Arkansas Medicare Savings Programs 2026: QMB, SLMB & QI

Arkansas Medicare Savings Programs pay the Medicare Part B premium, and for the lowest-income tier every Medicare deductible and copay, for beneficiaries with limited income and assets. Unlike some states, Arkansas does apply an asset test to these programs, but it is a modest one: about $4,000 for a single person and $6,000 for a couple, and your home and one car do not count.1

What Are Medicare Savings Programs?

Medicare Savings Programs are Medicaid-administered benefits that pay some or all of a low-income Medicare beneficiary's Medicare premiums and cost-sharing. QMB, SLMB, and QI are mandatory eligibility groups under Title XIX of the Social Security Act, meaning every state Medicaid plan must cover them.1

In Arkansas, all three programs are administered by the Arkansas Department of Human Services (DHS) through its county-operations Medicaid program. Applications go through the Access Arkansas portal or local DHS county offices.

Arkansas uses the Supplemental Security Income (SSI)-related methodology to count income, not the MAGI rules that apply to most working-age Medicaid. That methodology applies a $20 general income disregard to your unearned income (such as Social Security) before comparing it to the limit, so the income figures below already reflect that $20.1

QMB: Qualified Medicare Beneficiary

QMB is the most comprehensive tier. It covers:

• The Medicare Part A premium (most beneficiaries have premium-free Part A after 40 or more quarters of work)
• The Medicare Part B premium, which is $202.90 per month in 2026
• The Part A inpatient hospital deductible, which is $1,736 per benefit period in 2026
• The Part B annual deductible, which is $283 in 2026
• All Medicare coinsurance and copays on every Medicare-covered service2

2026 Arkansas QMB income limits: at or below $1,350/month for a single person, or at or below $1,824/month for a couple. These figures reflect 100% of the Federal Poverty Level with the $20 general income disregard applied. Countable resources must stay at or below about $4,000 (single) or $6,000 (couple).1

For a single Arkansas senior on Social Security, QMB wipes out the Part B premium ($202.90 a month, or about $2,434.80 a year), the $283 Part B deductible, and the $1,736 Part A hospital deductible, plus every Medicare copay and coinsurance charge.2 Every QMB enrollee is also automatically deemed eligible for full Part D Extra Help.

SLMB: Specified Low-Income Medicare Beneficiary

SLMB covers one benefit: the Medicare Part B premium. At the 2026 standard rate of $202.90 a month, that is worth about $2,434.80 for the year.2

2026 Arkansas SLMB income limits: more than the QMB limit and up to $1,616/month for a single person, or up to $2,184/month for a couple. The same asset test applies: about $4,000 single, $6,000 couple.1

SLMB does not cover deductibles or copays. But for a beneficiary with relatively few medical claims, eliminating the Part B premium is the dominant cost saving. SLMB enrollment also triggers automatic Part D Extra Help, which cuts covered drug copays to $5.10 for generics and $12.65 for brand-name drugs in 2026.3

QI: Qualifying Individual

QI pays the Part B premium only, the same as SLMB, but applies at a higher income band: more than the SLMB limit and up to $1,816/month for a single person, or up to $2,455/month for a couple (2026 figures with the $20 disregard applied). The asset test is the same, about $4,000 single and $6,000 couple.1

Two structural differences set QI apart from QMB and SLMB:

1. First-come, first-served. QI is funded through a capped federal allotment. Arkansas allocates enrollment on a first-come, first-served basis, with a preference for prior-year QI enrollees. Unlike QMB and SLMB, which are entitlements, QI carries no enrollment guarantee.
2. Mutually exclusive with full Medicaid. Anyone eligible for full Medicaid cannot also be on QI. Those individuals qualify instead for QMB-Plus or SLMB-Plus, which layer full Medicaid on top of the Medicare Savings Program protections.1

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

The QMB Billing Prohibition

Federal law (42 U.S.C. § 1396a(n)(3)(B)) prohibits any Medicare provider from billing a QMB enrollee for Medicare cost-sharing. This applies to Original Medicare and Medicare Advantage providers alike, whether or not they participate in Arkansas Medicaid. Federal guidance states the bar applies "under any circumstances."1

If you are a QMB enrollee and receive a bill for a deductible, coinsurance, or copay from any Medicare provider, do not pay it. The provider cannot legally collect it. Instead:

• Tell the provider you are enrolled in QMB and cite the federal prohibition.
• Show your Arkansas Medicaid eligibility notice or your Medicare card with the QMB indicator.
• Call 1-800-MEDICARE (1-800-633-4227) to file a complaint.
• Contact Arkansas SHIIP (the Senior Health Insurance Information Program) at 1-800-224-6330 for free help disputing the bill.

