Medicare Savings Programs 2026: Income and Asset Limits in All 50 States
● ACTIVE ◐ REVISED EACH JAN–FEB ALL STATES
You will see three answers to one question: how many states dropped the asset test? Some say twelve. Some say thirteen. Some say fourteen.
All three were correct at some point in the last eighteen months. California reinstated its asset test on January 1, 2026. Anything written in 2025 counted California in. Anything written now counts it out.
As of March 2026: thirteen states plus DC apply no asset test. Two more apply one far above the federal figure.
Medicare Savings Programs pay your Part B premium — $202.90 a month in 2026 — and at the QMB level your deductibles and copays as well. Every state runs them. The limits are not the same in every state.
If your income is close to the line, apply anyway. About a dozen states set limits well above the federal minimum, and several count no assets at all.
The federal floor
No state may go lower. Many go higher.
| Program | Single | Married | Assets | What it pays |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| QMB | $1,350 | $1,824 | $9,950 / $14,910 | Premiums, deductibles, coinsurance |
| SLMB | $1,616 | $2,184 | $9,950 / $14,910 | Part B premium |
| QI | $1,816 | $2,455 | $9,950 / $14,910 | Part B premium |
| QDWI | $5,405 | $7,299 | $4,000 / $6,000 | Part A premium |
→ swipe the table sideways · Monthly, includes the $20 income disregard · Source: NCOA 2026, derived from ASPE guidelines
Alaska and Hawaii use higher poverty guidelines. QMB in Alaska is $1,683 single; in Hawaii, $1,550.
What QMB covers in 2026
- Part B premium — $202.90 per month
- Part B annual deductible — $283
- Part B coinsurance — normally 20% of each service
- Part A hospital deductible — $1,736 per benefit period
- Hospital copays — $434 a day for days 61 to 90, $868 beyond
- Skilled nursing copays — $217 a day for days 21 to 100
SLMB and QI cover the Part B premium only. That is still $2,434 a year.
Which states count your savings
There are three groups, not two. Most summaries describe only two.
Alabama · Arizona · Connecticut · Delaware · District of Columbia · Louisiana · Maine · Massachusetts · Mississippi · New Mexico · New York · Oregon · Vermont · Washington
Savings, retirement accounts, and investments are irrelevant. Only income is counted.
| State | Single | Married | Note |
|---|---|---|---|
| California | $130,000 | $195,000 | Reinstated January 1, 2026 |
| Minnesota | $10,000 | $18,000 |
$9,950 single, $14,910 married. Your home and one car do not count.
Which states raise the income limit
Eleven states go above the federal floor. If you were told you earn too much, check here first.
| State | QMB single / married | Note |
|---|---|---|
| District of Columbia | $4,010 / $5,430 | Highest in the country |
| Connecticut | $2,752 / $3,719 | |
| Maine | $2,481 / $3,357 | |
| Massachusetts | $2,385 / $3,237 | No asset test either |
| Indiana | $2,015 / $2,725 | |
| New York | $1,856 / $2,509 | No asset test either |
| Alaska | $1,683 / $2,275 | Higher poverty guideline |
| Hawaii | $1,550 / $2,095 | Higher poverty guideline |
| Washington | $1,454 / $1,959 | No asset test either |
| Mississippi | $1,380 / $1,854 | $50 income disregard |
| Illinois | $1,355 / $1,829 | $25 income disregard |
→ swipe the table sideways · Source: NCOA, MSP Eligibility and Coverage 2026
Traps
Your state may not call it QMB. Oregon uses SMB and SMF. North Carolina uses MQB, MQB-B, and MQB-E. Connecticut calls QI "ALMB." New Hampshire calls it "SLMB-135." Searching the wrong name returns nothing, and people conclude the program does not exist.
In Nebraska, "QMB" means something else. Nebraska replaced the federal QMB program with full Medicaid, and uses the name QMB for what other states call SLMB and QI. A Nebraska page and a national page can both say QMB and mean different things.
