Arizona Medicare Savings Program 2026: Income Limits, No Resource Test
Arizona uses the federal limits. AHCCCS’s income standards, effective February 1, 2026, are $1,330 a month for one person and $1,804 for a couple for QMB, up to $1,596 and $2,164 for SLMB, and up to $1,796 and $2,435 for QI-1. AHCCCS says income is counted after deductions. Arizona has no resource test for these programs.
There is no resource test in Arizona for these programs, so resources do not count. The figures come from Arizona Health Care Cost Containment System (AHCCCS), not from the federal tables, and the checker below applies them. 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.
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.
Resources do not count in Arizona, so there is nothing to enter for them.
Result for Arizona
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
Resources do not count in Arizona, so no program here is over a resource limit.
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 in Arizona
“100% FPL: $1,330 Individual, $1,804 Couple, N/A Required, Entitled to Medicare Part A, Payment of Part A & B premiums, coinsurance, and deductibles”
“This Medicare Savings Program pays the member’s Medicare Part B premium”
“This Medicare Savings Program pays the member’s Medicare Part B premium.”
“QI is not available if one qualifies for other Medicaid Title XIX services”
“Must apply for pension, disability or retirement benefit, if available”
“States approve applications on a first-come, first-served basis – priority is given to people who got QI benefits the previous year.”
When coverage starts in Arizona
As of October 31, 2026, AHCCCS’s eligibility manual (section 615) and Medicare Savings Program pages do not say when coverage starts or whether it can be retroactive; ask AHCCCS when your coverage would start.
These are the state’s rules as of October 31, 2026; federal law shortens the Medicaid look-back for applications made on or after January 1, 2027 (see the hub).
Arizona Medicare Savings Program income limits, 2026
AHCCCS prints these monthly limits as its income standards effective February 1, 2026: QMB $1,330, SLMB $1,330.01 to $1,596.00 and QI-1 $1,596.01 to $1,796.00 for one person. The first two columns are the top of each range as AHCCCS prints it; the last two add $20 only so they can be compared with the federal tables. Arizona uses the federal limits: each figure plus $20 is the same as the federal published limit.
| Program | One person | Couple | One person, with the $20 | Couple, with the $20 | At the limit |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Qualified Medicare Beneficiary (QMB) | $1,330 | $1,804 | $1,350 | $1,824 | Income at the limit qualifies |
| Specified Low-Income Medicare Beneficiary (SLMB) | $1,596 | $2,164 | $1,616 | $2,184 | Income at the limit qualifies |
| Qualifying Individual (QI) | $1,796 | $2,435 | $1,816 | $2,455 | Income at the limit qualifies |
- AHCCCS’s sheet says the income is counted after deductions and does not name the $20. The checker applies the federal method (the $20, then $65 and one-half of wages) described on the hub; the sheet’s note on deductions is quoted under “How Arizona counts income”, so ask AHCCCS if you have work or education expenses.
- AHCCCS prints SLMB and QI-1 as ranges with “Equal to or Less than” at the top, so income exactly at the top of a range is within that program, and one cent more is in the next one.
- In the PDF’s text, the N/A (resource limit) and Required (Social Security number) cells of the QI-1 row come before its 135% FPL cell; each row’s resource cell reads N/A.
- QI-1 is not available to someone who qualifies for other Medicaid, and AHCCCS’s QI page says a person must apply for any pension, disability or retirement benefit they can get.
What Arizona prints
“Monthly income must not exceed the appropriate percentage of the FPL below:”
“Greater than 100%, Equal to or Less than 120% of FPL”
“Greater than 120%, Equal to or Less than 135% of the FPL”
“120% FPL: $1,330.01- $1,596.00 Individual, $1,804.01- $2,164.00 Couple, N/A Required, Entitled to Medicare Part A, Payment of Part B premium”
“N/A Required, 135% FPL: $1,596.01-$1,796.00 Individual, $2,164.01-$2,435.00 Couple, Entitled to Medicare Part A, Not receiving Medicaid benefits, Payment of Part B premium”
“Income greater than 100% of the Federal Poverty Level but less than or equal to 120% of the Federal Poverty Level”
“Income greater than 120% of the Federal Poverty Level but less than or equal to 135% of the Federal Poverty Level”
“Revised 02/03/2026”
Sources: AHCCCS Eligibility Policy Manual: 615 Income Standards; AHCCCS: Eligibility Requirements (revised February 1, 2026); AHCCCS: Qualified Individual (QI) Program; AHCCCS: Specified Low-Income Medicare Beneficiary (SLMB) Program.
