Texas Medicare Savings Program 2026: Income and Resource Limits
Texas uses the federal limits. HHSC lists, as of its handbook revision effective June 1, 2026 with figures effective March 1, 2026, a QMB maximum of $1,330 a month for one person and $1,804 for a couple, an SLMB range of $1,330.01 to less than $1,596 ($1,804.01 to less than $2,164 for a couple) and a QI-1 range of $1,596 to less than $1,796 ($2,164 to less than $2,435 for a couple). The figures do not include the $20 general income disregard, which comes off your income first.
Texas has a resource (asset) test: $9,950 for one person and $14,910 for a couple, effective January 1, 2026. The figures come from Texas Health and Human Services Commission (HHSC), 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.
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 Texas
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 in Texas
“QMB covers Medicare premiums for Parts A, B, and B-ID, deductibles, and coinsurance fees for Medicare services.”
“SLMB covers only the payment of Medicare Part B or Part B-ID premiums. An SLMB-eligible person does not get regular Medicaid benefits or a monthly medical identification card.”
“QI-1 covers only the payment of Medicare Part B or Part B-ID premiums. A QI-1-eligible person does not get regular Medicaid benefits or a medical identification card. A person cannot receive QI-1 benefits if receiving benefits under any other Medicaid-funded program.”
“Must not otherwise be receiving Medicaid.”
“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 Texas
“QMB: MED is the first day of the month following the month the case is processed and disposed in the eligibility system unless ensuring continuous QMB.”
“SLMB: MED is the first day of the month that the application is filed if all eligibility factors are met. MED can be the first of any of the three months prior.”
“Qualifying Individuals (QI-1): MED is the first day of the month that the application is filed if all eligibility factors are met. MED can be the first of any of the three months prior. 3MP cannot include the previous calendar year unless the application was filed in the previous year.”
MED is the medical effective date, the first day of coverage. 3MP is the three months before the month of application. So QMB starts the first of the month after HHSC finishes processing the case and disposes it in the eligibility system (unless it is ensuring continuous QMB), SLMB and QI-1 can start as early as three months before the application month, and QI-1 cannot reach back into the previous calendar year unless the application was filed in that year.
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).
Texas Medicare Savings Program income limits, 2026
Texas Health and Human Services Commission (HHSC) lists these monthly limits, effective March 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. Texas 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 must be less than the limit |
| Qualifying Individual (QI) | $1,796 | $2,435 | $1,816 | $2,455 | Income must be less than the limit |
- Texas prints its limits before the $20 general disregard, so each Texas figure plus $20 equals the federal published figure for the 48 states and DC.
- Texas tests a couple with the couple limit when both spouses apply for the same program, and each spouse separately with the individual limit if both are not eligible. The checker uses the couple limit when you choose married.
- The handbook says the $20 does not apply to VA pensions alone, and it lists exceptions to the $20 and to the earned income exclusion for other programs (Community Attendant Services, Medicaid Buy-In for Children and the special income limit). The checker takes the $20 off everything entered as Social Security, pension or similar income, so if your only income is a VA pension, ask HHSC.
What Texas prints
“Income can equal the maximum gross monthly income or be less than this limit.”
“The income range for a person is equal to a minimum monthly amount of $1,330.01 to a maximum monthly amount of less than $1,596.”
“The income range for a person is equal to a minimum monthly amount of $1,596 to a maximum monthly amount of less than $1,796.”
“Income limit amounts do not include the $20 general income disregard.”
“Use the couple income limit when both spouses are applying for the same program. If both are not eligible, use the individual income limit to test eligibility for each spouse separately.”
Sources: Texas HHSC, MEPD Handbook, Appendix IX: Medicare Savings Program Information; Texas HHSC, MEPD Handbook, Q-1300: MSP Resource Limits; Texas HHSC, MEPD Handbook, G-4100: Income Exclusions; Texas HHSC: Medicaid for the Elderly and People with Disabilities; Texas HHSC, MEPD Handbook, Appendix XXX: Medical Effective Dates.
Texas resource (asset) test
The resource limit for QMB, SLMB and QI is $9,950 for one person and $14,910 for a couple, the same as the federal limit. Resources at the limit are within it.
“Jan. 1, 2026 to Present: $9,950, $14,910”
What Texas does not count as a resource
What can be excluded?
