Who qualifies for a Medicare Savings Program — and how do you apply?

What the four programs pay

The Part B premium alone is $202.90 a month in 2026 — more than $2,400 a year that stays in your Social Security check instead.

The 2026 federal limits

These are the federal limits Medicare.gov publishes for 2026. Income is monthly. States can be more generous than this, and Washington is.

Where there is a resource limit, some things do not count: your home, one car, a burial plot, up to $1,500 you have set aside for burial expenses, your furniture and other household and personal items. Money in checking, savings or retirement accounts, stocks and bonds does count.

Washington: higher limits and no asset test

Washington’s Health Care Authority runs the programs here, and its rules are friendlier than the federal ones. There are no asset tests for Medicare Savings Programs in Washington, so you will not be asked to verify bank balances. The income limits are also higher. To check yourself against them, take your gross monthly household income and subtract $20 (one deduction per household):

These Washington standards took effect April 1, 2026. QDWI uses special earned-income deductions, so call for help with that one. The Health Care Authority also states that there is no estate recovery for Medicare Savings Programs. And if you apply for Extra Help through Social Security, Washington uses that information to check you against these limits too.

How to apply in Washington

• Online at Washington Connection.
• On a paper application — call the Health Care Authority at 1-800-562-3022, extension 16129, to have one mailed to you.
• At a DSHS Community Services Office.
• With free, unbiased help from SHIBA, Washington’s health insurance counseling program: 1-800-562-6900.

Texas and Nevada

• Texas: the programs follow the federal limits, including the resource limit of $9,950 for one person and $14,910 for a couple for QMB, SLMB and QI, in effect since January 1, 2026. You apply through Texas Health and Human Services.
• Nevada: you apply through the Division of Welfare and Supportive Services, online at Access Nevada.

In both states, the state decides which program you qualify for once you apply — you do not have to pick one.

Extra Help with prescriptions

Extra Help is a Medicare program that lowers what you pay for Part D drug coverage — premiums, deductibles and coinsurance. For 2026 the limits are annual income below $23,940 for one person or $32,460 for a married couple, and resources below $18,090 or $36,100.

You get Extra Help automatically if you have full Medicaid, a Medicare Savings Program, or Supplemental Security Income. Everyone else applies through Social Security, online or at 1-800-772-1213, or through the state Medicaid office. While you have Extra Help, you also do not pay a Part D late enrollment penalty.

Three things people get wrong

• “My savings are too high.” In Washington, savings are not counted at all. Elsewhere, your home, one car and several other things do not count.
• “I applied once, so I’m set.” QI has to be renewed every year, and states approve QI applications first come, first served, with priority for people who had it the year before.
• “This is the same as Medicaid.” It is a Medicaid benefit run by the state, but you do not need full Medicaid to get it, and you keep your Medicare choices either way.

Where I come in

I cannot approve an application — only the state can. What I can do is sit down with your numbers by phone or video, tell you which program they point to, and then make sure your Medicare coverage and drug plan fit once the savings are approved. If both Medicare and Medicaid are on the table, my guide to Medicare vs. Medicaid explains how they work together. There is no cost for my help.

Questions people ask

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