Medicare premium deduction on Social Security check showing 2024 rates instead of 2025 rates - IRMAA confusion
I just noticed something odd with my December Social Security payment. It seems like they deducted my Medicare premium at the 2024 rate instead of using the new 2025 rates for Part B and IRMAA. I thought the new rates were supposed to take effect with the December payment (which is for January coverage). My wife and I are both on Medicare and our income fluctuated a bit in 2023 due to some investments, so we're subject to IRMAA. Has anyone else noticed this issue? Did SSA make a mistake, or am I misunderstanding when the new rates are supposed to kick in? Just trying to figure out if I need to contact someone or if this will sort itself out next month.
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Jayden Hill
The December payment (received in December 2024) should indeed reflect the 2025 Medicare premium rates. The December payment is for January 2025 coverage, so the new rates should apply. I'd suggest checking your Medicare premium notice letter that you should have received in November - it will show exactly what you should be paying. If there's a discrepancy, you'll need to contact SSA to have it corrected.
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Isabella Tucker
•Thanks for confirming. I did get that notice in November showing the 2025 rates, which are higher than what was deducted from my check. So it sounds like they made a mistake? I hate having to call them - last time I spent 2 hours on hold and then got disconnected.
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LordCommander
Dealing with the same thing! My December check still had the old 2024 deduction. I'm guessing they're behind on updating the system or something? Typical SSA lol
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Lucy Lam
•This actually happens quite often. SSA systems sometimes lag behind the official implementation dates. I would wait until your January payment (received in January) before getting too concerned. If that payment still shows the incorrect premium deduction, then it's definitely time to contact them. Document everything - have your Medicare premium notice handy when you call.
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Aidan Hudson
This is a common misunderstanding. The December benefit payment you receive actually represents your November benefit. The January 2025 benefit (with updated Medicare premiums) will be received in January. So what you're seeing is correct - the December payment should still show the 2024 Medicare premium rates. The adjustment to the new 2025 Medicare premium rates (both standard Part B and any IRMAA surcharges) will be reflected in your January payment. This is because SSA deducts premiums for the current month, not the following month. If you want to verify this, check your MyMedicare.gov account or your Medicare & You handbook which explains the premium deduction schedule.
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Isabella Tucker
•Wait, I thought Medicare was paid in advance? My understanding was that the December payment has the January premium deducted from it. Now I'm really confused.
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Jayden Hill
•Actually, the previous comment isn't quite right. Medicare Part B premiums ARE paid in advance. The deduction taken from your December Social Security check is for January coverage, which means it SHOULD reflect the 2025 premium rates. From Medicare.gov: "If you get Social Security benefits, your Part B premiums will be automatically deducted from your benefit payment. The premium is deducted from the benefit payment that's made for the same month your coverage starts." So if your December check still shows 2024 rates, there may indeed be an issue.
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Zoe Wang
I HAD THE EXACT SAME PROBLEM LAST YEAR!!! It took THREE MONTHS to get fixed and they kept giving me different answers every time I called. One rep said it was normal, another said it was a mistake, and the third said they'd fix it "in the system" but nothing changed!!! The worst part was when they finally fixed it, they took out EXTRA money from my check to make up for the "underpayment" without even warning me!! THIS IS WHY I HATE DEALING WITH SSA!!!!
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Connor Richards
•Ugh that sounds awful. Did they at least explain why it happened to begin with??
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Zoe Wang
•They blamed it on a "processing delay" and "system updates" but I think they just messed up and didn't want to admit it!! Classic government inefficiency if you ask me!
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Grace Durand
had similar issue w/ my checks for the last 2 yrs... called ssa multiple times but gave up after being on hold for hours... they eventually fixed it but took 3-4 months each time... good luck
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Connor Richards
•That sounds so frustrating. Did they ever reimburse you or explain what happened?
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Grace Durand
•nope just fixed it going forward... too much hassle to fight for back pay difference was only like $22/month anyway
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Lucy Lam
Since this seems to be a recurring issue based on other comments, I'd recommend documenting everything carefully. If you have your Medicare Premium Notice from November, save it. Print out your bank statements showing the deposit amounts. You may need this evidence later if there are adjustments. One clarification about IRMAA specifically - the IRMAA amount you pay in 2025 is based on your 2023 tax return (income from 2 years prior). If your income fluctuated in 2023 as you mentioned, that's exactly what will determine your 2025 IRMAA tier. If your income has decreased since then, you might qualify for an IRMAA reduction through a Life-Changing Event form (SSA-44). As for getting this premium issue resolved, I'd recommend contacting SSA directly. But save yourself the frustration of endless hold times by using Claimyr. I was skeptical at first, but it worked great when I had a similar Medicare premium issue. You can see how it works at https://youtu.be/Z-BRbJw3puU - basically they wait on hold for you and call you when an agent is on the line. Their website is claimyr.com if you want to check it out.
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Isabella Tucker
•Thanks for the detailed explanation about IRMAA. We did have some stock sales in 2023 that bumped us up a tier, but we were expecting that. The issue is just that they don't seem to be charging us the correct 2025 rates at all (whether the regular Part B or the IRMAA surcharge). I'll check out that Claimyr service - anything to avoid those endless hold times would be worth it at this point. The last few times I tried calling SSA I gave up after being on hold for over an hour.
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LordCommander
my neighbor said there was a delay this year with updating the medicare stuff because of the new rates being announced later than usual??? not sure if thats true
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Jayden Hill
•There was a slight delay in the 2025 Medicare premium announcements this year (they came out in mid-October rather than early October), but that shouldn't affect implementation. SSA and CMS have established processes for these annual changes. The issue is more likely a processing error in individual accounts rather than a systemic delay.
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Connor Richards
My sister had this exact problem last year and when she finally got through to someone at Social Security they told her it would be fixed "automatically" on the next payment but it wasn't! She had to call THREE more times! Just be persistent and keep calling until they fix it.
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Isabella Tucker
•That's what I'm afraid of - the endless loop of calls and promises that never materialize. Did they eventually retroactively correct the payment for her?
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Connor Richards
•Yes but it took until March! They gave her the difference as a separate payment. So frustrating!
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Jayden Hill
Just to add another important point - make sure you check both your AND your wife's benefits since you mentioned you're both on Medicare. Sometimes these errors can affect one account but not the other, especially if you enrolled at different times or have different IRMAA tiers. Also, if you do need to call SSA, have your Medicare card, recent Social Security statement, and the Medicare premium notice all ready before the call. The more prepared you are with documentation numbers, the faster they can help resolve the issue.
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Isabella Tucker
•Good advice - I just checked and you're right! My wife's account has the correct 2025 premium deduction but mine is still showing the 2024 amount. That makes it even more confusing since we're in the same household and IRMAA tier. I'll gather all our documentation before calling. Thanks!
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