Recent Timeline with IRMMA?

[nanciT]

Want to check in if anyone recently sent in the IRMMA reconsideration and what the timeline was?

We sent our paperwork in January. It has taken months to get through to SS. Calling for weeks, unable to "go to the officer" without an appt. Finally I got through yesterday after a 3 hour wait on the phone. We called at 8am

We had faxed the paperwork in, along with mailing it US Post with return receipt. We know they got it in JAN.

The agent was very nice and checked that only my spouse's was listed although she could see all of my paperwork was correct for both of us.

She asked us to re fax the entire thing along with our new 2024 Tax return and she planned on sending them an email also. We made a appt but it's months out.

She could not give us a timeline other than 60 business days from the time it's in the system.

Has anyone had any recent experiences with this?

[LilyFleur]

Deleted.

[azb]

I had a good experience with my IRMMA request. I mailed my forms (and a letter from my employer) in early January and my IRMMA waiver was granted about 45 days later. (The official notice came first--I noticed the change online first). I think the times can vary by local office (where you send the forms). My local office is in Alexandria, VA.

[Wrench]

I had a somewhat similar experience a couple years ago. I faxed both my application and my spouses in one fax in late December, early January. I called in February and they had mine and approval was given shortly thereafter. But they had no record of my spouses application. I suspect that they only looked at the first request in the fax. I re-faxed my spouses application and called again a couple months later and it was approved too. My learning: don't put two applications in one fax. Fax them completely separately with separate cover letters, applications and all supporting documentation in each one. No guarantee that will work either, but at least it avoids the problem I had.

Wrench

[tgallag]

I applied for a reconsideration a few months ago, I want to say in early January. I submitted mine on-line. I think I received the approval maybe a month later. I was surprised how quick it was, especially because I received no acknowledgement of my original submission.

[stan1]

Fluctuates entirely by local office workloads and the person assigned to it. Since its decentralized I'm not sure any conclusions can be drawn. If there are millions of these going up every year seems like there could be more automation and centralization. Outside Bogleheads I'm not sure how often it is done.

[Count If]

Just passed 90 days with no response, no decision. I called at 60 days, was told to call again at 90 days. Submitted early December '24 for DW and self ('23 LCE, request to use my '24 MAGI for '25 premium reduction). I should have my 1040 submitted within 30 days so could give them a copy of my actual submitted return at that point vs. an estimate.

[Count If]

I applied for a reconsideration a few months ago, I want to say in early January. I submitted mine on-line. I think I received the approval maybe a month later. I was surprised how quick it was, especially because I received no acknowledgement of my original submission.

How did you submit it online? I was under the impression it had to be mailed or submitted at one's local SS office. When I went to SS office the agent faxed ours to a processing center.

[WeakOldGuy]

I applied for a reconsideration a few months ago, I want to say in early January. I submitted mine on-line. I think I received the approval maybe a month later. I was surprised how quick it was, especially because I received no acknowledgement of my original submission.

How did you submit it online? I was under the impression it had to be mailed or submitted at one's local SS office. When I went to SS office the agent faxed ours to a processing center.

Yeah, that was my understanding as well, and this was after trying to find anyway possible to submit it online.

At the end of January 2024 I submitted for my wife and I, we submitted it with a SSA officer at the local office and didn't hear anything at all for months. Finally we got a refund for my wife around August. Her Part B premium is deducted from her SS retirement payment. In September, they simply didn't make a withdrawal from my bank account for my Medicare premium (I'm not collecting SS benefits yet so the payment is pulled from my bank account). I think later in September we got a letter saying we would be paying IRMAA based on our income and the amount listed was the new IRMAA amount. After a few months, they started withdrawing from my bank account again as my refund credit was used up.

In early February this year we once again filed a SSA-44 at the local office and so I don't expect to hear anything for months yet.

[mrsbetsy]

Submitted in January, received a request for additional documents, which were already sent in the first batch with request. Sigh.

The February deposit was still the reduced amount. Received letter that it was approved and the difference between January and February were deposited into our account separately, but they wanted a copy of our tax return, which we provided as soon as we did them.

