New York Medicare Savings Program 2026: Income Limits, No Resource Test
New York’s limits are higher than the federal limits. The state’s page lists QMB at or below 138% FPL, $1,836 a month for one person and $2,489 for a couple, and QI below 186% FPL, $2,474 and $3,355. The page adds a $20 disregard, so the gross limits are $1,856 and $2,509 for QMB and $2,494 and $3,375 for QI. The state’s income chart is effective January 1, 2026.
There is no resource test in New York for these programs, so resources do not count. The figures come from New York State Department of Health (DOH), 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 New York, so there is nothing to enter for them.
Result for New York
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 (rounded up to the next dollar) | -$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 | $1,836 | $1,856 | $356 under | Likely eligible |
| QI | $2,474 | $2,494 | $994 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 second column adds $20 only so the limit can be compared with the federal tables, which have the $20 built in.
Resources
Resources do not count in New York, 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 New York
“This program can pay for the Medicare Part A and/or Part B premium. This program also pays for the Medicare Parts A and B coinsurance and deductibles.”
“This program pays for the Medicare Part B premium only. Individuals cannot be eligible for QI and Medicaid. The applicant must have Medicare Part A. States are allotted money for this program on a yearly basis.”
“Note: Specified Low-Income Medicare Beneficiary (SLMB) is another MSP. This MSP is no longer available in New York as it was absorbed into the other programs as part of the 2023 expansion of MSP income limits. SLMB continues as a separate MSP in other states.”
When coverage starts in New York
“No. Effective in month following month of application”
“Unlike QI, QMB does not offer retroactive premium reimbursement.”
“Yes. 3 months within same calendar year”
“QI recipients may receive up to three months of retroactive reimbursement for Part B premiums deducted from their Social Security checks. QI only reimburses premiums paid up to three months before the individual’s MSP effective date, and within the same year of that effective date.”
“For example, if your client submitted an MSP application at the end of 2025 and are approved for February 2026, they can only receive premium reimbursement for January 2026 because they cannot be reimbursed for premiums paid in the previous year. If your client’s QI effective date is April 2026, they would receive premium reimbursements for January, February, and March. Note that an individual cannot have QI and Medicaid.”
Federal law ties QMB to the month after the month of the eligibility determination; ask your local district when your QMB coverage will 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).
New York Medicare Savings Program income limits, 2026
New York State Department of Health (DOH) lists these monthly limits, effective January 1, 2026. The first two columns are the figures as the state prints them, before the $20 general disregard; the last two add the $20 so they can be compared with the federal tables. New York’s limits are higher than the federal limits.
| Program | One person | Couple | One person, with the $20 | Couple, with the $20 | At the limit |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Qualified Medicare Beneficiary (QMB) | $1,836 | $2,489 | $1,856 | $2,509 | The state’s wording differs: ask |
| Qualifying Individual (QI) | $2,474 | $3,355 | $2,494 | $3,375 | The state’s wording differs: ask |
- New York’s page and income chart name QMB and QI, and the Office for the Aging’s notebook says SLMB is no longer available in New York. Income above the QMB limit and up to the QI limit is QI; the state gives whichever benefit the income fits.
- The DOH page says QMB is “at or below” 138% FPL and the Office for the Aging’s table says “Under” $1,856, and the DOH page says QI is “Below” 186% FPL while other state documents word it differently. The checker therefore shows income exactly at the QMB or QI limit as at the limit.
- The state’s figures include a standard $20 disregard when listed as $1,856 and $2,494, and DOH lists both forms: $1,836 and $2,474 before the $20, $1,856 and $2,494 with it. Check which form you are reading.
- The one-half of wages deduction is rounded up to the next dollar according to the Medicaid Reference Guide page, which is marked as updated in July 2008. The same B-4 list also lets New York subtract items such as impairment-related work expenses and health insurance premiums from wages; the checker does not handle them, so ask your local district if they apply to you.
What New York prints
“Income at or Below 138% FPL”
“Income Below 186% FPL”
“Note: Medicaid allows a $20 deduction from applicant’s gross monthly income when calculating eligibility for MSP. The income listed reflects the $20 monthly SSI general income disregard.”
“Income limits are based on the Federal Poverty Level (FPL). These limits include a standard $20 disregard.”
“Under $1,856”
“(amounts listed include a standard $20 income disregard)”
Sources: New York State Department of Health: Medicare Savings Program 2026; New York State Department of Health: GIS 26 MA/05 attachment, 2026 income and resource standards; New York State Department of Health: Medicaid Reference Guide, SSI-related income budgeting; New York State Office for the Aging: HIICAP Notebook 2026, Module 9, Medicare Savings Programs.
