Colorado Medicare Savings Programs 2026: QMB, SLMB & QI

Colorado's Medicare Savings Programs pay the Medicare premiums, deductibles, and coinsurance that low-income seniors and people with disabilities can least afford. In 2026, the broadest tier, the Qualified Medicare Beneficiary (QMB) program, eliminates the entire $202.90 monthly Part B premium plus every Medicare deductible and copay for a single Coloradan with income at or below $1,350 a month. Colorado also uses a more generous asset test than the federal standard: a resource limit of $11,450 for one person and $17,910 for a couple.

What Are Medicare Savings Programs?

Medicare Savings Programs (MSPs) are Medicaid-administered benefits that pay a low-income Medicare beneficiary's premiums and cost-sharing. Under Title XIX of the Social Security Act, QMB, SLMB, and QI are mandatory eligibility groups, meaning every state must offer them.1

In Colorado, the programs are administered by the Colorado Department of Health Care Policy and Financing (HCPF), which runs the state's Medicaid program, Health First Colorado. HCPF determines financial eligibility and manages enrollment for all three MSP tiers.2,1

Because MSPs use the Supplemental Security Income (SSI) income methodology, a $20/month general income disregard is subtracted from unearned income before the test is applied. Colorado's published income limits already include this $20 disregard, so the figures below are the ceilings to compare your income against. Working applicants benefit from additional earned-income disregards, which means wages count less heavily than the raw numbers suggest.1

QMB: Qualified Medicare Beneficiary

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

• The Medicare Part A premium, if any (most beneficiaries have premium-free Part A after 40 or more work quarters)
• The Medicare Part B standard premium, $202.90/month in 20263
• The Part A inpatient hospital deductible, $1,736 per benefit period in 20263
• The Part B annual deductible, $283 in 20263
• All Medicare coinsurance and copays across every Medicare-covered service

Those cost-sharing figures come from the Centers for Medicare & Medicaid Services (CMS).

2026 Colorado QMB income limits: at or below $1,350/month for a single person, $1,824/month for a couple. These reflect 100% of the Federal Poverty Level (FPL) with the $20 general income disregard applied. Resource limit: $11,450 for one person, $17,910 for a couple, the Colorado figure rather than the lower federal standard. The primary home and one vehicle are fully excluded from the resource count.1

For a single Colorado senior, QMB eliminates the $202.90 monthly Part B premium ($2,434.80 a year) and the $283 annual Part B deductible outright: a guaranteed $2,717.80 in yearly savings before any care is used. If the beneficiary is hospitalized, QMB also covers the $1,736 Part A deductible for that benefit period. Every QMB enrollee is also automatically deemed eligible for full Part D Extra Help.3

SLMB: Specified Low-Income Medicare Beneficiary

SLMB pays one benefit: the Medicare Part B premium. At the 2026 standard rate of $202.90/month, that is $2,434.80 per year returned to the beneficiary.3

2026 Colorado SLMB income limits: $1,351 to $1,616/month for a single person, $1,825 to $2,184/month for a couple. Resource limit: the same as QMB, $11,450 single and $17,910 couple.1

SLMB does not cover deductibles or copays. But for a beneficiary with limited medical utilization, the Part B premium is the largest recurring out-of-pocket cost, and SLMB eliminates it entirely.

SLMB enrollment also triggers automatic Part D Extra Help, which caps generic copays at $5.10 and brand-name copays at $12.65, with a $0 deductible and $0 premium on a benchmark Part D plan.4

QI: Qualifying Individual

QI covers the Part B premium only, the same as SLMB, at a higher income band: $1,617 to $1,816/month single, $2,185 to $2,455/month couple in 2026. The resource limit is again $11,450 single / $17,910 couple.1

Two structural differences from QMB and SLMB:

1. First-come, first-served. QI is funded through a capped federal allotment. Colorado allocates enrollment on a first-come, first-served basis, with a preference for prior-year QI enrollees. Because QI is not an entitlement, there is no guarantee of enrollment once the allotment is exhausted.1
2. Mutually exclusive with full Medicaid. Anyone who qualifies for full-benefit Medicaid is not eligible for QI. They would instead receive QMB-Plus or SLMB-Plus, which add full Medicaid benefits on top of MSP cost-sharing protection.

QI enrollment also triggers automatic Part D Extra Help.

Full Program Comparison

Income limits reflect 100% FPL (QMB), 100-120% FPL (SLMB), and 120-135% FPL (QI) with the $20 general income disregard applied. Colorado's $11,450 / $17,910 resource limit sits above the federal $9,950 / $14,910 standard, so a reader who was told they had "too many assets" under the national number should re-check against Colorado's.1

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, under any circumstances. The prohibition covers Original Medicare and Medicare Advantage providers, regardless of whether they contract with Health First Colorado.1

If you receive a bill for a deductible, coinsurance, or copay as a QMB enrollee:

• Do not pay it. Inform the provider you are enrolled in QMB and cite the federal prohibition.
• Show your HCPF eligibility notice or Medicare card with the QMB indicator.
• Call 1-800-MEDICARE (1-800-633-4227) to file a complaint.
• Contact Colorado SHIP, the State Health Insurance Assistance Program, for free help disputing the bill.

Providers who have billed QMB enrollees must recall those bills from collections and refund any amounts already collected.

Part D Extra Help / Low-Income Subsidy

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

Under the 2026 Part D benefit structure, full Extra Help means:

• $0 premium on a benchmark Part D plan4
• $0 annual deductible4
• No more than $5.10 per generic prescription4
• No more than $12.65 per brand-name or preferred multi-source drug4
• $0 in copays once out-of-pocket drug costs reach the $2,100 annual cap4

Those figures come from the Social Security Administration and CMS. The deeming flows from HCPF to CMS monthly. If you are not already in a Part D plan, CMS will auto-assign you to a zero-premium benchmark plan.

Resource Counting: What's Excluded

Colorado's $11,450 / $17,910 resource limit excludes several major asset categories.1

Not counted:

• Primary residence, regardless of value
• One vehicle, regardless of value
• Household goods and personal effects
• A burial-expense allowance of $1,500 per person and $3,000 per couple, already built into Colorado's resource limit1

Counted:

• Checking and savings account balances
• Stocks, bonds, CDs, and mutual funds
• A second vehicle or second home
• The cash surrender value of whole life insurance policies

Many Colorado applicants incorrectly include their home or primary vehicle in the resource count and conclude they do not qualify. Neither asset counts.

How to Apply for Colorado Medicare Savings Programs

Where to Get Help

Learn More

Find personalized help applying for Colorado 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.