Medicare Savings Programs 2026: QMB, SLMB and QI Income Limits
The federal income and resource limits for the four Medicare Savings Programs in 2026, what each one pays, the states that are more generous, and how to apply.
For 2026, the federal Medicare Savings Program income limits are $1,350 a month for an individual ($1,824 for a married couple) for QMB, $1,616 ($2,184) for SLMB and $1,816 ($2,455) for QI, with resources up to $9,950 ($14,910) (Medicare.gov, Medicare Savings Programs (2026 limits)). All three pay the $202.90 monthly Part B premium; QMB also pays Medicare deductibles and coinsurance. Alaska and Hawaii have higher limits, and some states are more generous than this baseline.
Official Limits derived from the 2026 HHS poverty guidelines by the statutory formula and checked equal to the 2026 figures CMS publishes; resource limits from CMS. Checked October 11, 2026.
| Program | Individual income | Couple income | Individual resources | Couple resources | Pays |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| QMBQualified Medicare Beneficiary · up to 100% of the poverty line | $1,350 | $1,824 | $9,950 | $14,910 | Part A and Part B premiums, deductibles, coinsurance and copayments |
| SLMBSpecified Low-Income Medicare Beneficiary · over 100%, under 120% of the poverty line | $1,616 | $2,184 | $9,950 | $14,910 | The Part B premium |
| QIQualifying Individual · 120% to under 135% of the poverty line | $1,816 | $2,455 | $9,950 | $14,910 | The Part B premium |
Income limits are gross monthly income for someone whose income is all unearned (Social Security, pensions), and include the $20 exclusion. The resource limits are set by CMS (CMS Informational Bulletin, 2026 SSI, Spousal Impoverishment and Medicare Savings Program Resource Standards (December 9, 2025)). Resources are counted under SSI rules: your home, household goods, an automobile used for transportation, burial spaces and up to $1,500 of burial funds are excluded (20 CFR §416.1210). Social Security counts before any Medicare premium is withheld from it (20 CFR §416.1123(b)).
| Program and region | Individual | Couple |
|---|---|---|
| QMB · 48 states and DC | $1,350 | $1,824 |
| QMB · Alaska | $1,683 | $2,275 |
| QMB · Hawaii | $1,550 | $2,095 |
| SLMB · 48 states and DC | $1,616 | $2,184 |
| SLMB · Alaska | $2,015 | $2,725 |
| SLMB · Hawaii | $1,856 | $2,509 |
| QI · 48 states and DC | $1,816 | $2,455 |
| QI · Alaska | $2,265 | $3,064 |
| QI · Hawaii | $2,086 | $2,821 |
| QDWI · 48 states and DC | $5,405 | $7,299 |
| QDWI · Alaska | $6,735 | $9,102 |
| QDWI · Hawaii | $6,205 | $8,382 |
Alaska and Hawaii limits apply the same percentages to their own, higher, poverty guidelines (HHS 2026 poverty guidelines, 91 FR 1797 (January 15, 2026)).
How the monthly limits are derived
Each limit is a percentage of the 2026 HHS poverty guideline (HHS 2026 poverty guidelines, 91 FR 1797 (January 15, 2026)) for a household of one (individual) or two (married couple), divided by 12, plus the $20 a month of unearned income that SSI rules do not count (20 CFR §416.1124(c)(12)). The percentages are set by statute: QMB up to 100% (42 U.S.C. §1396d(p), (s)), SLMB above 100% and under 120%, QI from 120% to under 135% (42 U.S.C. §1396a(a)(10)(E)).
| Step | Individual | Couple |
|---|---|---|
| 2026 poverty guideline (48 states and DC), per year | $15,960 | $21,640 |
| ÷ 12 = per month (100%, the QMB line) | $1,330.00 | $1,803.33 |
| + $20 general income exclusion | $1,350.00 | $1,823.33 |
| Rounded up to the dollar, as CMS publishes it (Medicare.gov, Medicare Savings Programs (2026 limits)) | $1,350 | $1,824 |
SLMB and QI work the same way at 120% and 135%: for an individual, $15,960 × 120% ÷ 12 + $20 = $1,616.00, and × 135% gives $1,815.50. Every figure in the table above, derived this way and rounded up to the dollar, equals the 2026 figure CMS publishes for the 48 states and DC (Medicare.gov, Medicare Savings Programs (2026 limits)); our build refuses to publish if any of them differ. CMS prints whole dollars rounded up: the exact couple QMB line is $1,823.33 and CMS prints $1,824. The calculator below compares your income with the exact line. Medicare.gov does not print the Alaska and Hawaii figures (it says only that they are slightly higher); ours apply the same formula to those states’ poverty guidelines, and the Alaska and Hawaii QMB figures equal the ones SSA publishes (SSA POMS HI 00815.023, Medicare Savings Programs income limits (2026)).
