Applying for medicare in 2020 and received a settlement for the termination of your supplemental pension from Avaya? This info is for you. Medicare will look back two years, so 2018 for your modified adjusted gross income (MAGI). This income level will inclued the settlement and inflate your income, thereby, causing an increased IRMA (or adjustment) to you medicare premium. For me it was a couple of "level" up or hundreds of dollars extra each month! Yes, they will send you information on how you can appeal and you may have 2-3 months (in my case it was 1 month after medicare would take effect.) But you can go another route first (so if that's denied, then appeal.) Go to the social security website and search for the from SSA-44. This form specifically lays out 8 reasons that can exempt you from some (or all) of the IRMA charges. The 8th reason is a pension settlement from a bankruptcy. Bingo. It's an easy form. The application tells you what kinds of evidence you need, including a letter from the employer (and what it should specify). I emailed James Kobar, Benefits Manager at Avaya (
jkobar@avaya.com; 678-421-5312). He provided me with exactly what I needed within 1 day. That, copies of tax returns, and W2 for 2018 vs. 2019 were mailed in and approved within 2 weeks. (My local SS office in Raleigh was far more responsive than the central number. Go local! Even during Covid, with the office closed to the public, the office was staffed, answering phones, etc.) I should be getting a refund from my first payment shortly. I never needed to appeal... that would have been the next step. Good luck!