About Medicare Savings Programs

Medicare Savings Programs

Benefit

Eligibility

Benefit

Apply At

Qualified Medicare Beneficiaries (QMB)
  • Income & resource limits apply*
Medicaid pays:
  • Part B premium
  • Deductibles
  • Copays
Local Medicaid Office
Specified Low-Income Medicare Beneficiaries (SLMB)
  • Slightly higher income limits than QMB
  • Same resource limits
Medicaid pays:
  • Part B premium
Local Medicaid Office
Qualified Individuals (QI)
  • Slightly higher income limits than SLMB
  • Resource limits apply in some states
  • Funds limited to first come, first served
Medicaid helps pay:
  • Part B premium
Local Medicaid Office
Qualified Disabled & Working Individuals (QDWI)
  • Working disabled
  • Under 65 years
  • Lost premium-free Medicare Part A due to return to work
  • Not receiving medical assistance from the state
  • Meet state income and resource limits
Medicaid helps pay:
  • Part A premium
Local Medicaid Office
Extra Help
  • Medicare AND:
  • Receiving full Medicaid coverage, OR
  • Getting help paying for Part B premiums (in a Medicare Savings Program), OR
  • Receiving SSI benefits
Helps pay the costs of Medicare prescription drug coverage www.ssa.gov

*Current income and resource limits are available on our SSA Annual Updates page.

Medicare Example: Amelia applied for SSDI on June 1, 2012. She was approved a few months later and DDS determined her date of onset to be January 1, 2011. After taking into account the 5-month waiting period and her eligibility for up to 12 months of retroactive benefits, she was eligible to start receiving benefits on June 1, 2011. SSA calculates the two-year wait for Medicare dating from when her payments would have begun on June 1, 2011, and so she will be eligible for Medicare on June 1, 2013.