Income from work counts for less. Under the SSI rules the programs use, any of the $20 not used against unearned income comes off earnings, then $65 a month, and then only half of the rest is counted (20 CFR §416.1112(c)). So someone with wages can have gross income above the table and still qualify; the calculator below applies these exclusions.
What each program pays in 2026
| Cost | 2026 amount | QMB | SLMB / QI | QDWI |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Part B standard premium | $202.90/month | Paid | Paid | — |
| Part A premium (only if you do not get premium-free Part A) | $565/month$311 with 30–39 quarters of work | Paid | — | Paid |
| Part A hospital deductible, per benefit period | $1,736 | Paid | — | — |
| Part A coinsurance, days 61–90 / lifetime reserve days | $434 / $868 per day | Paid | — | — |
| Skilled nursing facility, days 21–100 | $217 per day | Paid | — | — |
| Part B deductible, per year | $283 | Paid | — | — |
| Part B coinsurance (generally 20%) | — | Paid | — | — |
Program coverage: QMB pays Part A and Part B premiums and Medicare cost-sharing; SLMB and QI pay the Part B premium; QDWI pays the Part A premium (42 U.S.C. §1396a(a)(10)(E), Medicare.gov, Medicare Savings Programs (2026 limits)). Premium and deductible amounts from CMS, 2026 Medicare Parts A & B Premiums and Deductibles (released 14 November 2025). The Part B premium alone is $2,434.80 a year per person. Federal law prohibits Medicare providers and suppliers, including pharmacies, from billing people in the QMB program for Medicare deductibles, coinsurance and copayments (CMS, Qualified Medicare Beneficiary Program).
Extra Help comes with it. If you qualify for QMB, SLMB or QI you get Extra Help with Medicare drug costs automatically; QDWI does not qualify you automatically (Medicare.gov, Help with drug costs, SSA POMS HI 03001.005, SSA, Apply for Extra Help).
QDWI. QDWI is for people with a disability who are working and lost their Social Security disability benefits and premium-free Part A because they returned to work (Medicare.gov, Medicare Savings Programs (2026 limits)). Countable income can be up to 200% of the poverty line. CMS states that limit as wages: $5,405 a month for an individual and $7,299 for a couple (Medicare.gov, Medicare Savings Programs (2026 limits)), which is the 200% line ($2,660.00 for an individual) doubled, because only half of earnings counts, plus the $65 and $20 exclusions: $2,660.00 × 2 + $65 + $20 = $5,405. Resources can be up to $4,000 / $6,000, twice the SSI limit (42 U.S.C. §1396d(p), (s), 20 CFR §416.1205).
Which program might you qualify for? (federal baseline)
Social Security counted before any Medicare premium is withheld, pensions, IRA withdrawals, interest.
Bank accounts, stocks, bonds. Your home and a car used for transportation do not count.
Check your state. This applies the federal baseline only, against the exact limits (CMS rounds its printed figures up, so income exactly at a printed limit can be under $1 over the line). Your state may count income or resources more generously (see the state table below), and only your state Medicaid office can decide.
States with more generous rules
States run the Medicare Savings Programs and may count income and resources more generously than the federal baseline. The states below publish a more generous rule on an official page we read on October 11, 2026; each row links to it. 10 of them have no resource test at all. For the other states we found no official source for a more generous rule, so none is listed: start from the federal baseline above and check with your state. Your state Medicaid office decides your case: Medicaid.gov, where to get help with Medicaid in your state.
