Appeal your Medicare IRMAA surcharge
Medicare adds a high-income surcharge — IRMAA — based on your income from two years ago. If your income has since dropped because of a life-changing event, Form SSA-44 can lower or remove it. We check whether you qualify, fill in the form, and walk you through filing it.
Start freeFree to answer the questions and see whether you can appeal. $99 once for your filled SSA-44, proof list, cover letter and filing guide.
Know if you even qualify
Social Security allows eight specific life-changing events — and a one-time income spike like a home sale isn't one. We tell you for free, before you pay anything, so you don't file an appeal that can't win.
Your SSA-44, filled in
We complete the form from your answers — the event, the tax year, your lower income — and list the exact proof Social Security asks for, for your specific event.
File it yourself in minutes
A cover letter and a step-by-step guide to submitting it to your Social Security office. No account, no middleman — you keep control.
How it works
Answer plain-English questions
About the life-changing event, your new lower income, and you. Your answers save as you go.
See whether you can appeal
We check your event against Social Security's eight and estimate how much surcharge the appeal could remove — free.
Download and file
Get your filled SSA-44, proof list, cover letter and guide, then submit it to Social Security yourself.
One price per appeal
Free to answer the questions and see whether you can appeal. $99 once for your filled SSA-44, proof list, cover letter and filing guide.
Your IRMAA appeal
$99 one-time
- Whether you can appeal, worked out for free
- Your Form SSA-44, filled in from your answers
- The exact proof Social Security asks for, for your life-changing event
- A cover letter that requests the reduction
- A step-by-step guide to submitting it to Social Security
- Edit your answers and download again any time
Questions
What is IRMAA?
IRMAA is the Income-Related Monthly Adjustment Amount — an extra charge added to your Medicare Part B and Part D premiums if your income is above a set threshold. Social Security bases it on your modified adjusted gross income (MAGI) from your tax return two years earlier, so your 2026 premiums are set from your 2024 return.
What is Form SSA-44, and when can I use it?
Form SSA-44 asks Social Security to use a more recent, lower income to set your IRMAA, instead of the two-year-old return, because of a "life-changing event." Social Security recognizes eight: marriage, divorce or annulment, death of your spouse, you or your spouse stopping work, you or your spouse reducing work, loss of income-producing property, loss of a pension, or an employer settlement payment.
My income was only high because of a one-time event — can I appeal?
If the income was high because of a one-time event that isn't on Social Security's list — selling a home, a Roth conversion, a large IRA or 401(k) withdrawal, capital gains, or a required minimum distribution — then Form SSA-44 does not apply, because none of those is a "life-changing event." Our free check tells you this up front so you don't waste a filing. In that case the surcharge generally falls off on its own after two years, and we explain your other options.
How much could I save?
The IRMAA surcharge ranges from roughly a thousand dollars a year to several thousand per person, on top of the base premium, depending on income. If your newer income is below the first threshold, a successful SSA-44 can remove the surcharge entirely. Our free estimate shows the figures for your tax year and filing status based on your answers.
Do you file it for me, or talk to Social Security for me?
No. You submit the form to your own Social Security office — by mail, by fax, or in person — which is free. We prepare the completed form, list the documents Social Security wants for your event, give you a cover letter, and walk you through it. We never ask for a Social Security login and never contact the agency on your behalf.
I haven't gotten my IRMAA letter yet — is it too soon?
No. You can file Form SSA-44 as soon as a life-changing event has happened and you can estimate your lower income — you don't have to wait for the surcharge notice. If you've already received the notice, act promptly; there is a window to ask Social Security to reconsider.
Is this legal, tax or financial advice?
No. Lower My IRMAA is independent self-help software, not Social Security, Medicare or a financial advisor, and does not give advice. It prepares Form SSA-44 from the facts you enter. Social Security makes the final decision. For a complicated situation, talk to a qualified advisor.
Ready when you are
Free to answer the questions and see whether you can appeal. $99 once for your filled SSA-44, proof list, cover letter and filing guide.
Start free