Medicare Savings Programs: help paying Medicare premiums

Updated 2026-10-20 · Reviewed for accuracy by the EKO Labs team. Educational only; not medical advice.

If you have Medicare and a limited income, your state may help pay your Medicare premiums through a Medicare Savings Program. Depending on the program, it can also pay your Part A and Part B deductibles, coinsurance and copayments. Qualifying for any of these programs also gets you Extra Help with prescription drug costs. This guide explains the four programs, the 2026 federal limits, how to apply and what to do if you get a bill you should not have to pay. It is general information, not legal or financial advice.

The four Medicare Savings Programs

• Qualified Medicare Beneficiary (QMB): helps pay Part A premiums (if you don't have premium-free Part A) and Part B premiums, deductibles, coinsurance and copayments for services and items Medicare covers.
• Specified Low-Income Medicare Beneficiary (SLMB): helps pay Part B premiums only. You must have both Part A and Part B.
• Qualifying Individual (QI): helps pay Part B premiums. You must have both Part A and Part B, you must apply every year, and states approve applications first come, first served, with priority for people who had QI the year before. QI is only for people who don't qualify for any other Medicaid coverage or benefits.
• Qualified Disabled & Working Individual (QDWI): helps pay Part A premiums only, for people with a disability who are working and lost their Social Security disability benefits and premium-free Part A because they returned to work.

2026 federal income and resource limits

Medicare.gov lists these monthly income limits and resource limits for 2026. Income limits are slightly higher in Alaska and Hawaii, and the limits go up each year.

• QMB: individual $1,350 a month income and $9,950 in resources; married couple $1,824 and $14,910.
• SLMB: individual $1,616 and $9,950; married couple $2,184 and $14,910.
• QI: individual $1,816 and $9,950; married couple $2,455 and $14,910.
• QDWI: individual $5,405 and $4,000; married couple $7,299 and $6,000.

These are federal limits. Medicare.gov says you may still qualify in your state even if your income or resources are higher, because some states don't count certain types or amounts of income or resources. Even if you don't think you qualify, you should still apply.

How to apply

• Medicare Savings Programs are run by your state, usually through the state Medicaid office. You apply with your state, and the state decides which program or programs you qualify for.
• Ask your state which documents it needs, for example proof of income and information about bank accounts and other resources, and keep your Medicare card at hand.
• Free help: your State Health Insurance Assistance Program (SHIP) gives free, personal counseling to people with Medicare (shiphelp.org), and 1-800-MEDICARE (1-800-633-4227, TTY 1-877-486-2048) can point you to your state office.
• If you are in the QI program, remember to apply again every year.

Extra Help with drug costs comes with it

If you qualify for QMB, SLMB or QI, you also get Extra Help paying for drugs covered by your Medicare drug plan. Medicare.gov says you will pay no more than $12.65 in 2026 for each covered drug. See our guide to Extra Help for how it works with your drug plan.

QMB billing protection

• If you are in the QMB program, Medicare providers are not allowed to bill you for services and items Medicare covers, including deductibles, coinsurance and copayments. Federal law says a person in QMB has no legal liability to pay a provider for these amounts (42 USC 1396a(n)(3)(B)).
• You may still get a bill for a small Medicaid copayment, if one applies in your state.
• Show both your Medicare card and your Medicaid card (or QMB card) every time you get care. With Original Medicare, your Medicare Summary Notice also shows that you are in QMB.
• If you get a bill you think you should not have to pay, tell the provider you are in QMB and call 1-800-MEDICARE. Our guide on filing a complaint explains other places to get help.

Questions to ask your state office

• Which Medicare Savings Program do I qualify for, and from what date?
• Does my state count all of my income and resources, or does it use higher limits?
• What documents do you need, and how will I hear about your decision?
• When do I need to renew, and what happens if my income changes?

Our team can answer questions about your visit or prescription in Portuguese or English by phone. For help with Medicare Savings Programs, contact your state Medicaid office or your SHIP.

Sources: Medicare.gov, Medicare Savings Programs (2026 income and resource limits, QMB billing protection, QI rules, Extra Help); Medicare.gov, Filing a complaint (1-800-MEDICARE, SHIP); Social Security Act section 1902(n)(3), 42 USC 1396a(n)(3) (QMB cost-sharing protection), via law.cornell.edu. Consulted October 2026. This guide is general information, not legal or financial advice.