The QI Medicare Savings Program, short for Qualifying Individual, pays your full Medicare Part B premium — worth $202.90 a month in 2026 — if your monthly income sits between 120% and 135% of the federal poverty level, your countable resources are under the limit, and you’re not already getting full Medicaid. It’s run by your state Medicaid agency, and unlike the other Medicare Savings Programs, its funding is capped, so applying early in the year matters.
Who Qualifies in 2026
Two tests decide eligibility: income and resources. For 2026, the monthly income limits are:
- Individual: $1,816 per month
- Married couple: $2,455 per month
Those figures already build in a $20 general income exclusion that comes off your unearned income before the comparison. If you have earned income, additional exclusions apply, so some people with gross earnings a bit above the published limit still qualify. Alaska and Hawaii use slightly higher limits.1Medicare. Medicare Savings Programs
Countable resources in 2026 can’t exceed $9,950 for an individual or $14,910 for a couple.1Medicare. Medicare Savings Programs Your home, one vehicle, household furnishings, personal belongings, burial plots, and up to $1,500 set aside for burial expenses don’t count. Bank accounts, stocks, bonds, and similar financial holdings do.
More than a dozen states plus the District of Columbia have dropped the resource test for Medicare Savings Programs entirely, and several others use higher limits than the federal floor. Ask your state Medicaid agency what applies where you live before assuming your savings disqualify you.
One eligibility rule surprises people: you can’t get QI if you’re already eligible for any other Medicaid coverage. QI is designed for people who would otherwise fall through the cracks — too much income for Medicaid, not enough to comfortably absorb the Part B premium.2CMS. Dual Eligibility Categories You also need to already have Medicare Part A.
What QI Pays For
QI pays 100% of your standard Medicare Part B premium. In 2026 that’s $202.90 per month, or $2,434.80 across the year.3CMS. 2026 Medicare Parts A and B Premiums and Deductibles The state pays the premium directly, so it stops coming out of your Social Security check.
That’s the entire cash benefit. QI doesn’t cover Part B deductibles, coinsurance, or copayments, and it doesn’t touch Part A costs.1Medicare. Medicare Savings Programs If your income is low enough to qualify you for QMB or SLMB instead, your state should enroll you in that program, which pays more.
Automatic Extra Help for Prescriptions
Qualifying for QI automatically qualifies you for the Medicare Part D Low Income Subsidy, known as Extra Help. The Social Security Administration estimates Extra Help is worth about $5,700 a year on average. In 2026, most people receiving it pay no Part D premium, no deductible, and no more than $12.65 for a brand-name prescription or $5.10 for a generic.1Medicare. Medicare Savings Programs Between the Part B premium and Extra Help, total savings can pass $8,000 a year.
Apply Early: The Funding Is Capped
QMB and SLMB are entitlements. QI is not. Federal funding for QI is limited, and once a state’s allocation runs out, new applicants may have to wait. States give priority to people who received QI benefits the previous year, which means existing enrollees are usually safe but new applicants are exposed.1Medicare. Medicare Savings Programs
The practical takeaway: if you think you qualify, apply as early in the calendar year as you can. Waiting until fall raises the odds your state has already committed its money.
How to Apply
Applications go through your state Medicaid agency. Most states accept them online, by mail, or in person. CMS publishes a model application that many states use or adapt.4Centers for Medicare & Medicaid Services (CMS). Medicare Savings Program (MSP) Application Instructions
Have these ready:
- Proof of income: Social Security award letters, pension statements, or pay stubs
- Proof of resources: recent bank statements and records of investments or other financial accounts
- Your Medicare card, showing Part A and Part B enrollment
- Proof of identity: driver’s license, state ID, or similar
Your state should decide within 45 days of receiving a complete application.4Centers for Medicare & Medicaid Services (CMS). Medicare Savings Program (MSP) Application Instructions If your income turns out to be low enough for QMB or SLMB, the agency should place you in that program instead.5CMS. Chapter 1 Program Overview and Policy
You Have to Renew Every Year
QI is the only Medicare Savings Program with a yearly reapplication requirement. Miss the renewal window and the Part B premium starts coming out of your Social Security check again. When your state sends the renewal notice, respond promptly — prior-year enrollees get priority for the next year’s funding, so on-time renewal is much easier than starting from scratch after a gap.1Medicare. Medicare Savings Programs
Ask About Retroactive Premium Coverage
If you were eligible for QI before you applied, your state may be able to reimburse Part B premiums for up to 36 months before your enrollment determination.6SSA – POMS. When State Payment of Medicare Premiums (State Buy-In) Begins Not every state uses the full 36-month window, but it’s worth raising with the caseworker.
Streamlined Enrollment Through Extra Help
A 2023 CMS final rule is changing how people get into Medicare Savings Programs, with provisions rolling out through April 1, 2026. Two matter most for QI applicants. Certain SSI recipients are being automatically enrolled in QMB. And states must now treat an Extra Help application as an MSP application. If you already applied to Social Security for Extra Help and consented to data sharing, your state Medicaid agency may be able to determine your QI eligibility without a separate application from you.7Federal Register. Streamlining Medicaid; Medicare Savings Program Eligibility Determination and Enrollment Ask your state whether these pathways are live yet where you live.
A Note on QI-2
If your searching has turned up references to a “QI-2” program, that was a separate benefit created by the Balanced Budget Act of 1997 for people with income between 135% and 175% of the poverty level. It ran from January 1, 1998, through December 31, 2002, and paid only a portion of the Part B premium. Congress didn’t renew it, and nothing replaced it. Any current “QI” program is QI-1.