Kansas Medicare Savings Programs 2026: QMB, SLMB & QI

If Medicare's monthly premium is straining a fixed income, Kansas Medicare Savings Programs can wipe it out. The broadest tier, QMB, pays your Part B premium and your Part A and Part B deductibles and copays through KanCare, and all three tiers hand you Part D drug help automatically.

What Are Medicare Savings Programs?

Medicare Savings Programs (MSPs) are state-run, Medicaid-administered programs that help people with limited income and resources pay Medicare costs. All three tiers below pay the Part B premium, and QMB also pays Part A and Part B deductibles, coinsurance, and copays for Medicare-covered services.1

In Kansas, the programs run through KanCare, the state's Medicaid program, under eligibility policy the Kansas Department of Health and Environment, Division of Health Care Finance (KDHE-DHCF) keeps in its Medical KEESM manual.2 KEESM calls SLMB "Regular LMB" and QI "Expanded LMB." It sets Kansas's own dollar standards by reference to its F-8 Medical Assistance Standards chart, so the figures in this guide are the federal 2026 limits the Social Security Administration (SSA) publishes for every state except Alaska and Hawaii. Those federal limits are a floor, not a ceiling: a state can effectively raise them by disregarding certain income and resources, and SSA tells anyone whose income or resources look somewhat higher to apply anyway.1

Because MSPs use the Supplemental Security Income (SSI) income methodology, a $20 general income disregard comes off your countable income before the test runs, and working beneficiaries get an additional earned-income disregard.3 The income limits below already reflect the $20 disregard.1

QMB: Qualified Medicare Beneficiary

QMB is the most comprehensive MSP tier. In 2026, it covers the Medicare Part B standard premium of $202.90/month, the Part B annual deductible of $283, the Part A inpatient hospital deductible of $1,736 per benefit period, the Part A premium (most beneficiaries owe $0 after 40 or more work quarters), and all Part A and Part B coinsurance and copays for Medicare-covered services.4 QMB doesn't cover Part D drug-plan copays; Extra Help caps those instead, at no more than $12.65 per covered drug in 2026.1

2026 Kansas QMB income limits: at or below $1,350/month for a single person and $1,824/month for a couple. These track 100% of the Federal Poverty Level with the $20 general income disregard applied. Resource limit: $9,950 for one person, $14,910 for a couple, counting only countable, nonexempt resources (see what's excluded below).1

For a single Kansas senior, QMB erases more than $2,700 a year on the Part B premium and deductible alone (12 months of the $202.90 premium plus the $283 deductible), before counting the copays and coinsurance it also wipes out.4 Every QMB enrollee is automatically deemed eligible for full Part D Extra Help.5

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 in direct savings. SLMB does not pay deductibles or copays, so for beneficiaries with limited medical use, eliminating the Part B premium is the dominant savings.4

2026 Kansas SLMB income limits: above the QMB cutoff, up to $1,616/month for a single person and $2,184/month for a couple. Resource limit: the same as QMB, $9,950 single and $14,910 couple.1 To qualify for SLMB or QI, you need both Part A and Part B.1

SLMB enrollment also triggers automatic Part D Extra Help, which caps covered drug copays at $5.10 for generics and $12.65 for brand-name drugs in 2026, with a $0 deductible and the premium covered up to the cost of a benchmark Part D plan.5

QI: Qualifying Individual

QI covers the Part B premium only, the same as SLMB, but at a higher income band: above the SLMB range, up to $1,816/month single and $2,455/month couple in 2026.1

Two structural differences separate QI from QMB and SLMB:

1. First-come, first-served. QI is paid for out of a capped annual federal allocation to each state. Slots go first-come, first-served, with preference for people who had QI in the last month of the previous year, and you must reapply every year. Unlike QMB and SLMB, QI enrollment is not guaranteed.1
2. Not for people with other Medicaid. KEESM makes Expanded LMB (QI) available only to people who are not otherwise Medicaid eligible or trying to become Medicaid eligible.1 Someone who qualifies for other Medicaid coverage may still get help from another Medicare Savings Program instead.1

QI enrollment also triggers automatic Part D Extra Help.5

Kansas Medicare Savings Programs: Full Comparison

The "what it pays" column covers Medicare Part A and Part B costs only. Every row understates the benefit by one thing: QMB, SLMB, and QI enrollment each automatically qualifies you for full Part D Extra Help as well.1

Income limits reflect 100% of the Federal Poverty Level (QMB), 100-120% (SLMB), and 120-135% (QI), each with the $20 general income disregard applied.1

The QMB Billing Prohibition

Federal law (42 USC 1396a(n)(3)(B)) prohibits any Medicare provider or supplier, including pharmacies, from billing a QMB enrollee for Medicare Part A or Part B cost-sharing, including deductibles, copays, and coinsurance. This applies to Original Medicare and Medicare Advantage providers, whether or not they contract with KanCare.6

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

• Tell the provider you are enrolled in QMB and cite the federal prohibition.
• Show both your Medicare card and your KanCare card (or QMB Program card), or a Medicare Summary Notice showing you're in QMB.6
• If the billing continues, call 1-800-MEDICARE (1-800-633-4227). Medicare can confirm your QMB status and ask the provider to stop billing you and refund what you've paid.6,7
• Contact Kansas SHICK for free help disputing the bill.

Providers who have already billed a QMB enrollee must recall the bills, including any sent to collections, and refund any amount collected.6

Part D Extra Help / Low-Income Subsidy

Every Kansas QMB, SLMB, and QI enrollee is automatically deemed eligible for full Part D Extra Help (also called the Low-Income Subsidy, or LIS). No separate application is required. Under the 2026 Part D benefit, Extra Help means a $0 annual deductible, a premium covered up to the cost of a benchmark plan, and copays of no more than $5.10 per generic prescription and $12.65 per brand-name drug. Those are the ceilings MSP-only enrollees pay; if you also have full KanCare Medicaid, copays drop to $1.60 and $4.90 with income at or below 100% of poverty, and to $0 in a nursing home or on home and community-based services. Once out-of-pocket drug spending reaches $2,100 for the year, you pay $0 for covered drugs.5

The premium help stops at the regional benchmark: if you choose a Part D plan that costs more than the benchmark, you pay the difference.5

What Counts Toward the Resource Limit

The $9,950 single / $14,910 couple limit applies only to countable, nonexempt resources, so it is not a cap on everything you own.1 Federal MSP law counts resources the way SSI does,3 and under the SSI rules several big items are left out:

• Your home is excluded regardless of its value, and it stays excluded while you're away from it if you intend to return.8
• One car is excluded regardless of its value if it's used to get you or someone in your household around. A second car's equity counts.9
• Burial spaces such as a plot, crypt, or headstone are excluded outright, and up to $1,500 each for you and your spouse in money set aside only for burial is excluded too, as long as it's kept separate from your other savings.3

Many Kansas applicants assume their home equity rules them out. It doesn't. And because a state can effectively raise the federal resource limit by disregarding certain resources, SSA's instruction is that someone whose resources look somewhat over the limit should still apply.1

How to Apply for Kansas Medicare Savings Programs

Where to Get Help in Kansas

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Find personalized help applying for Kansas 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.