New York has no resource test
There is no resource test in New York for QMB or QI, so bank accounts, stocks and other resources do not affect these two programs. The state’s chart lists it this way:
“Qualified Medicare Beneficiary (QMB) 138% FPL 1,836 2,489 No Resource Test”
“Qualifying Individual (QI) No Resource Test”
How New York counts income
“Medicaid rules for counting income under the DAB category (age 65+, blind, or disabled) are used for MSP applications.”
“Deduct the balance of the $20 income disregard, if it is not offset by unearned income;”
“Deduct $65;”
“Deduct one-half of the remaining earned income. (The one-half deduction is rounded up to the nearest dollar);”
“Deduct health insurance premiums, if not deducted from unearned income.”
“Deduct any impairment related work expenses”
“Individuals who apply for an MSP cannot choose which benefit they would like to apply for (QI or QMB). Applicants will be awarded whichever benefit they are eligible for based on their income.”
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, rounded up to the next dollar. 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 New York
Apply through your local county Department of Social Services, or online with the NY State of Health. The Department of Health’s Medicare Savings Program page, which has the application (DOH-4328): https://www.health.ny.gov/health_care/medicaid/program/update/savingsprogram/medicaresavingsprogram.htm. Phone: 1-800-541-2831 (the Medicaid Helpline).
“The following programs administered by Local Departments of Social Services, the Human Resources Administration in New York City, and the NY State of Health can assist individuals/couples in paying for their Medicare Premiums.”
“Applications for these programs may be obtained from the Medicaid office at the local (county) Department of Social Services. You may print the application from the link below or apply online with the NY State of Health.”
“If you have questions, the phone number to call for the Medicaid Helpline is 1-800-541-2831.”
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 New York for 2026?
New York’s limits are higher than the federal limits. The state’s page lists QMB at or below 138% FPL, $1,836 a month for one person and $2,489 for a couple, and QI below 186% FPL, $2,474 and $3,355. The page adds a $20 disregard, so the gross limits are $1,856 and $2,509 for QMB and $2,494 and $3,375 for QI. The state’s income chart is effective January 1, 2026.
Is New York’s limit higher than the federal Medicare Savings Program limit?
Yes. The federal published QMB limit (with the $20) is $1,350 for one person, and New York’s is $1,856. The federal published QI limit is $1,816, and New York’s is $2,494. The Office for the Aging’s notebook says SLMB is no longer available in New York because it was absorbed into the other programs as part of the 2023 expansion of MSP income limits, so income above the QMB limit up to the QI limit is QI.
Does New York have a resource test for the Medicare Savings Program?
No. The state’s January 1, 2026 income and resource chart lists "No Resource Test" for QMB and for QI, so resources do not count for these two programs.
How do I apply for the Medicare Savings Program in New York?
Applications may be obtained from your local county Department of Social Services, and you can apply online with the NY State of Health. The state’s page says the programs are administered by Local Departments of Social Services, the Human Resources Administration in New York City, and the NY State of Health, so New York City residents deal with HRA. The state’s application is DOH-4328, and paper applications must be mailed to your local Department of Social Services. The Medicaid Helpline is 1-800-541-2831.
How does New York count my income?
New York uses the Medicaid rules for people who are 65 or older, blind or disabled. The $20 disregard comes off first, with any unused part taken from wages; then $65 and then one-half of the remaining wages, with the one-half deduction rounded up to the nearest dollar.
What if my income is exactly at a New York limit?
The wording differs between state documents. The DOH page says QMB is “at or below” 138% FPL and QI is “Below” 186% FPL, and the Office for the Aging’s table says “Under” $1,856 for QMB. Income of exactly $1,856 ($1,836 after the $20) for QMB or exactly $2,494 ($2,474 after the $20) for QI is therefore shown as at the limit. Ask your local Department of Social Services.
Are the 2027 New York 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.
Other state pages
Sources
- New York State Department of Health: Medicare Savings Program 2026
- New York State Department of Health: GIS 26 MA/05 attachment, 2026 income and resource standards
- New York State Department of Health: Medicaid Reference Guide, SSI-related income budgeting
- New York State Office for the Aging: HIICAP Notebook 2026, Module 9, Medicare Savings Programs
- Medicare.gov: Medicare Savings Programs
Reviewed October 31, 2026 against the state sources above.