Delaware Medicare Savings Programs 2026: QMB, SLMB & QI

If you have Medicare and a limited income in Delaware, three programs can pay your Medicare premiums, and one of them covers your Part A and Part B deductibles and cost-sharing on top. They are called Medicare Savings Programs, and the state runs them through Delaware Medicaid. For QMB, the most comprehensive of the three, DMMA states plainly that your assets are not considered. This guide shows the 2026 income limits, what each program pays, and how to apply.

What Are Delaware Medicare Savings Programs?

Medicare Savings Programs (MSPs) are Medicaid-administered benefits that pay some or all of a low-income Medicare beneficiary's Medicare costs. QMB, SLMB, and QI are the three most people apply for, and every state must offer them. In Delaware, the Delaware Division of Medicaid and Medical Assistance (DMMA), part of the Delaware Department of Health and Social Services (DHSS), administers all three. (Medicaid.gov is the federal reference site; it does not run Delaware's programs.)1

Delaware sets each tier as a percentage of the Federal Poverty Level (FPL): QMB at or below 100% FPL, SLMB at or below 120% FPL, and QI-1 at or below 135% FPL. Note that these are ceilings, not bands. If your income is low enough for QMB you are placed in QMB, which is the richer benefit, rather than in SLMB or QI-1.1

You will see two slightly different sets of dollar figures for the same programs, and it is worth knowing why. DMMA's income-limits page lists $1,330 for a household of one at 100% FPL, while Medicare.gov lists $1,350 for a QMB individual, a $20 gap that repeats at every tier. The federal figures add the $20 SSI general income exclusion on top of the FPL percentage; DMMA's table states the FPL percentage itself.2 The figures below are DMMA's own, since DMMA decides your application. If your income lands within about $20 of a limit, apply and let DMMA make the determination rather than screening yourself out.1

2026 Delaware Income Limits

These are the 2026 monthly figures DMMA publishes for the Medicare Savings Programs. You must be entitled to Medicare Part A to qualify for any of the three.1

For QMB, DMMA says outright that "your assets are not considered," so savings, a home and other property do not stand between a QMB applicant and the benefit. For SLMB and QI-1, DMMA's page states a gross monthly income limit and says nothing about assets in either direction.1 Confirm the current income figures with DMMA when you apply, since the limits update each year with the poverty guidelines.

QMB: Qualified Medicare Beneficiary

QMB is the most comprehensive program. If your monthly income is at or below DMMA's 2026 limit of $1,330 for a household of one or $1,804 for a household of two, QMB covers (DMMA states that for QMB, "your assets are not considered"):1

• Your Medicare Part A premium (most people already have premium-free Part A)
• Your Medicare Part B premium, which is $202.90 a month in 20263
• The Part A inpatient hospital deductible, which is $1,736 per benefit period in 20263
• The Part B annual deductible, which is $283 in 20263
• The 20% Part B coinsurance, and your other Part A and Part B coinsurance and copays1

Those figures are the standard 2026 Medicare amounts set by the Centers for Medicare & Medicaid Services (CMS); QMB pays them so you do not have to.3 QMB also automatically qualifies you for Part D Extra Help.2

The QMB Billing Ban: You Cannot Be Billed for Cost-Sharing

Federal law bars any Medicare provider or supplier, pharmacies included, from billing a QMB enrollee for Part A or Part B deductibles, coinsurance, or copays on any Medicare-covered item or service. You have no legal obligation to pay them. (The protection covers Medicare-covered care, so it does not extend to a service Medicare does not cover at all.) If you are enrolled in QMB and a provider sends you a bill for Medicare cost-sharing, do not pay it. Tell the provider you are a QMB enrollee and ask them to correct the charge.2 If the problem continues, call 1-800-MEDICARE (1-800-633-4227) or the Delaware Medicare Assistance Bureau (DMAB) at 1-800-336-9500 for free help resolving it.4,5

