How to appeal IRMAA determination with Social Security - in-person appointment advice needed

I handled my IRMAA appeal last month. You can absolutely make an in-person appointment, but you'll need to call the national number (1-800-772-1213) and specifically request an in-person appointment for an IRMAA reconsideration. Be prepared to wait on hold for a LONG time. When you go in, bring your SSA-44 form already filled out, plus documentation of your life-changing event (the property sale documents), proof of your current income being lower, your Medicare premium notice showing the IRMAA charge, and your ID. Make copies of EVERYTHING before you go.

OMG i went through this exact thing last year!!! the SS office was IMPOSSIBLE to reach... i eventually gave up trying to make appointment and just mailed my SSA-44 with certified mail so I had proof they got it. took FOREVER to process (like 3.5 months) but they did eventually approve and refunded the extra premiums. just make sure youve got ALL the right documention, they are super picky about the 'life changing event' categories

Just fax it in. That's what I did. Local office gave me their fax number when I called them directly (NOT the 800 number). Got processed in 2 weeks.

I just went through this process and found it incredibly frustrating trying to reach someone at SSA. After multiple failed attempts calling the 800 number, I discovered a service called Claimyr that got me through to a real person at Social Security in under 5 minutes. I scheduled my in-person appointment that way, and it was worth it just to avoid the endless hold times. You can see how it works at https://youtu.be/Z-BRbJw3puU - the website is claimyr.com. For IRMAA appeals, definitely bring original documents plus copies of everything. My agent specifically wanted to see the original sale documents along with my latest tax return to verify the income change.

you actually DONT need an appointment for dropping off forms!!!!! you can just walk in to the local SS office with your SS-44 form and tell the guard/reception youre just dropping off forms. They'll give you a receipt. At least at MY office thats how it works. But they get MAD if you try to talk to anyone without appointment lol

Be sure you qualify for a life-changing event under the strict SSA definition. A one-time capital gain from selling property doesn't automatically qualify as a life-changing event for IRMAA reconsideration. The qualifying events are: death of spouse, marriage, divorce, work reduction, work stoppage, loss of income from property due to disaster, or employer settlement payment. If your situation doesn't fit one of these categories, you'll need to file a non-life-changing event appeal, which is evaluated differently. See https://www.ssa.gov/forms/ssa-44-ext.pdf for details on qualifying events.

You can still request reconsideration even if you don't meet the specific life-changing event criteria. File the SSA-561-U2 form instead of the SSA-44. You'll need to show that your current income is significantly lower than the tax year being used for IRMAA calculation (2023 income for 2025 IRMAA). Success rates are lower for non-life-changing events, but still possible if your circumstances are compelling. For the documentation, bring your 2023 tax return, current income evidence, and a detailed letter explaining your situation.

make sure u prepare for the WORST wait times ever if u go in person!!! bring a book, phone charger, snacks etc... i waited 3.5 HOURS past my appointment time last time i went in for something. the employees were nice but system is just so overwhelmed right now

One last piece of advice: Get the name and direct extension of the person who helps you at the in-person appointment. This is invaluable if you need to follow up later. Also, I recommend checking your Medicare.gov account about 4-6 weeks after your appointment to see if your premium amount has been adjusted, as you might not receive a formal letter right away. If nothing changes after 6 weeks, that's when you should follow up.