Fee-only advisors for Medicare planning, IRMAA optimization, and retirement healthcare.
Medicare is simple for low-income retirees and brutally complex for anyone with meaningful retirement income. IRMAA (Income-Related Monthly Adjustment Amount) surcharges can add $1,500-$6,000/year per person for Part B and Part D. Two-year look-back on MAGI means 2024's income determines 2026's premiums. Roth conversion timing, charitable distribut
What our matched specialists handle
- My IRMAA surcharges are $5K/year — can I reduce them?
- Medicare Advantage vs Original Medicare + Medigap — which?
- Still working at 65 with employer coverage — enroll in Medicare or not?
- Retiring this year, SS MAGI just spiked — IRMAA appeal?
- Spouse is on Medicare, I'm not yet — how do we coordinate?
- Roth conversion this year would be a great tax move but hits my IRMAA — tradeoff?
Tools & guides
Medicare IRMAA Bracket Calculator
See which IRMAA bracket your MAGI lands in and what Part B + D surcharge you'll pay.
Medicare Advantage Plans 2026: How They Work
How HMO, PPO, and SNP plans actually work — OOP limits, prior authorization, the 12-month trial right, and why IRMAA still applies even on a $0-premium MA plan.
Medicare Advantage vs Medigap
Cost comparison, the enrollment window you can't miss, and how to decide which path fits your situation.
Medicare Planning Complete Guide
Detailed framework — rules, tradeoffs, and common mistakes.
Roth Conversions and IRMAA
How to convert IRA assets without triggering IRMAA surcharges — bracket cliffs, pre-65 windows, QCDs, and income sequencing.
Medicare at 65 While Still Working
Employer-size rule, Part A vs Part B decision, the HSA trap, and your 8-month Special Enrollment Period explained.
How to Appeal IRMAA Surcharges (SSA-44)
If retirement or another qualifying event dropped your income, you can ask SSA to use current-year income — potentially saving $1,148–$6,936/year.
Medicare Part D: Costs, IRMAA & Late Penalty Guide
$2,100 OOP cap, per-income IRMAA surcharges, late enrollment penalty math, and how to choose a plan that fits your drug list.
How to Reduce Your IRMAA Surcharges: 7 Strategies
QCDs, Roth conversion timing, capital gain management, RMD planning, and the SSA-44 appeal — strategies that can cut $1,148–$6,936/year in surcharges per person.
Medicare for Married Couples
IRMAA hits both spouses, age gaps complicate enrollment timing, and one spouse's Part A enrollment can kill the household's HSA. How to coordinate when Medicare isn't a family plan.
Medicare Enrollment Timeline
Your 7-month Initial Enrollment Period, the Part B and Part D late enrollment penalties, and why enrolling before your birthday month matters. IEP date calculator included.
Medicare and HSA Rules
The Part A retroactive enrollment trap, prorated contribution rules, and how to spend HSA funds on Medicare costs after enrollment.
Medigap Plan G vs. Plan N vs. High-Deductible G
2026 coverage comparison, copay break-even analysis, Part B excess charge risk, and a decision framework for choosing between the three main supplement plans.
Medicare Costs 2026: Premiums, Deductibles & IRMAA
Complete 2026 cost reference — Part A and B premiums, hospital deductibles, SNF coinsurance, and IRMAA surcharges at every income tier. What a couple with $300K retirement income actually pays.
Social Security and Medicare: Timing and IRMAA Coordination
Claiming SS before 65 means automatic Medicare enrollment. Delaying SS means you must enroll yourself. How SS income flows into IRMAA MAGI — and how to coordinate both decisions for the best outcome.
Medigap Guaranteed Issue Rights
Your Medigap Open Enrollment Period is a one-time 6-month window. Miss it and most insurers can deny you. Federal GI situations, the 12-month MA trial right, birthday-rule states, and what to do if you're past your window.
Retiring Before 65: Health Insurance Until Medicare
COBRA, ACA marketplace, and spouse coverage options for the 12–36 month gap before Medicare eligibility — plus the IRMAA pre-planning opportunity most early retirees miss.
What Counts as Income for IRMAA?
Municipal bond interest, 0%-rate capital gains, and Roth conversions all count toward IRMAA MAGI — even when you pay no federal tax on them. Interactive calculator breaks down every income source.
RMDs and Medicare Premiums
Required minimum distributions count fully toward IRMAA MAGI — and they grow over time. Interactive 5-year projection shows your RMD, which IRMAA tier it puts you in, and how QCDs can offset the impact.
Medicare Annual Enrollment Period 2026
AEP (Oct 15–Dec 7) lets you switch Part D and Medicare Advantage plans — but it does NOT give you a right to change Medigap. What high-income retirees should review before December 7.
What Medicare Doesn't Cover
No routine dental. No hearing aids. No long-term care. What Original Medicare excludes, what it costs out-of-pocket, and how to close the gaps with Medigap, Medicare Advantage, HSA funds, or LTC insurance.
Medicare Part B: Coverage, Costs & IRMAA in 2026
$202.90/month standard premium, $283 deductible, 20% coinsurance with no out-of-pocket cap, and IRMAA surcharges up to $487/month if income exceeds $109K. What Part B covers, enrollment windows, and excess charge risk explained.
