Arizona Medicare Savings Programs 2026: QMB, SLMB & QI

Arizona is one of the states that applies no asset test to its Medicare Savings Programs, so savings and property do not stand between a senior and the benefit. The three programs, run by AHCCCS, wipe out or sharply reduce the $202.90 monthly Part B premium and, for the broadest tier, Medicare Part A and Part B deductibles and copays.

What Are Medicare Savings Programs, and How Do They Work in Arizona?

Medicare Savings Programs are Medicaid-administered benefits that pay some or all of a low-income Medicare beneficiary's premiums and cost-sharing. QMB, SLMB, and QI are defined by income relative to the Federal Poverty Level (FPL): QMB at or below 100% FPL, SLMB above 100% through 120% FPL, and QI above 120% through 135% FPL.1

In Arizona, the programs are administered by the Arizona Health Care Cost Containment System (AHCCCS), the state's Medicaid agency, using the QMB, SLMB, and QI-1 labels. AHCCCS determines financial eligibility and ongoing enrollment for all three tiers.1

The income figures in this guide are the federal effective limits published by the Social Security Administration, which build in a $20 general income disregard. AHCCCS publishes the same tiers on its own chart as household income after deductions, so its numbers sit $20 lower ($1,330 single at 100% FPL for QMB, $1,804 for a couple). The gap between the two sets of figures is that disregard, not a difference in Arizona's rule.1

Arizona Has No Asset Test for Medicare Savings Programs

Arizona counts no resources at all for QMB, SLMB, and QI. On the AHCCCS Eligibility Requirements chart, the "Resource Limits (Equity)" column reads "N/A" for the QMB, SLMB, and QI-1 rows, on the same chart that shows $2,000 for ALTCS long-term care. A senior with substantial savings, a paid-off home, and investments can still qualify, because income is the only financial test; the other requirements, such as entitlement to Medicare Part A, are not about money.1

This matters because the federal standard is different. The 2026 federal resource limit for QMB, SLMB, and QI is $9,950 for one person and $14,910 for a couple, though states can effectively raise it by disregarding certain resources, and some have used that authority to drop the resource test altogether. Arizona is one of them, so that limit does not apply here.1

Do not confuse the Medicare Savings Programs with full Arizona Long Term Care System (ALTCS) Medicaid, which does apply an asset test of $2,000 for a single applicant. The Medicare Savings Programs stand apart: income is the only financial test.2

QMB: Qualified Medicare Beneficiary

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

• The Medicare Part A premium, if you owe one (most people get premium-free Part A because they or a spouse paid Medicare taxes long enough while working)3
• The Medicare Part B standard premium, $202.90 per month in 20263
• The Part A inpatient hospital deductible, $1,736 per benefit period in 2026
• The Part B annual deductible, $283 in 2026
• All Part A and Part B coinsurance and copays for Medicare-covered items and services

In 2026, Arizona's QMB income limit is at or below $1,350/month for a single person and $1,824/month for a couple, with no resource limit.1 These Part B and Part A cost figures are the national 2026 Medicare amounts.3

For a single Arizona senior on Social Security, QMB eliminates the $2,434.80 annual Part B premium and the $283 Part B deductible, more than $2,700 a year before any hospital or outpatient cost-sharing, and it also erases Part A and Part B copays and coinsurance.3 QMB's cost-sharing protection covers Part A and Part B; prescription drug costs are handled separately, through Part D Extra Help, which every QMB enrollee is automatically deemed eligible for.1

SLMB: Specified Low-Income Medicare Beneficiary

SLMB pays one benefit: the Medicare Part B premium. At the 2026 standard rate of $202.90 per month, that is $2,434.80 per year in direct savings.3

In 2026, Arizona's SLMB income band runs above the QMB limit up to $1,616/month for a single person and $2,184/month for a couple, again with no resource limit.1

SLMB does not pay deductibles or copays. But for a beneficiary with few medical claims, the Part B premium is the dominant out-of-pocket cost, and SLMB removes it. SLMB enrollment also triggers automatic Part D Extra Help.1

QI: Qualifying Individual

QI covers the Part B premium only, the same as SLMB, but at a higher income band. In 2026, Arizona's QI income limit runs above the SLMB band up to $1,816/month for a single person and $2,455/month for a couple, with no resource limit.1

Three structural differences set QI apart from QMB and SLMB:

