IRMAA
Ask Rusty – About Tax Filing Status and Medicare
Dear Rusty: I’m trying to figure out if I should change my IRS filing status to “Married – Filing Jointly” prior to getting reviewed for my Medicare Part B and Part D. My current IRS status is “Married – Filing…
Which is better? A Roth IRA or a regular IRA?
The two key differences between a Roth IRA and a regular IRA are that you pay taxes on your contributions to a Roth, and with a regular IRA, you pay taxes on your withdrawals. When you file your tax return,…
Paying a higher share of Medicare premiums
In May 2025, 68.9 million Americans were enrolled in Medicare according to the Centers for Medicare and Medicaid Services (CMS). The premiums paid by Medicare beneficiaries are generally 25 percent of the program costs for Part B and Part D,…
Your first Medicare billing surprise
Around your 65th birthday, you will have a 7-month window of time when you can sign up for Medicare. It is called your Initial Enrollment Period — or IEP for short. Your IEP includes your 65th birthday month, as well…
Ask Rusty – About How Medicare Premiums Are Determined
Dear Rusty: Please explain the Medicare premium increase based on income reported to Social Security? For those of us that waited to draw Social Security until age 70, and who are still working – drawing a salary, and planning to…
Exploring the Reality of IRMAA in Light of a Real-life Situation
Medicare’s income-related monthly adjusted amount (IRMAA) regulation can, and often does, catch seniors in specific situations unaware. LA Times columnist Liz Weston, a Certified Financial Planner, offers an explanation of how this regulation impacts beneficiaries taking a large one-time withdrawal from…
Ask Rusty – Shocked Because Medicare Increase Results in Loss of Social Security Benefits
Dear Rusty: My wife and I have taken a Social Security “Cut” — no 3.2% raise for us, due to something called “IRMAA,” based on our income. We actually took, together, a $400 a month cut. As far as I…
What to know about managing Medicare Part B premiums
In October, the Social Security Administration announced the 2024 cost-of-living adjustment (COLA) of 3.2 percent, with the average Social Security benefit going up $50. Later, the Centers for Medicare & Medicaid Services (CMS) released the 2024 monthly Part B premium…
Dealing With Hypocrisy: A Rebuttal to Complaints About Medicare Premiums and WEP/GPO
Creators Syndicates’ Tom Margenau, in a post on Tucson.com, uses his extensive experience as a Social Security Administration official to address two fundamental (and frequently recurring) complaints voiced by program beneficiaries questioning rulers that, in their opinion, are unjust. Margenau…
Health Insurance Costs and the Social Security COLA…Some Thoughts
In a post on kernvalleysun.com, licensed insurance broker Harry P. Thal, MA offers commentary on how Social Security’s annual cost-of-living adjustment (COLA) is calculated and the relationship between this COLA and the premium payments beneficiaries need to absord for Medicare coverage. His remarks also…