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Medicare

IRMAA Brackets 2028: Projected From Your 2026 Income

Medicare's 2028 premiums are based on your 2026 tax return. At the Social Security Trustees' long-run inflation assumption, the first 2028 IRMAA threshold projects to about $115,000 (projected) for single filers and $230,000 (projected) for joint filers. Enter your expected 2026 MAGI to see your projected tier, and change the inflation assumption to test it.

Projected until CMS publishes Verified October 23, 2026

Your details

2026 tax return filed as

$

AGI plus tax-exempt interest from your 2026 return (filed in 2027).

%

Default: the Social Security Trustees' long-run CPI assumption.

Results update as you type. We don’t save what you enter; shared links keep it after the “#”, which never reaches our servers.

Projected 2028 IRMAA tier

No IRMAA

$0 of room before the first projected threshold of $230,000.

First threshold

$230,000

at 2.4% inflation

If inflation is 1 pt lower

$228,000

If 1 pt higher

$232,000

Tier2026 MAGI (joint)Premium share
Standard$230,000 or less25%
Tier 1$230,001 – $290,00035%
Tier 2$290,001 – $362,00050%
Tier 3$362,001 – $434,00065%
Tier 4$434,001 – $749,99980%
Tier 5$750,000 or more85%

Projected, not official

CMS sets 2028 thresholds in late 2027 from actual inflation. The math below is the same formula CMS uses, with the one input that isn’t known yet replaced by an assumption you can change.

Show the math

Each threshold = statutory base × (average CPI-U, Sep 2026–Aug 2027 ÷ average Sep 2017–Aug 2018), rounded to the nearest $1,000; joint thresholds are double. The Sep 2026–Aug 2027 average is projected from the latest 12-month average at 2.4% inflation. The top threshold ($500,000 single, $750,000 joint) begins inflation indexing in 2029. Premium shares are the share of Part B program cost each tier pays.

Next stepPlanning a Roth conversion in 2026?It lands on this 2028 bill — see how much fits under the line.
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IRMAA Brackets 2028 Based on 2026 Income: Single Filers

For single filers, the projected 2028 lines start at about $115,000 Projected of 2026 MAGI. Each tier pays a bigger share of Part B program costs than the standard 25%, plus a Part D add-on. Amounts in dollars depend on the 2028 premium, which isn't set yet. (42 U.S.C. §1395r(i))

Tier 2026 MAGI (single, projected) Share of Part B cost
Standard up to $115,000 Projected 25%
1 to $145,000 Projected 35%
2 to $181,000 Projected 50%
3 to $217,000 Projected 65%
4 below $500,000 Projected 80%
5 $500,000 Projected and up 85%
Financial charts on a tablet next to a cup of tea
Photo: Towfiqu barbhuiya / Pexels

IRMAA Brackets 2028 Married Filing Jointly: Projected Tiers

Joint thresholds are exactly double the single ones except the top: the first projected line is $230,000 Projected, and the top tier starts at $750,000 Projected. Both spouses on Medicare each pay the surcharge, so a joint tier costs twice what the single table suggests.

Tier 2026 MAGI (joint, projected)
Standard up to $230,000 Projected
1 to $290,000 Projected
2 to $362,000 Projected
3 to $434,000 Projected
4 below $750,000 Projected
5 $750,000 Projected and up
Retired couple going over their budget on a spreadsheet
Photo: Vitaly Gariev / Pexels

How we project the 2028 brackets

The law indexes each threshold to the average CPI-U from September 2026 through August 2027, compared with September 2017–August 2018, rounded to the nearest $1,000. Only the latest window is unknown, so we grow it by 2.4 Projected%, the Trustees' assumption (BLS CPI-U). A point of inflation moves the first single line by about $1,000. The top threshold starts indexing in 2029.

Our take: aim a few thousand below the line

The projection could miss by a rounding step, so treat a projected line as a zone, not a cliff edge. Check this year's tier on the IRMAA calculator, compare the 2027 IRMAA brackets, and size any 2026 Roth conversion on the Roth conversion calculator. Income dropped after retiring? Form SSA-44 may help. For the full playbook, see How to Avoid IRMAA: 9 Moves That Actually Work.

Frequently asked questions

When will the official 2028 IRMAA brackets come out?

CMS announces them with the 2028 Part B premium, usually in October or November 2027, after the August 2027 inflation figure is published.

What if my 2026 income is high because of a one-time event?

Only listed life-changing events, such as retiring or the death of a spouse, let Social Security use a newer year's income. A one-time capital gain or Roth conversion doesn't qualify.

How do married couples filing separately pay IRMAA?

Separate filers who lived together during the year face a much harsher schedule: IRMAA starts just above the first single threshold and jumps straight toward the top tiers.

What counts as MAGI for IRMAA?

Adjusted gross income from your tax return plus tax-exempt interest. Roth conversions, IRA withdrawals and capital gains all raise it; Roth IRA withdrawals and HSA spending on medical costs don't.

Sources

Primary sources only. We re-check them whenever an agency publishes new figures.

  1. Congress
    42 U.S.C. §1395r(i) — Income-related monthly adjustment amount
  2. BLS
    BLS — CPI-U, U.S. city average, all items (CUUR0000SA0)
  3. SSA
    2026 Social Security Trustees Report· published June 9, 2026
  4. SSA
    SSA POMS HI 01101.020 — IRMAA sliding scale tables

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Where people go next

IRMAA CalculatorWill your income trigger Medicare's IRMAA surcharge? See your tier, the yearly cost, and how far you are from the next cliff.Open IRMAA Brackets 20272027 IRMAA income brackets (based on your 2025 tax return) and what each tier adds to Part B and Part D.Open SSA-44 IRMAA Appeal CheckCheck whether a life-changing event lets you cut IRMAA with Form SSA-44, and what you'd save.Open