IRMAA After the Death of a Spouse

Losing a spouse changes everything. The grief is heavy enough without added financial stress. But many widows and widowers discover that their Medicare premium is still based on a tax return that included their spouse's income.

If your spouse passed away and your household income dropped, you may be able to reduce your IRMAA surcharge. Death of a spouse is on Social Security's list of qualifying life events. This means you can ask them to use your newer income instead of the old joint filing amount.

To do this you complete Form SSA 44. You also need a copy of the death certificate and evidence of your current income, which usually means your most recent tax return or a statement of your Social Security and pension income.

The timing matters. You should file as soon as possible after the death so Social Security can adjust your premiums promptly. If you wait, you may end up paying the higher amount for months longer than necessary. Social Security does not automatically refund the extra. You have to ask.

One detail that trips people up is the tax year. Social Security uses the return from two years ago. If your spouse died this year, the return they are looking at is from before the death. You are asking them to substitute a newer number for that older one. The form is designed for exactly this situation. You just have to fill it out correctly.

If you have lost a spouse and you are still paying a Medicare surcharge, you may be paying too much.