- A Texas homestead where a person lives that they consider their principal place of residence
- Life insurance if the face value is $1,500 or less
- Separately identifiable burial funds of $1,500, less any excluded life insurance or irrevocable arrangement for burial, for the applicant and the applicant's spouse
- A car
- Burial spaces
How Texas counts income
“For each month, the first $20 of unearned or earned income is excluded. This exclusion is applied first to unearned income, then to earned income if the unearned income is less than $20. If no unearned income exists, the entire $20-exclusion is applied to the earned income.”
“Although this exclusion does not apply to VA pensions and parents' dependency and indemnity compensation (DIC), it does apply to VA compensation and insurance. If, however, a person receives income from a VA pension and another source, he retains the general exclusion. In the case of an eligible couple, only one $20-general exclusion is applied to the couple's combined income. The $20-general exclusion does not apply when determining eligibility for Community Attendant Services. The $20-general exclusion does not apply when determining eligibility for Medicaid Buy-In for Children (MBIC).”
“After applying the $20 general exclusion, exclude $65 of the remaining earned income plus one-half of the remaining earnings. In the case of an eligible couple, allow only one earned income exclusion for the couple's combined earned income. Exceptions: The earned income exclusion does not apply when determining eligibility for Community Attendant Services. The earned income exclusion does not apply when determining eligibility for the Medicaid Buy-In for Children (MBIC) program. Note: Do not apply the earned income exclusion when eligibility is determined using the special income limit.”
What counts as income in Texas
What counts as income?
- Social Security benefits
- Railroad retirement benefits
- State or local retirement benefits
- Interest or dividends
- Gifts or contributions
- Civil service annuities
- Veterans benefits
- Private pension benefits
- Royalty and rental payments
- Earnings or wages
- Value of shelter paid by someone else
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 Texas
Apply through Texas HHSC. YourTexasBenefits.com, the site HHSC’s “Apply for MEPD” button links to: https://www.yourtexasbenefits.com/Learn/Home. Phone: 2-1-1 (HHSC’s page tells you to call it to learn about your options).
“To learn more about all your options, contact your local Aging and Disability Resource Center or call 2-1-1.”
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 Texas for 2026?
Texas uses the federal limits. HHSC lists, as of its handbook revision effective June 1, 2026 with figures effective March 1, 2026, a QMB maximum of $1,330 a month for one person and $1,804 for a couple, an SLMB range of $1,330.01 to less than $1,596 ($1,804.01 to less than $2,164 for a couple) and a QI-1 range of $1,596 to less than $1,796 ($2,164 to less than $2,435 for a couple). The figures do not include the $20 general income disregard, which comes off your income first.
Is Texas’s Medicare Savings Program limit the same as the federal limit?
Yes. Add the $20 disregard to Texas’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). Appendix IX lists the same limits as the federal tables, with no higher Texas limit.
Does Texas have a resource test for the Medicare Savings Program?
Yes. The maximum countable resources are $9,950 for one person and $14,910 for a couple for QMB, SLMB and QI-1, effective January 1, 2026. Texas does not count a Texas homestead, a car, burial spaces, separately identifiable burial funds of $1,500 (less any excluded life insurance or irrevocable burial arrangement) or life insurance with a face value of $1,500 or less.
How do I apply for the Medicare Savings Program in Texas?
Apply through Texas HHSC at YourTexasBenefits.com, the site that HHSC’s Medicaid for the Elderly and People with Disabilities page links to with its “Apply for MEPD” button. To learn about your options, HHSC’s page says to contact your local Aging and Disability Resource Center or call 2-1-1. HHSC decides which program you qualify for.
How does Texas count my income?
Texas counts the income its handbook lists, including Social Security, pensions, interest and dividends, and wages. The first $20 of income is excluded, applied first to unearned income and then to wages. From wages it then excludes $65 plus one-half of the rest. A couple gets one $20 and one $65 exclusion for their combined income.
Are the 2027 Texas 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
- Texas HHSC, MEPD Handbook, Appendix IX: Medicare Savings Program Information
- Texas HHSC, MEPD Handbook, Q-1300: MSP Resource Limits
- Texas HHSC, MEPD Handbook, G-4100: Income Exclusions
- Texas HHSC: Medicaid for the Elderly and People with Disabilities
- Texas HHSC, MEPD Handbook, Appendix XXX: Medical Effective Dates
- Medicare.gov: Medicare Savings Programs
Reviewed October 31, 2026 against the state sources above.