Arizona has no resource test
AHCCCS’s eligibility sheet lists the resource limit for QMB, SLMB and QI-1 as N/A, so resources do not count in Arizona for these programs. The sheet’s column is headed:
“Resource Limits (Equity)”
How Arizona counts income
“Household Monthly Income by Household Size (After Deductions)”
“Income deductions vary by program but may include work expenses and educational expenses.”
The checker follows these steps: $20 off unearned income first, any unused part of the $20 off wages, then $65 off wages, then one-half of the rest of the wages. The same federal rules and the federal limits are on the Medicare Savings Program hub and the Extra Help income limits page.
Where to apply in Arizona
Apply through AHCCCS. healthearizonaplus.gov, the website AHCCCS’s eligibility sheet lists for QMB, SLMB and QI-1 (or mail an application to AHCCCS, P.O. Box 25520, SSI MAO, MD 15022, Phoenix, AZ 85002-5520): https://www.healthearizonaplus.gov. Phone: 602-417-4000 (AHCCCS’s main number, printed on its QI and SLMB program pages (toll free 1-800-654-8713)).
“www.healthearizonaplus.gov or mail an application to AHCCCS P.O. Box 25520 SSI MAO, MD 15022 Phoenix, AZ 85002-5520”
“Phone: 602-417-4000 Toll Free: 1-800-654-8713”
Your state Medicaid agency decides which program you qualify for, and Medicare.gov says to apply even if you do not think you qualify. See Medicare.gov’s Medicare Savings Programs page.
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.
For the federal limits, resource figures and the meaning of the $20, see the Medicare Savings Program hub; for Extra Help, which comes with these programs, see Extra Help income limits. Full Medicaid is on the Medicaid income limits page.
Frequently asked questions
What are the Medicare Savings Program income limits in Arizona for 2026?
Arizona uses the federal limits. AHCCCS’s income standards, effective February 1, 2026, are $1,330 a month for one person and $1,804 for a couple for QMB, up to $1,596 and $2,164 for SLMB, and up to $1,796 and $2,435 for QI-1. AHCCCS says income is counted after deductions. Arizona has no resource test for these programs.
Is Arizona’s Medicare Savings Program limit the same as the federal limit?
Yes. Add $20 to AHCCCS’s QMB figure of $1,330 and you get the federal published limit of $1,350; the same is true for SLMB ($1,616) and QI ($1,816). AHCCCS defines the programs as 100%, 120% and 135% of the federal poverty level.
Does Arizona have a resource test for the Medicare Savings Programs?
No. AHCCCS’s eligibility sheet lists the resource limit (equity) for QMB, SLMB and QI-1 as N/A, so resources such as bank accounts do not count for these programs.
How do I apply for the Medicare Savings Programs in Arizona?
AHCCCS’s eligibility sheet lists www.healthearizonaplus.gov or mailing an application to AHCCCS, P.O. Box 25520, SSI MAO, MD 15022, Phoenix, AZ 85002-5520. AHCCCS’s program pages list its phone number as 602-417-4000 and its toll-free number as 1-800-654-8713.
How does Arizona count my income?
AHCCCS’s sheet lists the household’s monthly income after deductions and says deductions vary by program but may include work expenses and educational expenses. It does not name the $20 general exclusion, so the checker uses the federal method: $20, then $65 and one-half of wages.
Can I get QI-1 in Arizona if I have other Medicaid?
No. AHCCCS’s QI page says QI is not available if one qualifies for other Medicaid Title XIX services, and the eligibility sheet lists “Not receiving Medicaid benefits” for QI-1. Medicare.gov says states approve QI applications on a first-come, first-served basis.
Are the 2027 Arizona Medicare Savings Program limits out yet?
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. This page shows no 2027 limit and makes no estimate. AHCCCS’s policy manual says the poverty level standards change no later than April each year.
Other state pages
Sources
- AHCCCS Eligibility Policy Manual: 615 Income Standards
- AHCCCS: Eligibility Requirements (revised February 1, 2026)
- AHCCCS: Qualified Individual (QI) Program
- AHCCCS: Specified Low-Income Medicare Beneficiary (SLMB) Program
- Medicare.gov: Medicare Savings Programs
Reviewed October 31, 2026 against the state sources above.