1. First-come, first-served. QI is paid out of a capped annual federal allocation to each state, so it is granted first-come, first-served, with preference for people who had QI in the last month of the previous year. Meeting the income test does not guarantee a QI slot.1
2. You must apply every year. Being selected for QI in one year does not entitle you to continued assistance in any later year, so a QI enrollee has to reapply annually to stay in the program.1
3. Mutually exclusive with Medicaid. QI-1 requires that the applicant not be receiving Medicaid benefits.1 Under the federal rule, QI is only for people who don't qualify for any other Medicaid coverage, though they may still qualify for help from another Medicare Savings Program.1

Like SLMB, QI enrollment triggers automatic Part D Extra Help.1

Full Program Comparison

QMB sits at 100% FPL, SLMB spans 100% to 120% FPL, and QI spans 120% to 135% FPL. None of the three applies an asset test in Arizona.1 These are the federal income standards, not an absolute cutoff: states can effectively raise them by disregarding certain income, so someone somewhat over should apply rather than rule themselves out.1

The QMB Billing Protection

Federal law (Social Security Act Sec. 1902(n)(3)) bars providers from seeking to collect any additional amount from a QMB enrollee for Medicare deductibles or coinsurance, other than nominal Medicaid copayments.1 The ban reaches Medicare providers and suppliers, including pharmacies, and covers the Medicare cost-sharing that QMB pays on your behalf. A QMB enrollee may still get a bill for a small Medicaid copayment, if one applies.1

If you are a QMB enrollee and receive a bill for a Medicare deductible, coinsurance, or copay:

• Tell the provider you are enrolled in QMB and cite the federal balance-billing prohibition.
• Show your AHCCCS eligibility notice or your Medicare card with the QMB indicator.
• Call 1-800-MEDICARE (1-800-633-4227), Medicare's official contact line, for help.4
• Contact the Arizona State Health Insurance Assistance Program (SHIP), run by the Arizona Department of Economic Security, for free counseling.5 SHIP counselors can help correct billing issues and file complaints.5

Because providers are barred from billing a QMB enrollee for that cost-sharing, an improper charge is one to dispute rather than pay.1

Part D Extra Help Comes Automatically

All three Arizona Medicare Savings Programs automatically confer the full Part D Extra Help, also called the Low-Income Subsidy (LIS). No separate application is required. In 2026, Extra Help sets a $0 Part D deductible and caps copays at $5.10 per generic prescription and $12.65 per brand-name drug. Those are ceilings: an enrollee who also has full Medicaid with income at or below 100% FPL pays no more than $1.60 and $4.90, and one with full Medicaid living in a nursing home or getting home and community-based services pays $0. Once out-of-pocket drug costs reach $2,100, there is no cost-sharing for covered Part D drugs for the rest of the year.6

Federal rules treat QMB, SLMB, and QI enrollees as meeting the full-subsidy requirements, and CMS notifies you that you do not need to apply. Extra Help covers your Part D premium up to your region's benchmark premium; if you choose a more expensive plan, you pay the difference.6 For a senior filling several prescriptions a month, Extra Help can add substantial drug-cost savings on top of the Part B premium benefit.

How the Part B Premium Deduction Stops

Once AHCCCS approves a Medicare Savings Program, the state pays your Part B premium under a Section 1843 "state buy-in" agreement. The federal government then bills Arizona and stops deducting the premium from your Social Security check.7 For QMB, AHCCCS also pays any Part A premium you owe.1

Buy-in is established through a data exchange between AHCCCS and CMS rather than instantly at approval. States with buy-in agreements must exchange that data with CMS daily under 42 CFR 407.40(c)(4), so an infrequent exchange is not the cause, but you may still see the premium withheld for one or more months after approval. The exact length of that lag is not fixed by any published federal figure and varies by state and by case, so do not read a delay as a denial. Once buy-in coverage is effective, SSA refunds any premiums deducted from your benefit for a month you were enrolled in buy-in, and that refund is not counted as income under SSI rules. If your premium comes out of a Social Security, RRB, or OPM benefit, that deduction can continue for a month or more, and SSA refunds every month you were covered by buy-in. If instead CMS bills you directly, which it does when you do not receive one of those benefits, keep paying that bill until buy-in is actually in effect: the refund comes after buy-in takes effect rather than lifting the premium during the lag, and it also covers premiums you paid CMS directly for any month you were enrolled in buy-in.7

How to Apply for Arizona Medicare Savings Programs

Arizona residents apply online at Health-e-Arizona Plus or by mailing an application to AHCCCS.1

After you apply, AHCCCS reviews your income and sends a written decision. Because the state buy-in that stops your Part B deduction is established through a state-CMS data exchange rather than the instant you are approved, apply as early as you can; any premiums withheld while buy-in catches up are refunded to you by SSA.7

Where to Get Help

Learn More

Find personalized help applying for Arizona Medicare Savings Programs at brevy.com.

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.