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IRMAA appeal after death of a spouse
On Form SSA 44 this is death of spouse. We do not file. Social Security decides.
When a spouse dies, household income often changes. Social Security may still be using a joint tax return from two years ago to set IRMAA on Medicare Part B and Part D.
Form SSA 44 lists death of your spouse as a qualifying life event. You may ask them to use a more recent tax year. They decide whether the surcharge changes.
This is not a government website. We prepare a filled packet if the free check says it may apply. You sign it, attach proof, and send it.
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What this event is
The form box is death of your spouse. Use it when that is the life event and a more recent tax year better reflects your income after the death.
Survivor benefits, pensions, and later tax returns can all change MAGI. None of that is a promise that IRMAA will drop. Social Security still maps MAGI to published brackets.
Filing status after a death
The year of death and later years can use different filing statuses. IRMAA uses the status and MAGI on the tax year Social Security accepts. If you later file as an individual, that return is not the same as the old joint return.
Form SSA 44 does not change survivor benefits. It is a request about the Medicare income related adjustment, not about the monthly Social Security benefit itself.
What Social Security lists as proof
These are SSA’s examples for this event, not a promise they will accept your file. Official instructions live on ssa.gov.
- A certified copy of a death certificate, a certified copy of the public record of death, or a certified copy of a coroner’s certificate.
Official overview: ssa.gov/medicare/lower-irmaa. Official form: Form SSA 44 PDF.
Related life events
FAQ
Ready to see if this applies?
The free check is three screens. It does not ask for your Social Security number. You are not charged to see yes or no. If a packet applies, you can buy a filled Form SSA 44. You file it. Social Security decides.
Check IRMAA is independent of the Social Security Administration, CMS, and Medicare. This is not a government website. SSA decides whether to use more recent income. We do not file for you, represent you, or guarantee a lower premium. Dollar amounts on this site are estimates from published CMS brackets using the facts you entered. They are not a promise of savings.
Last updated August 27, 2026.