(a) Terms relating to the Act and regulations. For the purposes of this subpart:

(1) Administrator means the Administrator of the Centers for Medicare & Medicaid Services (CMS) in HHS.

(2) CMS means the Centers for Medicare & Medicaid Services in HHS.

(3) Commissioner means the Commissioner of Social Security.

(4) HHS means the Department of Health and Human Services which oversees the Centers for Medicare & Medicaid Services, the Office of Medicare Hearings and Appeals (OMHA) and the Medicare Appeals Council (MAC).

(5) IRS means the Internal Revenue Service in the Department of the Treasury.

(6) MAC means the Medicare Appeals Council in HHS.

(7) OMHA means the Office of Medicare Hearings and Appeals in HHS.

(8) Section means a section of the regulations in this part unless the context indicates otherwise.

(9) The Act means the Social Security Act, as amended.

(10) Title means a title of the Act.

(11) We, our, or us means the Social Security Administration (SSA).

(b) Miscellaneous. For the purposes of this subpart:

(1) Amended tax return means a Federal income tax return for which an amended tax return using the required IRS form(s) has been filed by an individual or couple and accepted by IRS.

(2) Effective year means the calendar year for which we make an income-related monthly adjustment amount determination.

(3) Federal premium subsidy is the portion of the full cost of providing Medicare Part B coverage that is paid by the Federal Government through transfers into the Federal Supplementary Medical Insurance Trust Fund.

(4) Income-related monthly adjustment amount is an additional amount of premium that you will pay for Medicare Part B coverage if you have income above the threshold. The amount of your income-related monthly adjustment amount is based on your modified adjusted gross income.

(5) Medicare Part B standard monthly premium means the monthly Medicare Part B premium amount which is set annually by CMS, according to regulations in 42 CFR 408.20 through 408.27.

(6) Modified adjusted gross income is your adjusted gross income as defined by the Internal Revenue Code, plus the following forms of tax-exempt income:

(i) Tax-exempt interest income;

(ii) Income from United States savings bonds used to pay higher education tuition and fees;

(iii) Foreign earned income;

(iv) Income derived from sources within Guam, American Samoa, or the Northern Mariana Islands; and

(v) Income from sources within Puerto Rico.

(7) Modified adjusted gross income ranges are the groupings of modified adjusted gross income above the threshold. There are four ranges for most individuals, based on their tax filing status. There are two ranges for those with a tax filing status of married, filing separately, who also lived with their spouse for part of the year. The dollar amounts of the modified adjusted gross income ranges are specified in §418.1115.

(8) Non-standard premium means a Medicare Part B premium that some beneficiaries pay for Medicare Part B, rather than the standard premium. The rules for applying a non-standard premium are in 42 CFR 408.20(e). The non-standard premium does not apply to beneficiaries who must pay an income-related monthly adjustment amount.

(9) Premium is a payment that an enrolled beneficiary pays for Medicare Part B coverage. The rules that CMS uses to annually establish the premium amount are found in 42 CFR 408.20 through 408.27.

(10) Representative means, for the purposes of the initial determination and reconsidered determination, an individual as defined in §404.1703 of this chapter, and for purposes of an ALJ hearing or review by the MAC, an individual as defined in 42 CFR 405.910.

(11) Tax filing status means the filing status shown on your individual income tax return. It may be single, married filing jointly, married filing separately, head of household, or qualifying widow(er) with dependent child.

(12) Tax year means the year for which your Federal income tax return has been filed or will be filed with the IRS.

(13) Threshold means a modified adjusted gross income amount above which the beneficiary will have to pay an income-related monthly adjustment amount described in paragraph (b)(4) of this section. The dollar amount of the threshold is specified in §418.1105.

(14) You or your means the person or representative of the person who is subject to the income-related monthly adjustment amount.