Medicare Savings Program 2026: Income Limits, Resource Limits and Checker
The Medicare Savings Programs are four state programs, QMB, SLMB, QI and QDWI, that help people with Medicare and a low income pay Medicare costs: QMB can also pay Part A premiums (if you don’t have premium-free Part A), Part B premiums, deductibles, coinsurance and copayments, and SLMB and QI pay Part B premiums. For 2026 the monthly income limit for one person in the 48 states and DC is $1,350 for QMB, $1,616 for SLMB and $1,816 for QI ($1,824, $2,184 and $2,455 for a married couple, and higher in Alaska and Hawaii), the resource limit is $9,950 for one person ($14,910 for a couple), and QMB, SLMB and QI enrollment brings Extra Help automatically.
Each limit and rule below comes from Medicare.gov, the Social Security Administration (SSA), CMS or a state agency and is quoted with its source. The checker applies the 2026 limits to the numbers you enter; your state Medicaid agency makes the decision.
Maintained by Archie Chang · Reviewed October 31, 2026 · Methodology & sources
Your situation
For a married couple, enter both spouses’ income added together. The $20 may not apply to income that is based on need, such as a VA pension, so ask your state if that is your income. Amounts go up to $100,000,000.
Bank accounts, stocks, bonds and retirement accounts. Leave out your home, one car, a burial plot and the other items listed below as not counted.
Result for 48 states and DC
How your income is counted, step by step
| Social Security, pensions and similar income | $1,500 |
| Minus the $20 general exclusion (unearned income first) | -$20 |
| Wages and self-employment earnings | $0 |
| Minus any unused part of the $20 | -$0 |
| Minus $65 of wages | -$0 |
| Minus one-half of the rest of the wages | -$0 |
| Countable income a month | $1,480 |
Income against each limit
| Program | Limit for countable income | Limit with the $20 added | Countable income compared with the limit | Result |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| QMB | $1,330 | $1,350 | $150 over | Over the income limit |
| SLMB | $1,596 | $1,616 | $116 under | Likely eligible |
| QI | $1,796 | $1,816 | $316 under | Under this limit too, but you would be placed in the program above first |
The “Countable income compared with the limit” column shows how far under or over each limit your countable income is. The $20 general exclusion is already built into the published federal limits, so the second column is the one the federal tables print.
Resources
Limit $9,950 for QMB, SLMB and QI: $4,950 under.
Screener only. Your state Medicaid agency decides, using your full application and its own rules. It applies the 2026 standards to the numbers you enter, and a state can count income and resources differently.
What the Medicare Savings Programs pay
“Get help from your state paying your Medicare Part A (Hospital Insurance) and Part B (Medical Insurance) premiums through a Medicare Savings Program. If you qualify, Medicare Savings Programs might also pay your Part A and Part B deductibles, coinsurance, and copayments.”
| Program | What it pays (Medicare.gov) | Income limit a month, one person / couple (48 states and DC) | Resource limit, one person / couple |
|---|---|---|---|
| QMB | Helps pay for: Part A premiums (if you don't have premium-free Part A); Part B premiums, deductibles, coinsurance, and copayments (for services and items Medicare covers). | $1,350 / $1,824 | $9,950 / $14,910 |
| SLMB | Helps pay for: Part B premiums only (You must have both Part A and Part B to qualify.) | $1,616 / $2,184 | $9,950 / $14,910 |
| QI | Helps pay for: Part B premiums (You must have both Part A and Part B to qualify.) | $1,816 / $2,455 | $9,950 / $14,910 |
| QDWI | Helps pay for: Part A premiums only | $5,405 / $7,299 | $4,000 / $6,000 |
Sources: Medicare.gov, Medicare Savings Programs (what each program pays and the resource limits); SSA POMS HI 00815.023 (income limits).
Who may qualify for QDWI
You may qualify for the QDWI Program if you:
- Have a disability
- Are working
- Lost Your Social Security disability benefits and Medicare premium-free Part A because you returned to work
“You must apply every year to stay in the QI Program.”
“States approve applications on a first-come, first-served basis – priority is given to people who got QI benefits the previous year.”