New York has no SLMB. It was eliminated in 2023. New York runs QMB and QI only, and set QMB high enough that people who would be SLMB elsewhere land in QMB there — a better result. A national guide telling you to apply for SLMB in New York is out of date.
Only QMB is denied retroactive coverage. QMB starts the first of the month after eligibility is documented. SLMB, QI, and QDWI can go back three months. If you are close to the QMB line and might not make it, that window is money you can still recover.
A bill sent to a QMB enrollee is not legal. Providers may not bill QMB enrollees for Medicare deductibles, coinsurance, or copays. Dispute it rather than paying it.
Where to apply
Your state Medicaid agency — not Medicare, not Social Security. Some states take applications at the county level. States have up to 45 days to decide, and up to 90 for disability-based applications.
There is no national phone number, and your state may not call the program "Medicaid" or "QMB" at all. The next guide shows you how to find your office and which words to use when you get through.
Next stepFind your state office and what to call the program→All 50 states and DC
"Federal" means the state uses the baseline shown above.
| State | Income | Assets |
|---|---|---|
| Alabama | Federal | No limit |
| Alaska | Higher | Federal |
| Arizona | Federal | No limit |
| Arkansas | Federal | Federal |
| California | Federal | $130,000 / $195,000 |
| Colorado | Federal | Federal |
| Connecticut | Higher | No limit |
| Delaware | Federal | No limit |
| District of Columbia | Higher | No limit |
| Florida | Federal | Federal |
| Georgia | Federal | Federal |
| Hawaii | Higher | Federal |
| Idaho | Federal | Federal |
| Illinois | Higher | Federal |
| Indiana | Higher | Federal |
| Iowa | Federal | Federal |
| Kansas | Federal | Federal |
| Kentucky | Federal | Federal |
| Louisiana | Federal | No limit |
| Maine | Higher | No limit |
| Maryland | Federal | Federal |
| Massachusetts | Higher | No limit |
| Michigan | Federal | Federal |
| Minnesota | Federal | $10,000 / $18,000 |
| Mississippi | Higher | No limit |
| Missouri | Federal | Federal |
| Montana | Federal | Federal |
| Nebraska | Federal | Federal |
| Nevada | Federal | Federal |
| New Hampshire | Federal | Federal |
| New Jersey | Federal | Federal |
| New Mexico | Federal | No limit |
| New York | Higher | No limit |
| North Carolina | Federal | Federal |
| North Dakota | Federal | Federal |
| Ohio | Federal | Federal |
| Oklahoma | Federal | Federal |
| Oregon | Federal | No limit |
| Pennsylvania | Federal | Federal |
| Rhode Island | Federal | Federal |
| South Carolina | Federal | Federal |
| South Dakota | Federal | Federal |
| Tennessee | Federal | Federal |
| Texas | Federal | Federal |
| Utah | Federal | Federal |
| Vermont | Federal | No limit |
| Virginia | Federal | Federal |
| Washington | Higher | No limit |
| West Virginia | Federal | Federal |
| Wisconsin | Federal | Federal |
| Wyoming | Federal | Federal |
→ swipe the table sideways · Source: NCOA, MSP Eligibility and Coverage 2026
State guides
Related programs
Step by stepHow to reach your state Medicaid office→ State guideMedicare Savings Programs in California→ If you are in CaliforniaHow to apply through your county→Tools you'll need anyway
Nobody here charges a fee. If a site asks for payment to apply, it is not the official one.
- National Council on Aging — Medicare Savings Programs: Eligibility and Coverage (2026), updated March 2026. Supported by the Administration for Community Living, HHS. Figures derived from the 2026 ASPE poverty guidelines.
- HHS Office of the Assistant Secretary for Planning and Evaluation — 2026 poverty guidelines.
- Medicare.gov — 2026 Medicare costs.
State figures are estimated from 2026 poverty guidelines and published state variations. Verify with your state Medicaid agency before you apply. Benefit Almanac is not a government agency and cannot determine your eligibility.
Comments
Post a Comment