Does my parent qualify for a Medicare Savings Program or Extra Help?

Updated October 18, 2026 · General information, not professional advice

What Medicare Savings Programs pay for

Medicare Savings Programs (MSPs) are run by state Medicaid agencies and help pay Medicare costs:

• QMB (Qualified Medicare Beneficiary): pays Part A and Part B premiums, deductibles, coinsurance and copays. Providers that take Medicare can't bill QMB members for covered services.
• SLMB (Specified Low-Income Medicare Beneficiary): pays the Part B premium.
• QI (Qualifying Individual): pays the Part B premium; funded first-come, first-served each year.

Paying the Part B premium alone saves $202.90 a month, or about $2,435 a year, in 2026.

People in a Medicare Savings Program who also qualify for full Medicaid may get additional benefits, such as help with long-term care, depending on their state.

2026 Medicare Savings Program limits

Federal monthly income limits for 2026:

• QMB: $1,350 single, $1,824 married.
• SLMB: $1,616 single, $2,184 married.
• QI: $1,816 single, $2,455 married.

Resource limit for all three: $9,950 single, $14,910 married. Countable resources include bank accounts, stocks and bonds, but not the home, one car, or burial plots.

Limits are slightly higher in Alaska and Hawaii. Many states use more generous rules, and some don't count assets at all, so apply even if your parent is a little over.

What Extra Help does

Extra Help (the Part D Low-Income Subsidy) lowers prescription drug costs: premiums, deductibles and copays. Social Security estimates it's worth about $5,700 a year. In 2026, people with Extra Help pay no more than $12.65 per covered drug.

2026 Extra Help limits:

• Income up to $23,940 a year (single) or $32,460 (married).
• Resources up to $18,090 (single) or $36,100 (married, living together).

People who qualify for a Medicare Savings Program, full Medicaid or SSI automatically get Extra Help.

With Extra Help, your parent's drug costs stay low all year, and the yearly Part D out-of-pocket cap still applies if they take many costly drugs.

How to apply

1. Medicare Savings Programs: apply through your parent's state Medicaid agency. Call 1-800-MEDICARE or your State Health Insurance Assistance Program (SHIP) to get the right contact.
2. Extra Help: apply online at SSA.gov, by calling Social Security, or at a local office. Applying for Extra Help also starts an MSP application with the state unless your parent says no.
3. Have ready: Social Security number, bank statements, pension and benefit letters, and life insurance information.
4. Report changes in income or assets; eligibility is reviewed periodically.

A State Health Insurance Assistance Program (SHIP) counselor or the local Area Agency on Aging can help fill out the forms. Approval letters can take several weeks, so apply as soon as you think your parent might qualify.

An example of what these programs can save

Say Mom is single, gets $1,500 a month from Social Security, and has $8,000 in the bank. Under the 2026 federal limits:

• Her income is under the QI limit ($1,816) and her savings are under $9,950, so she may qualify for a Medicare Savings Program that pays her $202.90 monthly Part B premium. That's about $2,435 a year back in her Social Security checks.
• Qualifying for a Medicare Savings Program also gives her Extra Help automatically, lowering her drug plan premium, deductible and copays.

States count income in slightly different ways and some disregard certain amounts, so the only way to know is to apply. There is no cost to apply.

Other benefits these programs unlock

• Special enrollment periods to change drug plans during the year.
• No Part D late enrollment penalty for Extra Help members.
• A step toward full Medicaid, which can cover long-term care if your parent later needs it.

If your parent also needs help at home, seniorcare.si can show licensed home care agencies near your ZIP code, including those that work with Medicaid.