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Medicare assistance program options by state
Our guide to financial assistance for Medicare enrollees includes information about HCBS, Medicaid spend-down, Medicaid for the aged, blind and disabled – and more.
How do Medicare Savings Programs help with Medicare costs?
Medicare Savings Programs (MSP) can pay Medicare Part A and Part B premiums, deductibles, copays, and coinsurance for enrollees with limited income and limited assets.
Qualified Medicare Beneficiary (QMB) program
Some Medicare beneficiaries struggle to pay for Medicare premiums and cost sharing even though their incomes are too high to qualify for full Medicaid benefits. A group of Medicaid-administered programs – Medicare Savings Programs (MSPs) – pay for Part B premiums for these enrollees. The most commonly enrolled in MSPs are the Qualified Medicare Beneficiary (QMB) program, Specified Low-Income Medicare Beneficiary (SLMB) program, and Qualified Individuals (QI) program.
Qualified Individuals (QI) program
The Qualified Individuals (QI) program is a Medicare Savings Program (MSP) that pays for an enrollee’s Medicare Part B premiums. MSPs are federal programs that are administered by Medicaid in each state.
The Specified Low-Income Medicare Beneficiary (SLMB) program is a Medicare Savings Program (MSP) that pays for an enrollee’s Medicare Part B premiums. MSPs are federal programs that are administered by Medicaid in each state.
As of 2020, most Medicare beneficiaries pay $144.90 a month for Part B. SLMB enrollees no longer have this amount deducted from their Social Security benefit – amounting to an annual increase of over $1,738.
Individuals who are approved for SLMB will receive three months of retroactive benefits.
It can take two to three months between being approved for MSP benefits and the time Part B premiums are no longer deducted from Social Security income. Applicants should receive a one-time deposit for premiums that were withheld after they were enrolled in the program, and a payment for their retroactive benefits.
Unlike the Qualified Medicare Beneficiary (QMB) program, SLMB does not pay for Parts A and B cost sharing (e.g. deductibles, co-pays and coinsurance) or for Part A premiums (if an enrollee owes them).
SLMB enrollees automatically receive Extra Help – a federal program that lowers prescription drug costs under Part D.