This may surprise you, but Medicare appeals are actually pretty standard. Original medicare appeals that is. Appeal is what we do when we don't agree with a decision Medicare makes. The most common appeal that I see is an appeal filed for IRMAA (Income Related Monthly Adjustment Amounts). When someone receives a letter notifying them that they may need to pay more for Medicare based on their income, this letter is a trigger for that person to file an appeal. I always say, "pay the bill, not the letter." The letter is a decision that can be appealed. All it takes for this specific appeal is a form called SSA-44 that allows beneficiaries to make CMS aware of life events that can cause income to change. The income related amount is based on MAGI (Modified Adjusted Gross Income) that the IRS shares from 2 years before the Medicare start date. Somewhere around the age of 65, income can change for many reasons. This is just one appeal example, and certainly one we have down. If you need help or have questions about notifications you receive from Medicare, we would love to help if we can.