For 2026, Medicare Savings Program income limits start at $1,350 per month for an individual under the Qualified Medicare Beneficiary program and rise to $5,405 per month under the program for disabled working individuals. Married-couple limits are higher, and Alaska and Hawaii use higher figures because their federal poverty guidelines are higher. Each of the four programs uses a different cutoff, so income that disqualifies you from one program may still fit under another.
2026 Monthly Income Limits by Program
Every limit below already includes a $20 general income disregard, and each is tied to a percentage of the federal poverty level. Figures apply to the 48 contiguous states and Washington, D.C.
- Qualified Medicare Beneficiary (QMB): $1,350 individual, $1,824 couple (100% FPL + $20).
- Specified Low-Income Medicare Beneficiary (SLMB): $1,616 individual, $2,184 couple (120% FPL + $20).
- Qualifying Individual (QI): $1,816 individual, $2,455 couple (135% FPL + $20).
- Qualified Disabled and Working Individuals (QDWI): $5,405 individual, $7,299 couple (200% FPL + $20, with additional earned income disregards built in).
Alaska and Hawaii sit above these numbers. In Alaska the QMB individual limit is $1,683 per month; in Hawaii it is $1,550.1Medicaid.gov. Seniors and Medicare and Medicaid Enrollees
States can also set more generous income and resource rules than the federal minimums. If your income is close to a cutoff, your state Medicaid agency can confirm the exact limit it uses.2Medicare. Medicare Savings Programs
The limits typically update on April 1 each year, when new federal poverty guidelines take effect. Your eligibility can shift on that date even if nothing about your income has changed.
How Income Is Counted
The posted limits are not a simple gross-income test. The first $20 of any income you receive each month is already excluded before your state compares your income to the limit.3Social Security Administration. POMS HI 00815.023 – Medicare Savings Programs Income and Resource Limits For earned income (wages or self-employment), an additional $65 is disregarded and only half of what remains counts. The QDWI figure looks high compared with the others because it already factors those earned income disregards into the threshold.
Income that generally counts includes Social Security benefits, pensions, wages, and interest from savings or investments. Because of the disregards, your actual take-home pay can run somewhat above a posted limit and you may still qualify. It is worth applying even if you are a little over on paper.
Asset Limits in 2026
Along with income, most states apply a resource test. The 2026 federal limits are:
- QMB, SLMB, and QI: $9,950 individual, $14,910 couple.2Medicare. Medicare Savings Programs
- QDWI: $4,000 individual, $6,000 couple.4Social Security Administration. POMS HI 00815.024 – SSAs Role in Medicare Savings Programs Applications
Countable assets include checking and savings accounts, stocks, bonds, mutual funds, and retirement account balances. Your primary home, one car, personal belongings, burial plots, and up to $1,500 per person set aside for burial expenses do not count.5Centers for Medicare & Medicaid Services. Medicare Savings Programs Information for American Indians and Alaska Natives Brochure
Life insurance is a common source of confusion. Term life has no cash value and is not counted at all. Whole life is different: if the total face value of all your whole life policies exceeds $1,500, the cash surrender value counts. Some states adopt more generous rules and disregard life insurance cash values entirely.
States That Have Dropped the Asset Test
A growing number of states have eliminated the asset test for Medicare Savings Programs, leaving only income as a factor. California was among the first, dropping asset tests across its Medicaid programs. A 2024 CMS final rule pushes states to streamline MSP enrollment and accept self-attestation for resource verification, and more states have relaxed or removed their asset rules since.6Centers for Medicare & Medicaid Services. Streamlining Medicaid and CHIP Final Rule Fact Sheet If you are over the asset limit, call your state Medicaid agency before you rule yourself out.
Which Program the Income Limit Puts You In
Because each program uses a different threshold and covers different costs, the limit that matters depends on what you need help paying.
QMB
QMB has the lowest income cutoff and the broadest coverage. It pays Medicare Part A and Part B premiums along with deductibles, coinsurance, and copayments for Medicare-covered services. If you do not have premium-free Part A, QMB covers that premium as well.2Medicare. Medicare Savings Programs
SLMB and QI
Both SLMB and QI pay your Medicare Part B premium but not deductibles or copayments. You must have both Part A and Part B to qualify. QI works differently in one respect: it is funded on a first-come, first-served basis, you must reapply every year, and states give priority to people who received QI the previous year. Apply early in the calendar year, and note that QI is only open to people who do not qualify for any other Medicaid coverage.2Medicare. Medicare Savings Programs
QDWI
QDWI has by far the highest income limit but the narrowest reach. It covers only the Part A premium, and only for people under 65 who are disabled, returned to work, and lost premium-free Part A because of that work. You must still have a disabling condition and cannot already be eligible for Medicaid.7Social Security Administration. Qualified Disabled Working Individuals
How to Apply
You apply through your state Medicaid agency. The Social Security Administration and your local State Health Insurance Assistance Program (SHIP) can also help with the paperwork at no cost.2Medicare. Medicare Savings Programs If you apply for Part D Extra Help through Social Security, that office will share your information with your state to start an MSP application at the same time unless you opt out.8Medicare. Medicares Extra Help Program
Gather your Social Security card, Medicare card, proof of address, recent bank and retirement account statements, and records of any pension or benefits income. Federal guidance calls for a decision within 45 days, though actual timelines vary. Under the 2024 CMS rule, states are increasingly required to check electronic data sources and accept self-attestation rather than demanding paper documentation, and states must automatically enroll people who receive SSI into QMB without a separate application.6Centers for Medicare & Medicaid Services. Streamlining Medicaid and CHIP Final Rule Fact Sheet
Staying Enrolled Year to Year
MSP eligibility is not permanent. QMB, SLMB, and QI all require annual redetermination, and QI must be formally reapplied for each year because of its funding structure. If your income or assets rise during the year and push you past the limit for your current program, check the next tier up before assuming you have lost help entirely. Someone who no longer qualifies for QMB may still fit under SLMB or QI.