Her Annuity Pays $1,580 a Month, Guaranteed for Life.
At 73, It Pushed Her Medicare Premium Up Two Brackets
Quick Read – A $18,960 annual annuity pushed one retiree’s Medicare Part B premium up two IRMAA tiers, adding $2,435 in annual costs. – IRMAA surcharges operate as cliffs, meaning one dollar above $137,000 triggers a full $202.90 monthly surcharge with no gradual phase-in. – Social Security COLAs raise benefit payments without adjusting IRMAA thresholds, so inflation adjustments can inadvertently push retirees into higher Medicare brackets. – The headline number for a 73-year-old annuitant is straightforward. Her contract pays $1,580 a month for life, or $18,960 a year. Less obvious is what that stream does to her Medicare bill once it appears on a tax return alongside Social Security, required minimum distributions, and interest income.
In her case, it moved her modified adjusted gross income across two Income-Related Monthly Adjustment Amount thresholds, and her Part B premium reset accordingly. How Two Brackets Actually Look in 2026 The Centers for Medicare and Medicaid Services set the 2026 standard Part B premium at $202.90 a month for beneficiaries with a modified adjusted gross income of $109,000 or less on an individual return. The surcharge structure adds fixed dollar amounts on top of that base at each higher tier.