Alaska Medicare Savings Programs 2026: QMB, SLMB & QI

In 2026, Alaska's Medicare Savings Programs (MSPs) pay the $202.90 monthly Medicare Part B premium for low-income beneficiaries.1 The top tier, QMB, also covers the deductibles, coinsurance, and copays under Medicare Parts A and B.2

Alaska sets higher income limits than the lower 48 because its Federal Poverty Level runs higher, so an Alaskan can qualify for a Medicare Savings Program with monthly income up to $2,265 for a single person or $3,064 for a couple.3

What Are Alaska Medicare Savings Programs?

Medicare Savings Programs are Medicaid-administered benefits that pay some or all of a low-income Medicare beneficiary's premiums and cost-sharing. Alaska's MSPs are run by the Alaska Department of Health: you file your application with your local State of Alaska Public Assistance Office (the Division of Public Assistance) or online through Alaska Connect, and the state Medicare Information Office gives you free, unbiased counseling through the State Health Insurance Assistance Program (SHIP). You must be eligible for Medicare Part A to apply.3

Alaska uses its own, higher Federal Poverty Level (FPL) than the 48 contiguous states, where HHS sets 100% of the FPL at $15,960 a year for one person in 2026. Because MSP income limits are set as a percentage of the FPL, Alaska's limits run above the national figures you will see on most websites, which is why an Alaskan who assumes they earn too much often still qualifies.5

QMB: Qualified Medicare Beneficiary

QMB is the most comprehensive of the three programs. In 2026 it covers:

• The Medicare Part A premium (most people pay $0 after 40 or more quarters of work)
• The $202.90 monthly Medicare Part B premium1
• The $1,736 Part A inpatient hospital deductible per benefit period
• The $283 annual Part B deductible
• The coinsurance and copays on services covered by Medicare Parts A and B

QMB does not pay your Part D prescription copays. Those are handled separately by Part D Extra Help, which every QMB enrollee is deemed eligible for automatically. The Part D Extra Help section below covers what those drug copays are.4

For 2026, Alaska publishes an MSP income limit of $2,265/month for a single person and $3,064/month for a couple, effective April 1, 2026, and elevated above the contiguous-48 figures because of Alaska's higher FPL; the income limit includes a $20 monthly income disregard. Alaska does not publish separate QMB, SLMB, and QI dollar thresholds, so confirm the exact QMB figure with the Division of Public Assistance. QMB also automatically enrolls you in Part D Extra Help.3,4

The QMB Billing Prohibition

Federal law prohibits all Medicare providers and suppliers, including pharmacies, from billing a QMB enrollee for Medicare Part A or Part B cost sharing, including deductibles, coinsurance, and copays, even when Alaska Medicaid pays nothing toward that cost sharing. The rule covers both Original Medicare and Medicare Advantage providers. If you have QMB and receive such a bill, do not pay it. Contact the Alaska Medicare Information Office or call 1-800-MEDICARE (1-800-633-4227) to report it.2,6

SLMB: Specified Low-Income Medicare Beneficiary

SLMB covers one benefit: the Medicare Part B premium. At the 2026 standard rate that single payment is worth $202.90 a month, or about $2,434.80 over a full year.1

To qualify, your monthly income must fall between the QMB limit and 120% of Alaska's Federal Poverty Level. Because Alaska's FPL is higher than the national standard, the Alaska SLMB dollar limits sit above the federal SLMB figures of $1,616 for a single person and $2,184 for a couple; confirm which tier and threshold apply to you with the Division of Public Assistance. SLMB does not pay deductibles or copays, but for a beneficiary with modest medical use, eliminating the Part B premium is the dominant saving. SLMB also confers automatic Part D Extra Help.4

QI: Qualifying Individual

QI covers the Part B premium only, the same as SLMB, but at a higher income band: from 120% up to 135% of Alaska's Federal Poverty Level. The federal QI figures are $1,816 for a single person and $2,455 for a couple, and Alaska's limits are higher still. Also like SLMB, QI enrollment automatically qualifies you for Part D Extra Help.4

Three things set QI apart from QMB and SLMB:

• You must apply every year. Selection for QI in one year does not entitle you to continued assistance in any following year, so a QI enrollee reapplies annually to stay in the program.4
• First-come, first-served. QI is paid for out of a limited annual federal allotment, so it is granted first-come, first-served rather than to everyone who qualifies.4
• Cannot combine with full Medicaid. A beneficiary who qualifies for full-benefit Alaska Medicaid cannot enroll in QI. They would instead qualify for QMB-Plus or SLMB-Plus, which add full Medicaid on top of the MSP benefit.

2026 Income Limits at a Glance

Use the table as a starting point, then confirm which tier and threshold apply to you with the Division of Public Assistance. Alaska has its own federal poverty guidelines, set separately from the ones used in the lower 48.5

All three programs share one 2026 resource (asset) limit: $9,950 for a single applicant and $14,910 for a couple, which is the federal standard. The federal baseline income limits these Alaska figures sit above are $1,350 (QMB), $1,616 (SLMB), and $1,816 (QI) for a single person in the 48 contiguous states. Neither the income nor the resource figure is an absolute cutoff: states can effectively raise both by disregarding certain income and resources, and SSA tells staff to encourage people to apply even when income or resources look somewhat higher, so apply rather than rule yourself out.1,4

Part D Extra Help

Every QMB, SLMB, and QI enrollee in Alaska is automatically deemed eligible for full Part D Extra Help (also called the Low-Income Subsidy, or LIS) with no separate application. The deeming flows from the state to CMS each month after MSP enrollment, and if you are not already in a Part D plan, CMS auto-assigns you to a zero-premium benchmark plan.4

In 2026, full Extra Help caps what you pay for a covered drug at $5.10 for a generic and $12.65 for a brand name, and drops your cost to $0 once your out-of-pocket drug spending reaches the $2,100 catastrophic threshold for the year.7

Extra Help uses its own, higher resource limits, $16,590 for an individual and $33,100 for a couple in 2026, so some people who are over the MSP resource limit still qualify for the drug subsidy.7

What Resources Count

The MSP resource limit in 2026 is $9,950 for a single applicant and $14,910 for a couple. Several major assets do not count toward it:1

Excluded (do not count):

• The home you live in3
• The car you drive3
• Household goods and personal effects
• Burial funds, conditionally: SSI rules, which set the MSP resource methodology in most states, exclude up to $1,500 set aside for your burial and $1,500 for a spouse, but only if kept separate from your other resources and clearly designated for burial; mix them together and the exclusion is lost. That $1,500 shrinks by any irrevocable burial arrangement and by the face value of life insurance whose cash value is already excluded8

Counted:

• Checking and savings accounts
• Stocks, bonds, and CDs
• A second vehicle or investment property
• The cash surrender value of life insurance, when the total face value of all policies on one person is more than $1,5008

Many Alaska beneficiaries rule themselves out assuming their home counts. It does not: someone in a paid-off house can qualify for QMB or SLMB if their countable assets fall within the limit.

How to Apply for Alaska Medicare Savings Programs

Where to Get Help

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The information on Brevy.com is for educational purposes only and is not a substitute for professional legal, financial, or medical advice. Rules vary by state and program and change frequently. Always verify with the relevant agency or a qualified professional. Brevy is not a law firm, financial advisor, or healthcare provider.