Free Download · 5-Step Framework
The IRMAA Avoidance Checklist — stay below the Medicare cliffs
One dollar over an IRMAA bracket can cost $1,800–$8,000 in extra Medicare premiums for a year. This 5-step checklist shows you how to plan around it. Free from RLF, a 501(c)(3) nonprofit.
What you'll get
A printable 5-step framework covering the actual planning math for staying below IRMAA — the rule, the brackets, and the moves your CPA isn't running because they're filing your return, not optimizing your Medicare.
- Step 1 — Understand the 2-year lookback (most retirees don't)The income that determines your 2026 Medicare premium was earned in 2024. Most people don't connect the timing.
- Step 2 — Map the 2026 IRMAA bracket cliffsThe single and joint thresholds, the surcharge amount at each cliff, and the math on what crossing one actually costs per year.
- Step 3 — Calculate your bracket headroomThe math: how much more income you can take in THIS year before triggering an IRMAA surcharge TWO years from now.
- Step 4 — Plan your taxable eventsRoth conversions, capital gains harvests, and large IRA withdrawals — when to do them and when to wait.
- Step 5 — Use life-changing-event forms (when they apply)Form SSA-44 can reverse an IRMAA surcharge if your income drops due to retirement, death of a spouse, or other qualifying events.
Plus the bracket cheat-sheet — single and joint 2026 IRMAA brackets on one printable page, with the dollar surcharge at each level so you can see exactly what each cliff costs.
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2026 IRMAA brackets included
Workshop-tested framework
