A Medicare Savings Program (MSP) can pay your entire Part B premium — $202.90 a month in 2026 — if your income is roughly under $1,816 a month for a single person. That is over $2,400 a year back in your pocket. The three main programs (QMB, SLMB, and QI) are run by state Medicaid offices, and the most generous one, QMB, also wipes out Medicare deductibles, coinsurance, and copays.
These programs are chronically under-enrolled: millions qualify and never apply. Here is who fits under the 2026 limits.
What are the 2026 income and asset limits?
Federal baseline limits (many states use slightly higher lines, and a few have no asset test at all):
| Program | Monthly income (single) | Monthly income (couple) | What it pays |
|---|---|---|---|
| QMB | up to $1,350 | up to $1,824 | Part A and B premiums + deductibles, coinsurance, copays |
| SLMB | up to $1,616 | up to $2,184 | Part B premium only |
| QI | up to $1,816 | up to $2,455 | Part B premium only (first-come annual funding) |
Asset limits for 2026 are $9,950 single / $14,910 couple for all three programs in most states. Your home, one car, household goods, and burial funds up to set amounts do not count. California is a notable outlier with far higher asset limits, and several states (like New York for some programs) have eliminated asset tests.
What’s the difference between QMB, SLMB, and QI?
QMB (Qualified Medicare Beneficiary) is the full package: it pays premiums and all Medicare cost-sharing, and providers are legally barred from billing you for Medicare-covered services beyond nominal amounts. With QMB, a hospital stay’s Part A deductible and the 20% Part B coinsurance both disappear.
SLMB (Specified Low-Income Medicare Beneficiary) pays the Part B premium only. You still pay deductibles and coinsurance.
QI (Qualifying Individual) also pays only the Part B premium, at a slightly higher income line — but it is funded by annual block grants, applications are first-come first-served, and you cannot have QI if you also qualify for Medicaid.
The premium these programs cover is the one examined in our breakdown of the 2026 Part B premium and who pays more. If your income is low enough for QMB, you may also qualify for full Medicaid alongside Medicare — the combination explained in dual eligibility in 2026.
What else do you get automatically?
Enrollment in any MSP automatically enrolls you in Extra Help (the Part D Low-Income Subsidy), which cuts prescription drug plan premiums and caps drug copays at a few dollars. This bundled benefit is often worth as much as the Part B premium itself.
MSP enrollment also stops the Part B late-enrollment penalty from being charged while you are in the program, and QMB/SLMB enrollment gives you year-round rights to enroll in Part B without waiting for a general enrollment period.
How do you apply?
Through your state Medicaid agency — not Social Security:
- Find your state’s application (search "[your state] Medicare Savings Program application" on your state Medicaid site, or call your local State Health Insurance Assistance Program, SHIP, for free help).
- Provide proof of income (Social Security award letter, pension statements) and assets (bank statements).
- Decisions typically take up to 45 days. QMB starts the month after approval; SLMB and QI can be retroactive up to three months.
If you are denied and believe the math is wrong, you can appeal through the state Medicaid fair-hearing process.
FAQ
Q. Does my Social Security check go up if an MSP pays my Part B premium?
A. Effectively yes — the $202.90 stops being deducted from your check, so your deposit rises by that amount.
Q. Do MSPs count my house or retirement savings?
A. Your home never counts. Retirement accounts do count as assets in most states — but check your state, since several have raised or eliminated asset limits.
Q. Can I have an MSP and a Medicare Advantage plan?
A. Yes. QMB cost-sharing protections apply in Advantage plans too for Medicare-covered services.
Q. I’m slightly over the income limit. Should I still apply?
A. Yes. Many states disregard part of your income (the first $20 of any income is excluded federally, and some states disregard much more), so the effective limits are higher than the table suggests.