SLMB: Specified Low-Income Medicare Beneficiary

SLMB pays one thing: your Medicare Part B premium. At the 2026 standard premium of $202.90 a month, that is worth $2,434.80 a year back in your pocket.3

SLMB is for people whose income is a little too high for QMB. DMMA's 2026 limit is $1,596 a month for a household of one and $2,164 for a household of two, at or below 120% FPL.1 It does not pay deductibles or copays, but like QMB it automatically qualifies you for Part D Extra Help.2

QI: Qualifying Individual

QI-1 also pays the Part B premium only, at a slightly higher income ceiling. DMMA's 2026 limit is $1,796 a month for a household of one and $2,435 for a household of two, at or below 135% FPL.1 Two things set QI apart from QMB and SLMB:

1. Funding is limited, so apply early. QI is paid from a capped annual federal allotment rather than being an open entitlement. Federal law directs the state to limit how many people it selects so that the total stays within that year's allotment, and to select applicants in the order they apply. If you think you qualify, do not wait. You also have to apply for QI every year: being selected one year does not entitle you to assistance in any following year.2
2. You cannot combine QI with full Medicaid. If you already qualify for full Delaware Medicaid, you cannot enroll in QI. In that case you would receive your Part B premium help alongside full Medicaid instead.2

MSP Enrollment Unlocks Part D Extra Help

Every QMB, SLMB, and QI enrollee in Delaware is automatically deemed eligible for full Part D Extra Help, also called the Low-Income Subsidy. You do not file a separate application; DMMA transmits your enrollment to CMS, which handles the Extra Help side.2

For 2026, full Extra Help means covered drugs that cost no more than $5.10 for a generic and $12.65 for a brand name, and $0 for the rest of the year once your out-of-pocket drug costs reach $2,100.6 It also means a $0 Part D premium and no deductible, but only up to your region's benchmark: full Extra Help pays the benchmark premium for the PDP region where you live, and if you choose a plan that costs more than that, you pay the difference. Check the premium before you pick a plan.7

How Delaware Treats Your Assets in Medicare Savings Programs

For QMB, the DMMA page states plainly that "your assets are not considered". Your savings, home, vehicles, investments, and other property do not affect whether you qualify for QMB; that determination rests on your monthly income alone.1

SLMB and QI-1 are less clear-cut, and it is worth being precise about what is and is not known. DMMA's Qualified Individual-1 and SLMB sections state a gross monthly income limit and say nothing about assets in either direction.1 That silence is not the same as a published guarantee that assets are ignored. Federal rules do set Medicare Savings Program resource limits of $9,950 for an individual and $14,910 for a married couple, and states may disregard some or all of that, but DMMA has not published where Delaware lands for these two programs.2

So: if you are applying for QMB, do not rule yourself out over what you own. If you are applying for SLMB or QI-1 and your resources are above the federal figures, apply anyway and ask DMMA directly how it treats assets for that program. An application is free, and a caseworker's answer beats a guess.

How to Apply for Delaware Medicare Savings Programs

You apply through Delaware Medicaid, and there are three ways to do it. You only need one.

Documents to Gather

• Medicare card (showing your Medicare Beneficiary Identifier)
• Social Security card or proof of your Social Security number
• Your most recent SSA award or cost-of-living letter
• Recent bank and investment account statements
• Pension or annuity statements, if you have them
• Proof of Delaware residency

Retroactive Coverage

• QMB starts the first day of the month after DMMA approves your application. This is statutory: a QMB determination applies to services furnished after the end of the month in which the determination is first made, so QMB cannot be granted retroactively.8
• SLMB and QI-1 follow the general Medicaid rule and can be made effective as early as the third month before your application month, if you would have been eligible in those months. Filing early protects that retroactive period.8

Where to Get Help

You do not have to figure this out alone. These Delaware and federal resources answer questions and help you apply for free.

Learn More

Find personalized help applying for Delaware 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.