Medicare Part A: Coverage, Costs & the HSA Trap
$1,736 hospital deductible per benefit period (not per year), $434/day coinsurance days 61–90, SNF coverage rules, and why enrolling in Part A while contributing to an HSA can trigger a retroactive contribution penalty.
Medicare and FEHB: Should Federal Retirees Enroll in Part B?
Non-postal federal retirees are never required to enroll in Medicare Part B — but the coordination-of-benefits math often makes it worthwhile. Postal workers under PSHB face new rules. IRMAA surcharges for high-income federal retirees explained.
Does Medicare Cover Long-Term Care? The $130K/Year Gap
Medicare covers skilled nursing for up to 100 days — not custodial care. Private nursing home rooms now cost $129,575/year nationally. How to evaluate traditional LTCI, hybrid policies, and self-insuring before you need it.
Medicare IRMAA After Your Spouse Dies
When your spouse dies, the IRMAA threshold cuts from $218K (married) to $109K (single). The two-year look-back delays the cliff — but creates a Roth conversion window most surviving spouses don't know to use.
Medicare Planning Checklist: Ages 60–70+
Year-by-year action items from age 60 through 70+ — IRMAA pre-planning, HSA wind-down timing, Roth conversion windows, enrollment decisions, and RMD management. The 10-year framework most people skip.
Medicare for Self-Employed: Enrollment, the Part B Deduction, and IRMAA Planning
ACA marketplace plans don't protect freelancers and business owners from Medicare late enrollment penalties — only employer group plans do. How self-employed individuals manage enrollment timing, deduct Medicare premiums under IRC § 162(l), and use solo 401(k) contributions to cut IRMAA surcharges.
Pension Income and Medicare: How Your Pension Affects IRMAA
Every dollar of pension income counts toward IRMAA MAGI — and it stacks with Social Security and RMDs. Government employees, teachers, and military retirees often hit Medicare surcharges without realizing it. The WEP/GPO repeal raised SS income for millions, creating new IRMAA exposure. What you can still do: QCDs, Roth conversions before pension starts, SSA-44 appeals.
Rental Income and Medicare IRMAA: What Landlords Need to Know
Net rental income on Schedule E counts fully toward IRMAA MAGI — and selling a rental property can create a one-time surcharge spike two years later via the look-back. The passive loss rules that help on your tax return don't reduce IRMAA. 1031 exchanges, QCDs, and installment sale timing explained.
Medicare and Divorce: IRMAA Filing Status and Ex-Spouse Benefits
Divorce shifts the IRMAA threshold from $218,000 (married) to $109,000 (single) — and the bracket cliff arrives one year sooner than it does for widows. SSA-44 appeal options, ex-spouse Medicare eligibility under the 10-year rule, 36-month COBRA rights, and QDRO income planning explained.
Capital Gains and Medicare IRMAA: How Investment Sales Affect Your Premiums
Selling appreciated stocks, funds, or property can spike your Medicare premiums two years later. Long-term gains taxed at 0% still count fully toward IRMAA MAGI. Interactive calculator shows your tier before and after the gain — plus strategies for timing, loss harvesting, and QCD offsets.
Inherited IRA Distributions and Medicare IRMAA
The SECURE Act 10-year rule forces most adult-child beneficiaries to distribute an inherited traditional IRA within 10 years — and every dollar counts toward IRMAA MAGI. How mandatory distributions create a decade of Medicare surcharges, the year-10 depletion cliff, and five strategies including QCDs from inherited IRAs (if you're 70½+).
Annuity Income and IRMAA: How Annuity Distributions Affect Medicare Premiums
Non-qualified deferred annuities have a LIFO trap — the first dollars you withdraw are 100% taxable (earnings first, not basis). Qualified annuities are fully taxable. SPIA payments use the exclusion ratio. How each annuity type flows into IRMAA MAGI, the two-year look-back math, and five strategies including distribution spreading, annuitization timing, and QCD offsets.
Stock Options, RSUs, and Medicare IRMAA: How Equity Compensation Affects Your Premiums
RSU vesting and NQSO exercises create ordinary income that flows directly into IRMAA MAGI. ISOs are treated differently — no regular income at exercise, but the timing of the eventual sale determines which IRMAA year is affected. How each equity compensation type enters MAGI, the two-year look-back timing trap for executives and tech employees, and five strategies including exercise spreading, ISO timing, and SSA-44 eligibility.
Deferred Compensation and Medicare IRMAA: How NQDC Payouts Affect Your Premiums
Nonqualified deferred compensation distributions are ordinary income — 100% counted toward IRMAA MAGI. A lump-sum payout at retirement can push a single filer into the top IRMAA tier ($6,936/yr extra) for two years. How installment elections, Section 409A re-election mechanics, Roth conversion timing, and QCDs limit the damage. Interactive calculator included.
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Medicare Advisor Match is a matching service. We connect you with vetted fee-only financial advisors in our network — we don't manage money or provide advice ourselves. Advisors in our network are fiduciaries who charge transparent fees (not product commissions), and we match you based on your specific situation.