“QI is only available for people who don't qualify for any other Medicaid coverage or benefits, but you may qualify for help from another Medicare Savings Program.”
“The Medicare Savings Programs (MSPs) are mandatory Medicaid eligibility groups that assist low-income Medicare beneficiaries with some or all of their Parts A and B premiums and cost-sharing. State Medicaid agencies determine whether or not an individual is eligible for Medicaid coverage, including the MSPs.”
Medicare Savings Program income limits for 2026
These are the monthly federal limits in SSA’s Program Operations Manual, with separate figures for Alaska and Hawaii. The federal tables print each limit as a percentage of the federal poverty level plus $20.
| Where you live | QMB, one person / couple | SLMB, one person / couple | QI, one person / couple | QDWI, one person / couple |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| 48 states and DC | $1,350 / $1,824 | $1,616 / $2,184 | $1,816 / $2,455 | $5,405 / $7,299 |
| Alaska | $1,683 / $2,275 | $2,015 / $2,725 | $2,265 / $3,064 | $6,735 / $9,102 |
| Hawaii | $1,550 / $2,095 | $1,856 / $2,509 | $2,086 / $2,821 | $6,205 / $8,382 |
Source: SSA POMS HI 00815.023 (effective 02/26/2026); the same figures are in the CMS bulletin of January 23, 2026. The QDWI limits already include the earned income disregards.
“The income figures for the QDWI group incorporate earned income disregards, in addition to the $20 general income disregard.”
“CMS rounds up to the nearest dollar when computing the monthly income limits.”
“In most cases, your income and resources must be below a certain limit to qualify for a Medicare Savings Program, as described below. These limits go up each year.”
Resource limits and what counts
The resource limit for QMB, SLMB and QI is $9,950 for one person and $14,910 for a married couple, and for QDWI it is $4,000 and $6,000. CMS’s bulletin says how these are set:
“The asset limits are not derived from the poverty guidelines but are instead based on a statutory formula described in section 1905(p)(1)(C) of the Social Security Act (the Act).”
What counts as resources
What counts in resource limits?
- Money in a checking, savings, or retirement account
- Stocks
- Bonds
What does not count as resources
States don’t count:
- Your home
- One car
- Burial plot
- Up to $1,500 for burial expenses if you have put that money aside
- Furniture
- Other household and personal items
Source: Medicare.gov, Medicare Savings Programs (the “What counts in resource limits?” box).
How income is counted
The $20 general income disregard is already built into the published limits above: each one is a percentage of the federal poverty level plus $20, and SSA’s table says so in its headings and footnote.
“QMB Monthly Income Limits (100% FPL+ $20)”
“$20 = monthly SSI general income exclusion.”
So the federal limits already include the $20, and the checker does the same thing from the other side: it takes the $20 off your income first, then compares what is left with the limit minus $20. Wages get more exclusions, the way SSI counts them: any part of the $20 not used on unearned income, then $65, then one-half of the rest. A couple gets one $20 and one $65. Texas and Florida publish their figures before the $20, New York lists both forms, and other states may use either, so check whether your state’s figure already includes the $20 before you compare it with the federal table. Massachusetts, Arizona, New Jersey and Connecticut also publish rounded poverty-level percentages before any $20, and Connecticut’s sources do not list a $20 exclusion, so the checker does not take one for Connecticut.
Example, 48 states and DC, one person: Social Security of $1,500 a month counts $1,480 after the $20. That is $150 over the QMB limit for countable income ($1,330) and $116 under the SLMB limit ($1,596), so SLMB is the likely fit.
Extra Help comes with a Medicare Savings Program
Extra Help is the Part D Low-Income Subsidy, which lowers prescription drug costs. Medicare.gov lists who gets it without applying:
Who gets Extra Help automatically
You’ll get Extra Help automatically if you get:
- Full-benefit Medicaid coverage
- Help from your state paying your Part B premiums (from a Medicare Savings Program)
- Supplemental Security Income (SSI) payments from Social Security
QMB, SLMB and QI help pay Part B premiums; QDWI helps pay Part A premiums only. See Extra Help income limits for the Extra Help limits and its own screener.
