Help Paying Medicare Costs

Medicare Savings Programs

There are four different Medicare Savings Programs to help people pay their Medicare costs. If you have Medicare Part A (hospital insurance benefits) you may qualify for one of these programs. Which program you qualify for depends on your income. There are no asset limits for these programs in Oregon.

Who is eligibleProgramsHow to applyMedicare help

Medicare is a national health insurance program for people who are age 65 and older or meet other requirements.

Qualified Medicare Beneficiary (QMB) Program

• Helps pay for: Medicare Part A and Part B premiums, deductibles and co-insurance.
• Monthly income limit*: $1,305 for an individual and $1,763 for a couple (100% of the federal poverty level).

Qualified Disabled Working Individual (QDWI) Program

• Helps pay for: Medicare Part A premiums only.
  
• Monthly income limit*: $2,609 for a single person and $3,525 for a couple (200% of the federal poverty level).
• Note: This program is for disabled workers who lost Social Security disability benefits because they are working and are not eligible for another Medicaid program. Most people in Oregon are not eligible for QDWI because we have the Employed Persons with Disabilities (EPD) program. EPD provides full Medicaid benefits.

Specified Low-Income Medicare Beneficiary (SLMB) Program

• Helps pay for: Medicare Part B premiums.
• Monthly income limit*: $1,565 for individuals or $2,115 for a couple (120% of the poverty level).
  

Qualifying Individual (QI) Program (also called SMF benefit)

• Helps pay for: Medicare Part B premiums.
• Monthly income limit*: $1,761 for an individual and $2,380 for a couple (the federal government mandates services for people with incomes between 120% and 135% of the poverty level).

We are only allowed to serve a certain number of people each year for the SMF benefit. Unfortunately, we must shut down enrollment if we reach our limit. If you are eligible for any other Medicaid benefit offered by the State of Oregon, you are not eligible for the SMF benefit.

Note: In most states, this program is called the Qualifying Individual (QI) program. In Oregon, this is called the SMF benefit.