Medicare Savings Program Checker
Four government programs pay Medicare costs for people with limited income. The biggest one pays your $202.90 monthly Part B premium: $2,435 a year. This tool compares your numbers to the 2026 limits and tells you which programs you qualify for.
Medicare Savings Checker
Checks all 4 programs that pay your Medicare costs · 2026 rules
Social Security, pensions, wages: everything combined.
Bank accounts, stocks, bonds. Your home and one car do NOT count.
Estimate based on 2026 federal limits (the $20/mo income disregard is already applied). Alaska, Hawaii, and several states use higher limits. This is not legal or financial advice.
The four programs that pay you back
Applying is free for all four programs. You apply for QMB, SLMB, and QI at your state Medicaid office. You apply for Extra Help at Social Security.
QMB
$1,350/mo singleQMB pays your Part B premium, your deductibles, and your copays. With QMB, most people pay $0 for Medicare.
SLMB
$1,616/mo singleSLMB pays your Part B premium. That is $202.90 back in your check every month: $2,435 a year.
QI
$1,816/mo singleQI pays your full Part B premium: the same $202.90. QI funding runs out every year, so apply early.
Extra Help
$1,956/mo singleExtra Help pays up to $5,000 a year of your prescription costs. You pay $5.10 for generic drugs and $12.65 for brand-name drugs.
Frequently Asked Questions
What are the Medicare Savings Programs?
Medicare Savings Programs (MSPs) are four state-run programs — QMB, SLMB, QI, and QDWI — that pay Medicare costs for people with limited income. All of them pay your Part B premium ($202.90/month in 2026). QMB also covers your deductibles and copays. You apply through your state Medicaid office, not through Medicare.
What are the 2026 income limits?
Federal baselines per month, including the $20 income disregard: QMB $1,350 single / $1,824 couple. SLMB $1,616 / $2,184. QI $1,816 / $2,455. Extra Help $1,956 / $2,644. Alaska, Hawaii, and several other states use higher limits, and some states have no asset test at all — if you are close, apply anyway.
What is Medicare Extra Help worth?
Extra Help (the Part D Low-Income Subsidy) covers up to roughly $5,000 per year in prescription costs: it pays your drug plan premium and deductible and caps copays at $5.10 for generics and $12.65 for brand-name drugs in 2026. If you qualify for any Medicare Savings Program, you automatically get Extra Help too.
Do my house and car count toward the asset limit?
No. Your home, one vehicle, household goods, and a burial plot do not count. What counts is money in bank accounts, stocks, and bonds: up to $9,950 single / $14,910 couple for the MSPs, and $18,090 / $36,100 for Extra Help in 2026.