QMB billing protection
CMS explains the billing protection for people in the QMB group:
“Federal law prohibits Medicare providers and suppliers, including pharmacies, from billing individuals in the QMB group for Medicare cost sharing.”
“Medicare beneficiaries enrolled in the QMB group have no legal obligation to pay Part A or Part B deductibles, coinsurance, or copayments for any Medicare-covered items and services.”
Medicare.gov tells people in QMB what to do if a bill arrives:
“Tell your provider or the debt collector that you’re in the QMB program and can’t be charged for Medicare deductibles, coinsurance, and copayments.”
Sources: CMS, Qualified Medicare Beneficiary (QMB) Program Group; Medicare.gov.
When coverage starts
Federal law has these timing provisions; states apply them under their own rules, and some limit retroactive coverage:
“If an individual is determined to be a qualified medicare beneficiary (as defined in section 1396d(p)(1) of this title), such determination shall apply to services furnished after the end of the month in which the determination first occurs.”
“provide that in the case of any individual who has been determined to be eligible for medical assistance under the plan, such assistance will be made available to him for care and services included under the plan and furnished in or after the third month before the month in which he made application (or application was made on his behalf in the case of a deceased individual) for such assistance if such individual was (or upon application would have been) eligible for such assistance at the time such care and services were furnished;”
That text is in effect for applications made before January 1, 2027. Public Law 119-21 (July 4, 2025), section 71112, rewrites it for later applications. The new text has two parts, one for people enrolled under the adult expansion group and one for everyone else:
“is enrolled under paragraph (10)(A)(i)(VIII), such assistance will be made available to the individual for care and services included under the plan and furnished in or after the month before the month in which the individual made application (or application was made on the individual's behalf in the case of a deceased individual) for such assistance if such individual was (or upon application would have been) eligible for such assistance at the time such care and services were furnished; or”
“is not described in subparagraph (A), such assistance will be made available to the individual for care and services included under the plan and furnished in or after the second month before the month in which the individual made application (or application was made on the individual's behalf in the case of a deceased individual) for such assistance if such individual was (or upon application would have been) eligible for such assistance at the time such care and services were furnished;”
“The amendments made by this section shall apply to medical assistance, child health assistance, and pregnancy-related assistance with respect to individuals whose eligibility for such medical assistance, child health assistance, or pregnancy-related assistance is based on an application made on or after the first day of the first quarter that begins after December 31, 2026.”
So for people who are not enrolled under that group, the look-back shortens from the third month before the month of application to the second month before it, for applications made on or after January 1, 2027.
The start date and any retroactive coverage differ by program and state, so ask your state Medicaid office. The Texas, Florida, New York, Massachusetts, Arizona, New Jersey and Connecticut pages show what each state’s agency prints.
The 2027 limits
The 2027 limits are not yet published as of October 31, 2026. Medicare.gov and the SSA Program Operations Manual still list the 2026 limits as the current ones, and this page shows no 2027 limit and makes no estimate.
The income limits follow the poverty guidelines (see our federal poverty level calculator) and the resource limits are set by a statutory formula, so they are published separately. For what Medicare costs in 2027, see the 2027 Part B premium and the 2026 IRMAA brackets.
States with different rules
“You may still qualify for these programs in your state even if your income or resources are higher than the federal limits listed. Some states don’t count certain types or specific amounts of income or resources when deciding who qualifies.”
“States can, however, effectively raise these limits for the Qualified Medicare Beneficiary (QMB), Specified Low-Income Medicare Beneficiary (SLMB), and Qualified Individuals (QI) eligibility groups above the federal statutory limits by disregarding amounts or certain types of income and resources. Some states have used this authority to effectively eliminate resources tests when determining eligibility for these MSP eligibility groups.”
These state pages show what the state’s own agency prints for 2026; some of these states use the federal limits and some do not:
- Texas Medicare Savings Program: uses the federal limits and has a resource test (Texas Health and Human Services Commission (HHSC)).
- Florida Medicare Savings Program: uses the federal limits and has a resource test (Florida Department of Children and Families (DCF)).