| State | Rule | Official source |
|---|---|---|
| Alabama | No resource test for QMB, SLMB or QI; federal income limits. | Alabama Medicaid, Medicaid Income Limits for 2026 |
| Arizona | No resource test: all resources are excluded for QMB, SLMB and QI. | AHCCCS State Plan, Supplement 8b to Attachment 2.6-A |
| California | Higher resource limit from January 1, 2026: $130,000 for an individual and $65,000 for each additional household member; federal income limits. | DHCS, Medicare Savings Programs in California |
| Connecticut | No asset test. Income disregards let income under 211% of the poverty line qualify for QMB, 211% to under 231% for SLMB and 231% to under 246% for the third tier (ALMB, subject to available funding). | Conn. Gen. Stat. §17b-256f, Connecticut DSS, ALMB |
| Delaware | No asset test for QMB (assets are not considered); federal income limits. | Delaware DMMA, Qualified Medicare Beneficiary |
| District of Columbia | Income up to 300% of the poverty line: $4,010 a month for one person and $5,430 for two in 2026, including the $20 disregard. | DC Department of Health Care Finance |
| Illinois | $25 of income disregarded instead of the federal $20; federal income percentages and resource limits. | Illinois DHS Policy Manual PM 15-04-03-a |
| Indiana | Higher income limits from March 1, 2026: QMB 150%, SLMB 170% and QI 185% of the poverty line; federal resource limits. | Indiana Health Coverage Program Policy Manual, chapter 3000 |
| Louisiana | No resource test for QMB, SLMB or QI. | Louisiana Department of Health, Medicare Savings Programs |
| Maine | No asset test. Income disregards let income up to 185% of the poverty line qualify for QMB, and over 185% up to 250% for QI. | 22 M.R.S. §3174-LLL |
| Massachusetts | No asset test. QMB up to 190% of the poverty line; SLMB and QI above 190% up to 225%. | MassHealth, Medicare Savings Program FAQs, Mass.gov, Get help paying Medicare costs |
| Minnesota | Higher resource limit: $10,000 for an individual and $18,000 for a couple (or the Extra Help limit if higher); federal income limits. | Minn. Stat. §256B.057, subd. 3 |
| Mississippi | $50 general income exclusion instead of the federal $20. | Miss. Admin. Code Title 23, Part 104, Rule 4.2 |
| New Mexico | No resource test for QMB, SLMB or QI since January 1, 2021. | CMS approval of New Mexico state plan amendment NM-20-0016 |
| New York | No asset limit. QMB up to 138% of the poverty line ($1,856 a month for an individual, $2,509 for a couple in 2026) and QI from 139% to 186% ($2,494 / $3,375); SLMB was folded into these in 2023. | NYS Office for the Aging, HIICAP Notebook 2026: Medicare Savings Programs |
| Oregon | No asset limit for QMB, SLMB or QI; federal income percentages. | Oregon ODHS, Medicare Savings Programs |
| Rhode Island | Higher income limits from February 1, 2026: QMB $1,683 a month for an individual and $2,275 for a couple, QI $2,255 / $3,050; people who would have qualified for SLMB now qualify for QMB. Federal resource limits. | Rhode Island EOHHS, Medicare Premium Payment Program |
| Washington | No resource test. QMB up to 110% of the poverty line, SLMB over 110% up to 120%, QI over 120% up to 138%. | WAC 182-517-0100 |
How to get your Part B premium paid
- Check the limits in the tables and the calculator above. Apply even if you are slightly over: states can count income more generously, and some have no resource test.
- Apply through your state Medicaid office (Medicaid.gov, where to get help with Medicaid in your state). The programs are run by your state: Medicare.gov sends applicants to their state, and says you may qualify there even with income or resources above the federal limits (Medicare.gov, Medicare Savings Programs (2026 limits), Medicaid.gov, where to get help with Medicaid in your state).
- Once you qualify, the state pays the premium: QMB, SLMB and QI all cover Part B (42 U.S.C. §1396a(a)(10)(E)). QMB, SLMB and QI also bring Extra Help with drug costs automatically. (Medicare.gov, Help with drug costs)
Medicare premiums, deductibles and the income they are tested against are part of a retirement plan. QuantCalc runs your whole retirement — Social Security, withdrawals, taxes, Medicare costs — year by year.
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What are the Medicare Savings Program income limits for 2026?
For 2026, the federal Medicare Savings Program income limits are $1,350 a month for an individual ($1,824 for a married couple) for QMB, $1,616 ($2,184) for SLMB and $1,816 ($2,455) for QI, with resources up to $9,950 ($14,910) (Medicare.gov, Medicare Savings Programs (2026 limits)). All three pay the $202.90 monthly Part B premium; QMB also pays Medicare deductibles and coinsurance. Alaska and Hawaii have higher limits, and some states are more generous than this baseline. Source: Medicare.gov, Medicare Savings Programs (2026 limits).
