Medicare Savings Programs & Extra Help: Do You Qualify?

Medicare has real costs — premiums, deductibles, coinsurance. But for people with limited income, a set of programs exists specifically to reduce or eliminate much of that burden. In Texas, these are administered through the Health and Human Services Commission (HHSC), and many people who'd qualify have never applied.

Medicare Savings Programs (MSPs)

Texas offers several tiers of Medicare Savings Programs, each with its own income and resource limits. Generally, they include:

QMB (Qualified Medicare Beneficiary): The most comprehensive tier — helps pay Part A and Part B premiums, deductibles, copayments, and coinsurance. Providers accepting Medicare generally cannot bill QMB enrollees for that cost-sharing.
SLMB (Specified Low-Income Medicare Beneficiary): Helps pay the Part B premium.
QI (Qualifying Individual): Also helps pay the Part B premium; funded on a first-come, first-served basis each year, and you must reapply annually.
QDWI (Qualified Disabled and Working Individual): For people under 65 who lost premium-free Part A because they returned to work — helps cover the Part A premium.

Income and resource limits for these programs are set annually and change slightly each year. Your home and one vehicle are generally excluded from the resource calculation. Because the exact dollar limits shift year to year, it's worth checking your current eligibility directly through Texas HHSC or 2-1-1 Texas rather than relying on a number from an old article.

Extra Help (Part D Low-Income Subsidy)

If you qualify for any Medicare Savings Program, you're automatically enrolled in Extra Help — a separate federal program that reduces your Part D prescription drug costs, often to a small, fixed copay per drug rather than standard cost-sharing. You can also qualify for Extra Help on its own, even if you don't qualify for a full Medicare Savings Program, based on separate income and resource limits.

How to apply in Texas

Medicare Savings Programs: Apply through Texas Health and Human Services (Your Texas Benefits, at yourtexasbenefits.com), by phone, or in person at a local HHSC office.
Extra Help: Apply directly through the Social Security Administration at ssa.gov, by phone at 1-800-772-1213, or your MSP application may trigger it automatically.

Why it's worth checking even if you're not sure you'll qualify

Income limits are higher than many people assume, and the calculation excludes certain resources like your home and a vehicle. A lot of people who could benefit never apply simply because they assume they make "too much" without actually checking the current numbers.

Not sure if you'd qualify for help with Medicare costs?

A free conversation can help point you toward the right program and how to apply — at no cost, no obligation.

Request Your Free Medicare Guide & Call