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The standard Medicare Part B premium in 2026 is $202.90 a month. For someone living on Social Security alone, that is a serious share of the check. Medicare Savings Programs exist for exactly this situation. Run by the states with federal rules underneath, these programs pay your Part B premium, and at the broadest level they pay your Part A premium and most of your deductibles and coinsurance too. At the 2026 standard rate, having the state pay your Part B premium is worth $2,434.80 a year, and it comes with automatic enrollment in Extra Help for drug costs.
The programs are underused. Many people who qualify have never heard of them, because nobody is assigned to tell them. This guide covers the four programs, the 2026 federal income and resource limits published by Medicare, and how to apply.
The four programs
The Qualified Medicare Beneficiary program, QMB, is the broadest. It pays Part A and Part B premiums, and it pays your Medicare deductibles, coinsurance, and copayments. Providers are not allowed to bill you for Medicare cost sharing once you are in QMB, which makes it function much like a free supplement for the people who qualify.
The Specified Low-Income Medicare Beneficiary program, SLMB, pays only the Part B premium. The Qualifying Individual program, QI, also pays only the Part B premium. QI is funded in limited amounts, applications are handled first come, first served, and you must reapply each year. People who receive Medicaid benefits cannot receive QI at the same time. The fourth program, QDWI, pays the Part A premium for certain people with disabilities who lost premium-free Part A when they returned to work.
The 2026 income and resource limits
These are the federal limits Medicare publishes for 2026. Monthly income limits, counting the standard $20 general income disregard that Medicare folds into its published figures:
- QMB: $1,350 a month for an individual, $1,824 for a married couple
- SLMB: $1,616 a month for an individual, $2,184 for a married couple
- QI: $1,816 a month for an individual, $2,455 for a married couple
Resource limits for 2026 are $9,950 for an individual and $14,910 for a married couple across QMB, SLMB, and QI. Resources mean countable savings and investments. Your home, one car, household goods, and certain other items do not count. Some states have raised their limits or dropped asset tests entirely, so the federal figures are a floor for generosity, not the last word. Your state’s Medicaid agency applies its own rules, and several states set MSP limits well above the federal minimums.
You do not choose which program you get. You apply once, and the state places you in the broadest program your income and resources fit.
Extra Help comes with it
Enrollment in any Medicare Savings Program automatically qualifies you for Extra Help, the federal subsidy for Part D drug costs. Extra Help pays part or all of your drug plan premium and deductible and lowers your copays at the pharmacy. That pairing matters because the households that struggle with the Part B premium usually struggle with drug costs too. Our guide to Medicare Part D premium costs in 2026 explains what Extra Help offsets.
People who qualify for both Medicare and full Medicaid, often called dual eligibles, sit one level above QMB in support: Medicaid itself wraps around Medicare and covers many costs Medicare leaves behind, including, for those who qualify, long-term care that Medicare does not pay for. Our guide to what Medicare does not cover explains where those gaps are.
How to apply
Applications go through your state Medicaid agency, not through Medicare or Social Security. Most states offer an online application, a paper form, or help through the local Medicaid office and the State Health Insurance Assistance Program, known as SHIP, which provides free counseling. You will need proof of income, your Medicare card, and statements for countable resources. Apply even if your income looks slightly above the limit. States apply disregards and counting rules that can move a borderline application under the line, and the only way to get an official answer is to file.
Once approved, the state pays your Part B premium directly, and the deduction from your Social Security check stops. If premiums were deducted while your application was being processed, states generally refund the premiums back to the month you applied. If you are also paying a Part A buy-in premium of $311 or $565 a month, tell the caseworker, because QMB can cover that too. The buy-in amounts are detailed in our guide to Medicare Part A premium costs.
Check before you pay another premium alone
The income limits reach further than most people assume. A single retiree receiving around $1,700 a month can fit inside QI. A couple around $2,300 a month may fit as well. If your Social Security check is your main income and the Part B premium is a visible strain, an application costs an afternoon and can return more than $2,400 a year, plus drug help on top. Compare that against your full Medicare bill in how much Medicare costs in 2026 and apply before the next premium comes out of your check.
