Medicare Premium Calculator
Estimate Medicare Part B and Part D premiums based on income and IRMAA brackets. Calculate your monthly and annual Medicare costs.
Medicare Premium Calculator
Calculator
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Formula: Total Premium = Part B Premium + Part D Base Premium + IRMAA Surcharges
Worked example — Monthly: $209.40 | Annual: $2,512.80 | No IRMAA surcharge
Formula
Total Premium = Part B Premium + Part D Base Premium + IRMAA Surcharges
Medicare premiums depend on your Modified Adjusted Gross Income (MAGI) from two years prior. If MAGI exceeds certain thresholds, Income-Related Monthly Adjustment Amounts (IRMAA) are added to both Part B and Part D premiums.
Worked Examples
Example 1: Single Filer Under IRMAA Threshold
Problem:A single retiree has a MAGI of $95,000. Their Part D plan base premium is $34.70/month. What are their total Medicare premiums?
Solution:MAGI $95,000 is below the $103,000 single filer IRMAA threshold. Part B standard premium: $174.70/month Part D surcharge: $0 (no IRMAA) Part D total: $34.70/month Total monthly: $174.70 + $34.70 = $209.40 Total annual: $209.40 x 12 = $2,512.80
Result:Monthly: $209.40 | Annual: $2,512.80 | No IRMAA surcharge
Example 2: Married Couple Above Second IRMAA Tier
Problem:A married couple has a combined MAGI of $270,000. Part D base premium is $40.00/month. Calculate their per-person Medicare premiums.
Solution:MAGI $270,000 falls in the $258,001-$322,000 married bracket (Tier 3). Part B premium: $349.40/month Part D surcharge: $33.30/month Part D total: $40.00 + $33.30 = $73.30/month Total monthly: $349.40 + $73.30 = $422.70 IRMAA extra: ($349.40 - $174.70 + $33.30) x 12 = $2,496.00/year
Result:Monthly: $422.70 | Annual: $5,072.40 | IRMAA extra: $2,496.00/year
Frequently Asked Questions
What is IRMAA and how does it affect Medicare premiums?
IRMAA stands for Income-Related Monthly Adjustment Amount, and it is an additional charge added to your Medicare Part B and Part D premiums if your modified adjusted gross income (MAGI) exceeds certain thresholds. The Social Security Administration determines your IRMAA based on your tax return from two years prior. For example, your 2024 premiums are based on your 2022 income. There are five IRMAA tiers above the standard premium, with the highest tier applying to individuals earning more than $500,000 or married couples earning more than $750,000. IRMAA can significantly increase your Medicare costs, potentially adding thousands of dollars per year to what you would otherwise pay at the standard rate.
How is Modified Adjusted Gross Income calculated for Medicare?
Modified Adjusted Gross Income for Medicare purposes is calculated by taking your Adjusted Gross Income from your tax return and adding back certain deductions. Specifically, MAGI equals your AGI plus tax-exempt interest income, such as interest from municipal bonds. This is the figure found on your IRS Form 1040. It includes all taxable income sources such as wages, Social Security benefits, pensions, capital gains, rental income, and distributions from retirement accounts like traditional IRAs and 401k plans. Understanding your MAGI is critical because even a small amount over an IRMAA threshold can push your premiums into a higher bracket for the entire year, so strategic income planning is essential.
What does Medicare Part B cover and what is the standard premium?
Medicare Part B covers medically necessary services and preventive care. This includes doctor visits, outpatient care, durable medical equipment, some home health services, ambulance services, mental health care, and many preventive screenings and vaccinations. The standard Part B premium for 2024 is $174.70 per month, which most beneficiaries pay. This premium is typically deducted directly from your Social Security benefit check. Part B also has an annual deductible of $240 and generally covers eighty percent of approved services after the deductible is met, leaving you responsible for the remaining twenty percent coinsurance. Higher-income beneficiaries pay more due to IRMAA surcharges.
Can I appeal my IRMAA determination?
Yes, you can appeal your IRMAA determination if you have experienced a life-changing event that significantly reduced your income compared to the tax year used for the determination. Qualifying life-changing events include marriage, divorce, death of a spouse, work stoppage or reduction, loss of income-producing property due to a disaster, and loss of pension income. To appeal, you must complete SSA form SSA-44 and provide documentation of the life-changing event. You can submit this form to your local Social Security office. If your appeal is approved, your premiums will be adjusted to reflect your current or expected income rather than the income from two years ago. The process typically takes several weeks.
How can I reduce my Medicare premiums through income planning?
Strategic income planning can help you avoid IRMAA surcharges and keep Medicare premiums at the standard level. Consider Roth IRA conversions in years when your income is lower, since Roth distributions are not counted toward MAGI. Manage capital gains by spreading large asset sales across multiple tax years to stay below IRMAA thresholds. Use qualified charitable distributions from IRAs if you are over seventy and a half, as these reduce your AGI. Consider the timing of retirement account withdrawals and Social Security claiming. If you are near a bracket boundary, even reducing income by a few hundred dollars can save thousands in annual premiums. Working with a financial planner who understands Medicare can be particularly valuable in the years before and after retirement.
Why is IRMAA a cliff rather than a graduated surcharge?
Income tax is marginal: a dollar over a bracket boundary is taxed at the higher rate, and only that dollar. IRMAA is not. The tiers are step functions, so crossing a threshold by a single dollar of modified adjusted gross income moves your entire Part B and Part D surcharge up a whole tier for the full year, on both spouses if both are enrolled. That is why realising an extra capital gain or taking one more IRA distribution late in the year can cost far more than the income itself is worth.
Why are my premiums based on income from two years ago?
The Social Security Administration sets the surcharge from the most recent federal tax return it has on file, which for a premium year is generally the return filed for the year before last. The lag exists because returns for the current year simply do not exist yet when premiums are set. The practical consequence catches many new retirees: the first years of Medicare are priced off full working income, so someone who retires at 65 may face a surcharge based on a salary they no longer earn until the lookback catches up.
What is the hold-harmless provision and who does not benefit from it?
Hold harmless is a protection for most beneficiaries who have their Part B premium deducted from a Social Security payment: their net benefit cannot fall because a Part B increase exceeds that year's cost-of-living adjustment in dollar terms. It smooths the effect of a large premium rise in a low-COLA year. Several groups are excluded, notably anyone paying an IRMAA surcharge, people newly enrolling in Part B that year, and those not yet drawing Social Security, all of whom absorb the full increase.
Do I still pay the Part B premium if I join a Medicare Advantage plan?
Yes. Medicare Advantage is an alternative way of receiving Part A and Part B benefits, not a replacement for Part B enrolment, so the Part B premium and any IRMAA surcharge continue regardless of what the plan itself charges. Advantage plans with drug coverage also carry the Part D IRMAA surcharge for higher earners, and it is billed separately rather than through the plan. A zero-premium plan therefore still leaves you with the amounts Medicare Premium Calculator produces.
Why does Medicare Premium Calculator only cover Parts B and D, and is Part A free?
Part A hospital insurance is premium-free for people with a sufficient record of Medicare-covered employment, either their own or a spouse's, which is why it does not appear as a monthly cost here. Those without enough covered quarters may buy in at a monthly premium that varies with how much work history they have. IRMAA does not apply to Part A. Part A still carries its own deductible and coinsurance when you are hospitalised, so a premium of zero is not the same as care at no cost.
References
Reviewed for accuracy by Daniel Agrici, Founder & Lead Developer · Editorial policy
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