What are the Medicare Savings Programs (QMB, SLMB, QI)?

If your monthly income is at or below 100% FPL (about $1,325 for an individual in 2026), you may qualify for QMB — the full-coverage Medicare Savings Program. QMB pays your Medicare Part A premium (if you owe one), your Part B premium (about $202.90/mo in 2026), and the deductibles, coinsurance, and copays on the Medicare side.

It is the strongest of the four tracks. Apply through your state Medicaid agency.

If your income is over 100% FPL, look at SLMB or QI. → See SLMB and QI

If your monthly income is between 100% and 120% FPL (roughly $1,325 to $1,585 for an individual in 2026), you may qualify for SLMB. SLMB pays your Part B premium each month — that's about $202.90/mo back in your pocket in 2026.

SLMB enrollees also get Extra Help (LIS) for prescription drug costs automatically. Same easy asset test as QMB. Apply through your state Medicaid agency.

If your income falls between 120% and 135% FPL (about $1,585 to $1,781 for an individual in 2026), QI is your tier. QI pays your Part B premium and triggers automatic Extra Help for Part D, just like SLMB.

The catch: QI is funded out of a capped federal allotment that runs on a calendar-year basis. Apply early in the year to make sure you get a slot.

QDWI — Qualified Disabled Working Individual — is for working disabled adults under 65 who lost their free Medicare Part A because their earnings ended their disability cash benefits. If your income is at or below 200% FPL (about $2,650/mo for an individual in 2026), QDWI may pay your Part A premium so you keep hospital coverage.

QDWI does not cover Part B premium or cost-sharing. Apply through your state Medicaid agency.

If you're enrolled in QMB and a Medicare provider sends you a bill for the deductible, coinsurance, or a copay, that bill is illegal under federal law. The Qualified Medicare Beneficiary Improvement Act of 2017 prohibits Medicare providers from billing QMBs for Medicare cost-sharing.

Call the provider's billing office, tell them you are QMB-enrolled, and ask them to drop the charge. If they refuse, call your state Medicaid agency or 1-800-MEDICARE. Keep your QMB notice handy as proof.

MSP asset limits (about $9,660 individual / $14,470 couple in 2026 federal floor) are higher than SSI's $2,000 / $3,000 cap, but retirement accounts cause confusion. Some states count an IRA's full balance against the asset limit. Others only count the monthly distribution as income, treating the principal as exempt.

This is state-specific. Talk to your state Medicaid agency or a SHIP counselor before you assume your retirement account disqualifies you.

If you're filling out an MSP application for a parent, you'll need three things from them: monthly income (Social Security statement, pension statement, any wages), assets (bank balances, investment accounts, retirement accounts), and Medicare numbers (red, white, and blue Medicare card or MyMedicare account).

You'll also want their state Medicaid agency contact information — every state runs its own MSP application. SHIP counselors at 1-877-839-2675 will sit with you and your parent on the phone or in person and walk through the application together. Free service.

If your situation doesn't fit any of the cards above — maybe your income hovers right at one of the thresholds, or you have an unusual asset situation, or you're looking at this on behalf of a community member you don't share a household with — talk to a SHIP counselor.

SHIP counselors at 1-877-839-2675 are trained to look at the four MSP tracks side by side, walk through your state's specific eligibility rules, and tell you which one (if any) you may qualify for. Free, unbiased, no plan-pushing.