Plain-English guide
Medicare Savings Programs and Extra Help: who qualifies in 2026
If you're on Medicare and money is tight, there are four programs that can pay your premiums and help with premiums, cost sharing, or drug costs. Here's how each one works, why the numbers below vary by state and change every year, and exactly where to apply.
The four Medicare Savings Programs
Medicare Savings Programs (MSPs) are run by your state's Medicaid agency, but you don't need to qualify for full Medicaid to get one. The three most common help with premiums and cost-sharing; a fourth helps certain working people with disabilities.
Qualified Medicare Beneficiary
Pays your Part A and Part B premiums, and your deductibles, coinsurance, and copays. If you have QMB, providers may not bill you for Medicare cost-sharing.
Specified Low-Income Medicare Beneficiary
Pays your Part B premium ($202.90/month in 2026 if you pay the standard amount).
Qualifying Individual
Pays your Part B premium. Funding is limited and granted first-come, first-served, so reapply each year — and you can't have Medicaid at the same time.
Qualified Disabled & Working Individual
Pays the Part A premium for certain people under 65 who returned to work and lost premium-free Part A. Different, higher income limits apply.
2026 federal income & resource limits
These are the federal baseline monthly income and total resource (asset) limits for 2026, shown as individual / married couple. They are tied to the federal poverty level and are updated every year, and — this is the part most people miss —many states use higher limits or don't count assets at all. If you're close to or even a bit over these numbers, apply anyway: eligibility is decided by your state, not by this page.
| Program | What it pays | Monthly income (ind. / couple) | Resources (ind. / couple) |
|---|---|---|---|
| QMB | Part A + B premiums, cost-sharing | $1,350 / $1,824 | $9,950 / $14,910 |
| SLMB | Part B premium | $1,616 / $2,184 | $9,950 / $14,910 |
| QI | Part B premium | $1,816 / $2,455 | $9,950 / $14,910 |
| QDWI | Part A premium (working, under 65) | $5,405 / $7,299 | $4,000 / $6,000 |
2026 federal figures, verified July 28, 2026. Source:Medicare.gov — Medicare Savings Programsand CMS publication 12132 (April 2026). Limits change annually and vary by state.
Extra Help (the Part D Low-Income Subsidy)
Extra Help lowers or eliminates what you pay for a Medicare drug plan — premiums, the deductible, and copays. Starting January 1, 2024, the Inflation Reduction Act expanded thefull subsidy to everyone with income up to 150% of the federal poverty level and ended the old "partial" level, so more people now get the full benefit.
- Apply through Social Security at ssa.gov/medicare/part-d-extra-help, or with your state Medicaid office. There's no enrollment window — apply any time.
- 2026 limits are $23,940 income / $18,090 resources for an individual and $32,460 income / $36,100 resources for a married couple. The resource figures include Medicare's burial exclusion. Verify the current rules on Medicare.gov.
- You may already be in. If you qualify for a Medicare Savings Program, full Medicaid, or SSI, you're automatically enrolled in Extra Help — you don't apply twice.
How to apply, in order
- 1
Call your SHIP
Free, unbiased counseling that sells nothing. A counselor confirms which programs fit your income and state, and helps you fill out the forms. shiphelp.org or 1-877-839-2675.
- 2
Apply for the Medicare Savings Program through your state Medicaid office
This is the state agency, not Medicare itself. Search your state's name plus “Medicare Savings Program application.” Approval also auto-enrolls you in Extra Help.
- 3
Apply for Extra Help through Social Security
Online at ssa.gov, by phone at 1-800-772-1213, or at a local office — unless a program above already enrolled you.
See which of these might fit you
No income screen, dollar estimate, phone number, or email. We point you to the official application and never decide eligibility for the government.
Build my official help route →Sources:Medicare.gov, Medicare Savings Programs;CMS, QMB program;SSA, Extra Help with Medicare prescription drug plan costs;CMS, Inflation Reduction Act. Income and resource limits are federal baselines that vary by state and update yearly; confirm current figures with the official sources or your SHIP before you rely on them.Last reviewed July 2026.
This guide is general information, not medical, legal, or insurance advice, and is not connected with or endorsed by the U.S. government or the federal Medicare program.