Part D Extra Help / Low-Income Subsidy

Every QMB, SLMB, and QI enrollee in Arkansas is automatically deemed eligible for full Part D Extra Help (the Low-Income Subsidy). No separate application is required.1

Under the 2026 Part D benefit rules, full Extra Help caps your out-of-pocket cost at $5.10 per generic prescription and $12.65 per brand-name or preferred multi-source drug, and once your out-of-pocket drug spending reaches $2,100 for the year, you pay $0 for covered drugs the rest of the year.3

The deeming flows automatically from Arkansas DHS to the Centers for Medicare & Medicaid Services (CMS) each month after your Medicare Savings Program enrollment. If you are not already in a Part D plan, CMS assigns you to a benchmark plan.

Arkansas Medicare Savings Programs: 2026 Income Limits at a Glance

These income limits reflect 100% of the Federal Poverty Level for QMB, 100 to 120% for SLMB, and 120 to 135% for QI, each with the $20 general income disregard applied. All three carry the same Arkansas asset test of about $4,000 single / $6,000 couple.1

Arkansas Applies an Asset Test: Know the Real Number

National guides and lead-generation pages routinely list a Medicare Savings Program resource limit of $9,950 for a single person and $14,910 for a couple.1 That is the higher federal standard, and it is not the number Arkansas uses. Arkansas caps countable resources at twice the SSI resource limit instead, which works out to about $4,000 for a single applicant and $6,000 for a couple in 2026 (the 2026 SSI resource limits are $2,000 and $3,000).1,4

That difference is material: a family that reads a national page and assumes a modest five-figure nest egg is fine could be over the Arkansas limit. Check your countable balances against the Arkansas figure, not the federal one.

What Counts as a Resource and What Does Not

The Arkansas asset test excludes several large categories of property, so many applicants have far less countable than they assume.

Excluded (do not count):

• Your primary residence, regardless of equity or value
• One vehicle, regardless of make or value
• Household goods and personal effects
• Prepaid burial arrangements and a modest burial fund

Counted:

• Checking and savings account balances
• Stocks, bonds, CDs, and mutual funds
• A second vehicle or a second home
• Cash-value life insurance above a small exempt amount

Many Arkansas seniors rule themselves out of a Medicare Savings Program because they treat their home as a resource. The home does not count. An applicant who owns a paid-off house can still qualify as long as their bank and investment balances stay within the roughly $4,000 (single) or $6,000 (couple) limit.1

How the Income Disregards Work

The most common reason eligible Arkansas seniors skip these programs: they look at their gross income, see a figure above the threshold, and stop. The SSI-related methodology counts income differently.

The $20 general income disregard excludes $20 per household per month from unearned income (Social Security, pensions, VA compensation) before your income is compared to the limit. This is already built into the published limits above.1 If you or your spouse still work, additional earned-income disregards under the SSI rules lower your countable income further before it is measured against the limit.

Run the actual disregard math, or ask a counselor to run it, before concluding you do not qualify.

Where to Get Help in Arkansas

How to Apply for Arkansas Medicare Savings Programs

Determination Timeline and Effective Dates

Arkansas DHS processes non-disability Medicare Savings Program applications under the federal 45-day standard (42 CFR § 435.912).

• QMB: coverage begins the first day of the month after Arkansas approves the application. Federal law does not allow retroactive QMB coverage, so apply as early as possible.
• SLMB and QI: up to three months of retroactive coverage is available under 42 CFR § 435.915 if you were eligible during those months. File early to protect the retroactive window.

Learn More

Find personalized help applying for Arkansas 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.