
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NebulaNinja
Im confused about something tho... are they sending u a refund for overpaid premiums? Or just reducing future amounts? My mom had her irmaa reduced and they DID send a payment for the overcharges from the past 6 months. But that was in 2024 so maybe they changed the rules?
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QuantumQuasar
•That's a great question - I'm not sure if I'll get backpay or just future reductions. The letter doesn't specify anything about retroactive adjustments. Did your mom have to specifically request the refund for past overpayments?
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NebulaNinja
•She didnt ask for it specifically but they gave her backpay going back to when she first filed the form. It came as a separate payment not in her regular ss deposit. hope that helps
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Amara Nnamani
I got the exact same letter about 3 months ago! The 2nd letter came about 10 days later but then it took about 6 weeks before my actual benefit amount changed. Don't panic if it's not immediate, the ssystem is soooooo slow rite now with everyone retiring!!
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QuantumQuasar
•Thanks for sharing your experience! Did they apply the change retroactively to when you first submitted your life-changing event form? Or did they just start the new premium going forward?
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Amara Nnamani
•They gave me credit back to the month after I filed the form. So I filed in November, and they credited me from December forward. Hope that helps!
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Zoe Papanikolaou
Just to clarify a common point of confusion - the IRMAA adjustment is typically processed for future months, but they should also refund any overpayments back to the month after you submitted your life-changing event documentation. However, they don't automatically go back further than your filing date, even if your income changed earlier. That's why it's important to file the SSA-44 as soon as possible after your life-changing event occurs. The second letter should clearly indicate any retroactive adjustments and exactly when your new premium amount takes effect.
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Giovanni Mancini
•wow i wish id known this sooner my income went way down in 2023 but ive been paying high medicare all this time! can i still file now or is it too late??
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Zoe Papanikolaou
•It's not too late! You can still file the SSA-44 form now, but they'll only adjust your premiums going back to the month after you file. They won't automatically give you retroactive adjustments for all of 2023 and 2024, unfortunately. That's why it's so important to file as soon as your income changes significantly.
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Jamal Wilson
BTW did they make u provide proof when u did your IRMAA appeal?? They made me bring actual pay stubs & my retirement paperwork when I went in. Just wondering if different offices have different requirements.
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QuantumQuasar
•Yes, I had to bring my final pay stub, my retirement letter, and a signed statement about my expected income for this year. The claims specialist was actually really helpful with getting everything organized. Did you find the process confusing? I wasn't sure exactly what documents they needed at first.
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Jamal Wilson
•SUPER confusing!!! My office wanted different stuff than what the website said!! Wasted a whole trip because I didn't bring the right papers the first time!! So frustrating!!
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