We shall see if the corrected amount happens on 3/19. Fingers crossed.

[tgallag]

I applied for a reconsideration a few months ago, I want to say in early January. I submitted mine on-line. I think I received the approval maybe a month later. I was surprised how quick it was, especially because I received no acknowledgement of my original submission.

How did you submit it online? I was under the impression it had to be mailed or submitted at one's local SS office. When I went to SS office the agent faxed ours to a processing center.

www.ssa.gov/non-medical/appeal

The link was mentioned in the letter I received. It then forwards to https://secure.ssa.gov/iApplNMD/start

[ncdcpa]

A few years back, I found SSA-44 can require a mix of patience and follow-up. Short story: They scanned it in a week after I mailed it, but left it in the repository without marking to be processed, until I called after six weeks after mailing. There were more calls and follow-ups, but keeping the story short, it was all resolved about eleven weeks after mailing.

[WeakOldGuy]

How did you submit it online? I was under the impression it had to be mailed or submitted at one's local SS office. When I went to SS office the agent faxed ours to a processing center.

www.ssa.gov/non-medical/appeal

The link was mentioned in the letter I received. It then forwards to https://secure.ssa.gov/iApplNMD/start

I believe that only refers to appealing a denial of SS benefits, not a request to have IRMAA based on a more recent year than 2 years prior. In other words, I don't believe that will substitute for a submitted SSA-44 Form.

[olive123]

In late December 2024, we dropped off our documents (SSA-44 and proof of retirement) to our local SS office (Texas) for both my husband and myself. We did not have an appointment, and just handed the envelope to the person at the front desk and he put it in a big box. About 6 weeks later, my husband's IRMAA was reduced - we noticed first online and a couple weeks later he received the letter from SS. My IRMAA was not changed, so we gave it another week or so, and then called the local office. A helpful representative determined that mine had been scanned in with my husband's but not separated to process. She said she would notify the person who handles these requests in that office, and it was approved within a week after that. So, from start to finish, about 6 weeks for his and about 8-9 weeks for mine.

[WeakOldGuy]

In late December 2024, we dropped off our documents (SSA-44 and proof of retirement) to our local SS office (Texas) for both my husband and myself. We did not have an appointment, and just handed the envelope to the person at the front desk and he put it in a big box. About 6 weeks later, my husband's IRMAA was reduced - we noticed first online and a couple weeks later he received the letter from SS. My IRMAA was not changed, so we gave it another week or so, and then called the local office. A helpful representative determined that mine had been scanned in with my husband's but not separated to process. She said she would notify the person who handles these requests in that office, and it was approved within a week after that. So, from start to finish, about 6 weeks for his and about 8-9 weeks for mine.

That was pretty quick turn-around. I imagine it depends on the work-load at the local SSA office?

Of course, what the processing time was last year, may have no relation to what the processing time may be this year with the proposed staffing cuts. I think eventually the SSA will get to the SSA-44s, it just is a matter of time.

[tgallag]

www.ssa.gov/non-medical/appeal

The link was mentioned in the letter I received. It then forwards to https://secure.ssa.gov/iApplNMD/start

I believe that only refers to appealing a denial of SS benefits, not a request to have IRMAA based on a more recent year than 2 years prior. In other words, I don't believe that will substitute for a submitted SSA-44 Form.

Here is a portion of the response letter I received. It was dated January 21. It appears they accepted my request.
One of the docs I uploaded when I did this was a completed SSA-44.
I am new to Medicare and certainly realize I could be missing something here

[WeakOldGuy]

I believe that only refers to appealing a denial of SS benefits, not a request to have IRMAA based on a more recent year than 2 years prior. In other words, I don't believe that will substitute for a submitted SSA-44 Form.

Here is a portion of the response letter I received. It was dated January 21. It appears they accepted my request.
One of the docs I uploaded when I did this was a completed SSA-44.
I am new to Medicare and certainly realize I could be missing something here

That is great. So it appears that, at least in your case, they did accept the SSA-44 via that route. It would be nice if it continued to operate in that way as it is getting harder to submit SSA-44 forms at local offices due to the backlog. Not all offices have secure drop-boxes.