UNITED STATES—Hi Toni: I enrolled in a Medicare Advantage plan with a $0 monthly premium that began June 1 because I turned 65 on June 5. I disenrolled from my husband’s employer benefits since the Advantage plan’s monthly premium was lower than what my husband was charged.

Now I am in shock because a Medicare premium of $732.50 was deducted from my Social Security check. I was told by the agent who enrolled me in the Advantage plan that my premium would be $0.

My husband, Jack, is 63 and wants to continue working until he is 70. He is working for a local bank and has a nice salary. Since he is still working full-time, I may have made a mistake by enrolling in this Medicare Advantage plan and leaving his employer plan. I cannot return to his plan until January. Can you please explain what I did wrong? – Brenda from Myrtle Beach, NC

Hello Brenda: The Medicare premium of $732.50 that is being taken out of your Social Security check tells me that your husband Jack’s income is over $410,000. You are having to pay an increase because of your Modified Adjusted Gross Income (MAGI) which determines what your yearly income bracket is, and the Income Related Monthly Adjusted Amount (IRMAA), which shows what your monthly premium will be, when it is over $218,000, which is the Medicare premium’s threshold for a joint tax return.

Brenda, the IRS informs Social Security that your income from the last filed joint tax return was between $400,000-$750,000 and Social Security deducts the $732.50 from your monthly Social Security check for your Medicare premium.

The good news is that the monthly premium for your Medicare Advantage plan is still $0 and it has not changed. And in the fall, you can change back to your husband’s insurance effective January 1.

In 2026, if your yearly tax return income filed which is the MAGI amount as an individual was $109,000 or less or filing a joint tax return was $218,000 or less, then Medicare Part B premium would be $202.90 monthly, without additional IRMAA added because of your higher MAGI. Those, like you, whose income is higher than $109,001 as an individual or $218,001 as a couple, will pay a higher amount with the additional IRMAA added to your monthly premium. Social Security explains in the letter mailed to you how they arrived at the Part B and D premiums based on your MAGI from your last filed joint tax return and that you will have the additional IRMAA premium added.

The IRMAA rule for Medicare went into effect regarding additional IRMAA premiums on January 1, 2011, and new Medicare Part B and D premiums for the different income brackets are released every fall to begin January 1.

Medicare confusion begins when one approaches 65 and is bombarded by call centers and mountains of direct mail advertising. America needs to realize that the person on the other side of the call is only looking to make a sale and not always providing proper information.

Brenda, had you contacted the Toni Says Medicare office, we would have advised you not to enroll in Medicare because you were covered with your husband’s employer benefits and could enroll in Medicare when Jack retires at 70.  At that specific time, there will be a different process for both of you to enrolling in Medicare.  (Medicare Roadmap available at tonisays.com explains the different ways to enroll in Medicare properly, based on Medicare situations.)

When Jack finally retires, he will have a special situation known as a “Life-Changing Event” by filing the Social Security SSA 44 form which can lower your Medicare Part B and D IRMAA premiums.  A few of the life-changing events that can make Medicare premiums lower are:

  • Married, divorced or your spouse has died
  • You or your spouse stopped working or reduced hours
  • Loss of income-producing property
  • Loss of pension income

Use form SSA-44 (Medicare Income Related Monthly Adjusted Amount-Life-changing event form) to advise Social Security of your change in income.  Visit SSA.gov/forms or email info@tonisays.com for a copy of the form.

And remember, with Medicare, what you don’t know WILL hurt you!

Contact the Toni Says Medicare team at info@tonisays.com or call (832) 519-8664 for assistance or to answer Medicare questions. Sign up for the Toni Says newsletter at www.tonisays.com to download Toni’s new Medicare 2026 First Steps guide