State Medicare Savings Programs pay the full $202.90 monthly Part B premium in 2026 for people whose income and savings fall under federal limits, and for a single person the top income limit is $1,816 a month. That works out to $2,434.80 a year that stays out of a Social Security check. Medicare.gov lists the limits for three programs that cover the premium, and each state runs its own application.
The premium is the standard Medicare Part B amount, which covers doctor visits and outpatient care. Medicare.gov puts it at $202.90 a month in 2026, with higher amounts for some higher-income enrollees. It also lists a $283 Part B deductible for the year.
Many people on a fixed income never learn the premium can be paid for them. The three programs are QMB, SLMB and QI, and anyone on Medicare with a modest income and little in savings should check the numbers below during this open enrollment season.
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The limits for each program
Medicare.gov publishes the 2026 limits for each program. All three use the same resource cap: $9,950 for one person and $14,910 for a married couple. The page notes that states can count income and resources differently.
- QMB (Qualified Medicare Beneficiary): income up to $1,350 a month for an individual and $1,824 for a couple.
- SLMB (Specified Low-Income Medicare Beneficiary): income up to $1,616 for an individual and $2,184 for a couple.
- QI (Qualifying Individual): income up to $1,816 for an individual and $2,455 for a couple.
The ceilings stack. A single person with $1,500 a month in income is over the QMB limit of $1,350 but under the SLMB limit of $1,616, so the Part B premium would be covered even though the other QMB benefits would not. A single person at $1,700 would fall in the QI range, which tops out at $1,816.
Alaska and Hawaii have slightly higher income limits, according to the same page. The figures are for 2026. Medicare.gov has not posted limits for 2027.
What each program pays
SLMB and QI pay the Part B premium and nothing else. Both require a person to have Part A and Part B. QMB goes further. Medicare.gov says it pays Part B premiums, deductibles, coinsurance and copayments for covered services, and it covers the Part A premium for people who do not get Part A free.
QMB also protects patients from bills. The page says providers cannot bill a QMB member for Medicare-covered services and items, including cost sharing, though a small Medicaid copayment may apply. That is the program with the lowest income limit of the three.
A fourth program, QDWI, covers only the Part A premium for working people with disabilities who lost premium-free Part A. Its 2026 income limit is $5,405 a month for an individual, with a $4,000 resource limit. It does not pay the Part B premium.
Extra Help with drug costs comes with it
People approved for QMB, SLMB or QI also get Extra Help, the federal program that lowers prescription drug costs. Medicare.gov says people who get help from their state paying Part B premiums through a Medicare Savings Program receive Extra Help automatically. In 2026, drug copays for these members are capped at $12.65 per drug, according to the Medicare Savings Programs page.
People who do not qualify for a savings program may still meet the separate Extra Help limits. For 2026 those are income of $23,940 and resources of $18,090 for an individual, and $32,460 and $36,100 for a married couple. Medicare.gov says a person can apply for Extra Help and a Medicare Savings Program at the same time.
How the application works
Applications go to the state, not to Medicare. Medicare.gov describes these as programs run by the states and sends people to their State Medical Assistance (Medicaid) office. The federal Medicaid.gov contact page lists a phone number and application links for each state. Connecticut, for one, has its own line for its Medicare Savings Program at 855-626-6632.
The official Medicare.gov page urges people to apply even if they doubt they qualify, since states count income and resources differently. The full list of programs and limits is at Medicare.gov’s Medicare Savings Programs page. Free counseling is available through State Health Insurance Assistance Programs, listed at shiphelp.org.
QI has an extra catch. Medicare.gov says people must reapply every year, and states approve applications first come, first served, with priority for those who had QI the year before. QI is also only for people who do not qualify for other Medicaid coverage or benefits.
What 2027 could change
The $202.90 figure belongs to 2026. CMS has not yet announced the 2027 Part B premium, and AARP reports the agency is expected to release it later this fall. The Medicare trustees project $209.50 a month and a $292 deductible for 2027, but that is a projection and not a set amount.
For people not yet enrolled, the open question is whether income and savings sit under the limits above. Is the Part B premium coming out of the check each month a bill the state would pay?
Applying for state Part B premium help?
A person whose income sits under these limits but never applies keeps paying $202.90 a month, and the limits and forms differ in every state. A missed renewal, especially for QI, can end the help without notice.
The Medicare Cost & Coverage Protection Kit lays out the programs that pay Medicare premiums and cut drug bills, and it includes 51 state Medicare cost-help packs. Part 3, Get Help Paying, walks through the state route, and the kit also covers the new Part D out-of-pocket cap.
Get the Medicare Cost & Coverage Protection Kit with state-by-state premium help packs →
More Financial Reading
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- 15 Ways Retirees Are Tapping a Record $14.9 Trillion in Home Equity
This article was produced with AI assistance and edited for accuracy against the sources linked above.
David M. Keller is a finance writer based in Columbus, Ohio, covering personal finance and consumer-focused economic topics. He earned his degree in journalism from Ohio University and began his career reporting on local business and economic trends for a regional media outlet. Since then, he has contributed to a variety of online publications, focusing on clear, practical coverage of topics such as cost of living, debt, and everyday financial decision-making.
