When to file IRMAA reduction form after spouse stopped working - 2024 or 2025 Social Security Medicare question

You should file the SSA-44 form now (in 2024) since the life-changing event (work stoppage/retirement) happened in 2024. The IRMAA is typically based on your tax return from 2 years prior, but filing the SSA-44 lets Social Security know your income has significantly decreased due to a qualifying life event. Retirement/work stoppage is definitely one of the qualifying events they recognize. Make sure you have documentation of his last day of work and estimate of your new annual income. Don't wait until 2025 - you want to avoid paying the higher premiums if possible.

You need to file the SSA-44 as soon as possible after the life-changing event occurs. In your case, that's your husband's work stoppage in July 2024. The form asks for your expected income for the year the event occurred. I went through this last year when I retired, and it saved us about $160/month in Medicare premiums. Make sure to attach documentation showing when he stopped working - a letter from his employer is ideal. You can mail it in, but I recommend taking it to your local SSA office in person if possible - that way they can tell you right away if you're missing anything.

I tried calling Social Security SEVEN times about my IRMAA issue last month and NEVER got through!!! Just endless hold times and then disconnects. This system is BROKEN!! I ended up using Claimyr (claimyr.com) to get connected to a real person at SSA and got my IRMAA question answered in 20 minutes. They have a video showing how it works at https://youtu.be/Z-BRbJw3puU - saved me hours of frustration. They connected me directly to an agent who knew exactly how to handle my IRMAA reduction request when my income dropped.

You need to file for 2024. Thats when the event happend. They look at your tax returns from 2 years ago normally but this form lets you tell them about your new situation. My neighbor did this wrong and paid higher premiums for 6 months because she waited.

I went through this exact situation when my husband retired in 2023. Here's what you need to know about the IRMAA process: 1. File the SSA-44 form now (2024) since that's when the life-changing event occurred 2. You'll need documentation showing his work stoppage (termination letter, last pay stub, etc.) 3. You'll need to estimate your joint income for the remainder of 2024 4. The reduction typically applies to the month after you submit the form 5. They'll review your actual income when you file taxes and may adjust again What most people don't realize is that IRMAA is recalculated each year automatically based on your tax returns. The SSA-44 just speeds up the process when you have a sudden income change instead of waiting 2 years for it to be reflected in your tax return data.

To answer the question about whether they verify your income later - yes, they do. SSA gets tax data from the IRS and will adjust your IRMAA up or down based on your actual filed tax return. If your estimate was significantly lower than your actual income, they can charge you the difference retroactively. And to clarify another point - you only need to file the SSA-44 once for each life-changing event. After that, the normal IRMAA determination process takes over again (using your tax return from 2 years prior).

Im confused about this IRMMA thing. Is this for regular social security or just medicare? Im turning 65 next year and trying to figure all this stuff out lol.

Thank you all so much for the helpful responses! I'm going to fill out the SSA-44 form this week and take it to our local office with my husband's termination letter. It's such a relief to know we can potentially avoid the higher Medicare premiums right away instead of waiting until 2025. This forum has been so much more helpful than the official Medicare website!