What is the QMB income limit for 2026?
$1,350 a month for an individual and $1,824 for a married couple in the 48 states and DC, with resources up to $9,950 / $14,910 (Medicare.gov, Medicare Savings Programs (2026 limits)). That is 100% of the 2026 poverty guideline plus the $20 income exclusion. Alaska: $1,683 / $2,275; Hawaii: $1,550 / $2,095.
What is SLMB and what is the 2026 income limit?
The Specified Low-Income Medicare Beneficiary program pays the Part B premium ($202.90 a month in 2026) for people with income above the QMB limit and under 120% of the poverty line: up to $1,616 a month for an individual, $2,184 for a couple (Medicare.gov, Medicare Savings Programs (2026 limits)).
What is the QI program?
The Qualifying Individual program pays the Part B premium for people with income from 120% to under 135% of the poverty line: up to $1,816 a month for an individual, $2,455 for a couple in 2026 (Medicare.gov, Medicare Savings Programs (2026 limits)).
How do I get my Part B premium paid?
Apply for a Medicare Savings Program through your state Medicaid office (Medicaid.gov, where to get help with Medicaid in your state). If you qualify for QMB, SLMB or QI, the state pays the $202.90 monthly Part B premium (Medicare.gov, Medicare Savings Programs (2026 limits)). Some states have higher limits or no resource test; see the state table above.
Is there an asset test for the Medicare Savings Programs?
The federal resource limit for 2026 is $9,950 for an individual and $14,910 for a couple (Medicare.gov, Medicare Savings Programs (2026 limits)), but 10 of the states listed on this page have no resource test for the programs, each linked to its official source.
Does a Medicare Savings Program qualify me for Extra Help?
If you qualify for QMB, SLMB or QI you get Extra Help with Medicare drug costs automatically; QDWI does not qualify you automatically (Medicare.gov, Help with drug costs, SSA POMS HI 03001.005, SSA, Apply for Extra Help).
Sources
- Medicare.gov, Medicare Savings Programs (2026 limits)
- CMS Informational Bulletin, 2026 SSI, Spousal Impoverishment and Medicare Savings Program Resource Standards (December 9, 2025)
- CMS, 2026 Medicare Parts A & B Premiums and Deductibles (released 14 November 2025)
- HHS 2026 poverty guidelines, 91 FR 1797 (January 15, 2026)
- 42 U.S.C. §1396d(p), (s)
- 42 U.S.C. §1396a(a)(10)(E)
- 20 CFR §416.1124(c)(12)
- 20 CFR §416.1112(c)
- 20 CFR §416.1205
- SSA POMS HI 00815.023, Medicare Savings Programs income limits (2026)
- 20 CFR §416.1210
- Medicare.gov, Help with drug costs
- SSA POMS HI 03001.005
- SSA, Apply for Extra Help
- CMS, Qualified Medicare Beneficiary Program
- Medicaid.gov, where to get help with Medicaid in your state
- Alabama Medicaid, Medicaid Income Limits for 2026
- AHCCCS State Plan, Supplement 8b to Attachment 2.6-A
- DHCS, Medicare Savings Programs in California
- Conn. Gen. Stat. §17b-256f
- Connecticut DSS, ALMB
- Delaware DMMA, Qualified Medicare Beneficiary
- DC Department of Health Care Finance
- Illinois DHS Policy Manual PM 15-04-03-a
- Indiana Health Coverage Program Policy Manual, chapter 3000
- Louisiana Department of Health, Medicare Savings Programs
- 22 M.R.S. §3174-LLL
- MassHealth, Medicare Savings Program FAQs
- Mass.gov, Get help paying Medicare costs
- Minn. Stat. §256B.057, subd. 3
- Miss. Admin. Code Title 23, Part 104, Rule 4.2
- CMS approval of New Mexico state plan amendment NM-20-0016
- NYS Office for the Aging, HIICAP Notebook 2026: Medicare Savings Programs
- Oregon ODHS, Medicare Savings Programs
- Rhode Island EOHHS, Medicare Premium Payment Program
- WAC 182-517-0100
Every figure on this page is read at build time from QuantCalc’s tested calculation modules and one dataset, and was checked against the documents above on October 11, 2026. Every figure with its source: JSON; the limits as a dataset: CSV and JSON. QuantCalc is calculation software, not legal or benefits advice.
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