Key Takeaways
There are four programs that can help Medicare beneficiaries with limited incomes pay for their Medicare coverage.
Discover the eligibility thresholds for these programs in our charts, including changes made by individual states.
The Medicare Savings Programs (MSPs) are a set of benefits that are administered by state Medicaid agencies and help people pay for their Medicare costs. MSPs are divided into several programs:
- The Qualified Medicare Beneficiary (QMB)
- Specified Low-Income Medicare Beneficiary (SLMB)
- Qualifying Individual (QI)
- Qualified Disabled Working Individual (QDWI)
QMB, SLMB, and QI pay for a person's Medicare Part B premium. (QMB also covers additional cost-sharing in Parts A and B.) QDWI helps pay for a person's Part A premium.
Using the Federal poverty guidelines, we maintain this updated eligibility chart with state-specific information about the income and resource thresholds for the four Medicare Savings Programs that can help low-income Medicare beneficiaries pay their healthcare costs. This chart is updated annually or as we receive news about states changing their MSP guidelines. (Note: Slight changes were made to the chart following the official release of Medicaid guidelines by CMS in March 2021.)
Contact us if you would like to obtain a Word version of this chart for use/adaptation in training.