- New York Medicare Savings Program: limits higher than the federal limits and no resource test (New York State Department of Health (DOH)).
- Massachusetts Medicare Savings Program: limits higher than the federal limits and no resource test (MassHealth).
- Arizona Medicare Savings Program: uses the federal limits and has no resource test (Arizona Health Care Cost Containment System (AHCCCS)).
- New Jersey Medicare Savings Program: uses the federal limits and has a resource test (New Jersey Department of Human Services, Division of Aging Services).
- Connecticut Medicare Savings Program: limits higher than the federal limits and no resource test (Connecticut Department of Social Services (DSS)).
For other states, ask your state Medicaid office; see Medicaid income limits by state for full Medicaid.
Where to apply
“You’ll apply for Medicare Savings Programs through your state. When you apply, your state determines which program(s) you qualify for. Even if you don’t think you qualify, you should still apply.”
You apply through your state Medicaid office. Medicare.gov’s Medicare Savings Programs page explains the programs, and Medicaid.gov’s page for contacting your state has the way to reach it.
Frequently asked questions
What is the Medicare Savings Program?
The Medicare Savings Programs are four state programs that help people with Medicare and a low income pay their Medicare costs. QMB helps pay Part A premiums (if you do not have premium-free Part A) and Part B premiums, deductibles, coinsurance and copayments. SLMB and QI help pay Part B premiums only, and QDWI helps pay Part A premiums only. Medicare.gov says SLMB and QI also require both Part A and Part B.
What are the Medicare Savings Program income limits for 2026?
In the 48 states and DC the monthly limits for one person and a married couple are $1,350 and $1,824 for QMB, $1,616 and $2,184 for SLMB, $1,816 and $2,455 for QI, and $5,405 and $7,299 for QDWI. Alaska and Hawaii are higher and are in the table above. The $20 general income disregard is already built into these limits.
What is the Medicare Savings Program resource limit for 2026?
The resource limit for QMB, SLMB and QI is $9,950 for one person and $14,910 for a married couple, and for QDWI it is $4,000 and $6,000. Medicare.gov lists your home, one car, a burial plot, up to $1,500 for burial expenses if you have put that money aside, furniture and other household and personal items as items that states do not count. Some states do not count other items or have no resource test, so check your state.
Does a Medicare Savings Program qualify me for Extra Help?
Yes for the programs that help pay Part B premiums. Medicare.gov says you will get Extra Help automatically if you get help from your state paying your Part B premiums from a Medicare Savings Program. QMB, SLMB and QI help pay Part B premiums; QDWI helps pay Part A premiums only. Extra Help lowers your prescription drug costs.
Can my provider bill me if I have QMB?
No for Medicare cost sharing. CMS says federal law prohibits Medicare providers and suppliers, including pharmacies, from billing individuals in the QMB group for Medicare cost sharing, and QMB enrollees have no legal obligation to pay Part A or Part B deductibles, coinsurance, or copayments for any Medicare-covered items and services. You may still get a bill for a small Medicaid copayment, if one applies.
Are the 2027 Medicare Savings Program limits out yet?
No. The 2027 limits are not yet published as of October 31, 2026. Medicare.gov and the SSA Program Operations Manual still list the 2026 limits as the current ones, and this page shows no 2027 limit and makes no estimate.
How do I apply, and what if my income is over the limit?
You apply through your state Medicaid office, and your state decides which program, if any, you qualify for. Medicare.gov says you may still qualify even if your income or resources are higher than the federal limits, because some states do not count certain types or amounts of income or resources, and it says to apply even if you do not think you qualify.
Sources
- Medicare.gov: Medicare Savings Programs
- Medicare.gov: Help with drug costs (Extra Help)
- SSA POMS HI 00815.023: Medicare Savings Programs income and resource limits
- CMS: Qualified Medicare Beneficiary (QMB) Program Group
- CMS CMCS Informational Bulletin (January 23, 2026): 2026 Federal Poverty Level Standards and Dual Eligible Standards
Limits and rules checked October 31, 2026. This page is a screener and general information, not a decision: your state Medicaid agency decides who qualifies.