Michigan Medicare Savings Programs 2026: QMB, SLMB & QI

Michigan's Medicare Savings Programs (MSPs) pay Medicare premiums and, for the top tier, all Medicare deductibles and copays for people with limited income and resources. Michigan runs its MSPs through the Michigan Department of Health and Human Services (MDHHS), and applying through MI Bridges is the fastest way to enroll. In 2026, a single person with monthly income up to about $1,816 may qualify for at least partial help.1

What Are Medicare Savings Programs?

Medicare Savings Programs are a Medicaid-administered benefit for people who have Medicare but cannot afford the premiums and cost-sharing. They are separate from full Medicaid coverage: you can qualify for an MSP without qualifying for Michigan's full Medicaid package.1

Federal law defines four MSPs. This guide covers the three that MDHHS runs for people who need help with Medicare premiums and cost-sharing: QMB, SLMB, and QI. The fourth, QDWI (Qualified Disabled and Working Individual), is a narrower program that pays the Part A premium for certain working people with disabilities who lost premium-free Part A; its 2026 income limits are far higher ($5,405/month individual, $7,299/month couple) and its resource limits far lower ($4,000 / $6,000).1

Income limits for QMB, SLMB, and QI are set by the federal government as a share of the Federal Poverty Level (FPL). The published dollar limits sit a little above the bare FPL percentage because they already include the $20 monthly SSI general income exclusion. That is why the QMB figure is $1,350 rather than a flat 100% of FPL. These are the federal standards rather than absolute cutoffs: states can effectively raise both the income and the resource limits by disregarding certain income and resources, so confirm the current Michigan numbers with MDHHS and apply rather than rule yourself out.1

QMB: The Most Protective Tier

QMB provides the broadest coverage of the three programs. It pays:

• The Medicare Part A premium (for the small share of people who do not get premium-free Part A)
• The Medicare Part B premium, which is $202.90/month in 2026 for most enrollees2
• All Part A and Part B deductibles, coinsurance, and copays, including the $283 annual Part B deductible in 20262

2026 QMB income limits (approximate): up to about $1,350/month for an individual and $1,824/month for a married couple. The measure is 100% of the Federal Poverty Level plus the $20 monthly SSI general income exclusion, which is why the published figure is above a flat 100% of FPL.1

SLMB: Part B Premium Help

SLMB pays only the Medicare Part B premium. In 2026 that is $202.90/month for most enrollees, or $2,434.80 for the year. SLMB does not cover deductibles or copays.2

2026 SLMB income limits (approximate): up to about $1,616/month for an individual and $2,184/month for a couple. Income is measured between 100% and 120% of the Federal Poverty Level.1

QI: The Upper Tier

QI also pays only the Part B premium. It covers a slightly higher income band than SLMB, up to about $1,816/month for an individual and $2,455/month for a couple, measured between 120% and 135% of the Federal Poverty Level. Two distinctions matter for QI:1

1. Annual funding cap. QI is paid from a fixed federal allotment each year. The state selects qualifying individuals in the order they apply, and it must limit how many it selects so the year's total assistance stays within its federal allocation. Selection in one year does not entitle you to assistance in the next, so you must apply every year to stay in QI. Apply early in the calendar year.1
2. Cannot combine with full Medicaid. If you qualify for Michigan full Medicaid, you cannot also receive QI. QI is built for people who fall between full Medicaid and no assistance. (QMB and SLMB, by contrast, can be held alongside full Medicaid.)

Asset Limits (2026)

QMB, SLMB, and QI use the same federal resource (asset) test: $9,950 for an individual and $14,910 for a married couple in 2026. (QDWI, the fourth MSP, uses a much lower resource limit of $4,000 / $6,000.)1

Not every asset you own counts toward that limit, and the published limits can also reflect state disregards, so ask MDHHS or a SHIP counselor how your own resources are counted before you rule yourself out on a rough tally.1 Michigan sets its own $9,950 asset limit for SSI-related long-term-care Medicaid, effective January 1, 2026, so the MSP resource limit for a single applicant happens to line up with the state's long-term-care figure.3

Income Counting: Disregards Matter

Not all of your income counts toward the MSP income test, and the published limits already build one disregard in: the $20 monthly SSI general income exclusion sits on top of the stated FPL percentage, which is why the QMB line is $1,350 and not a flat 100% of FPL. Beyond that, published limits may reflect additional state income disregards, so the figures MDHHS applies to your case can differ from the federal ones listed here, so confirm them with the state.1

If your gross income looks a little above the limit, apply anyway rather than ruling yourself out. SLMB and QI reach higher income than QMB, so a household that is over the QMB line frequently still qualifies for one of the upper tiers, and MDHHS may count less of your income than you do.

If a Provider Bills You and You Have QMB

Federal law bars every Medicare provider and supplier, pharmacies included, from billing a QMB enrollee for Medicare Part A or Part B deductibles, coinsurance, or copayments. The protection holds even when Michigan Medicaid pays the provider nothing toward that cost-sharing, and it holds whether or not the provider takes Medicaid. For purposes of what you can be billed, what Medicare pays plus whatever the state plan pays (if anything) counts as payment in full, and you have no legal liability to pay the provider for that cost-sharing. CMS tells providers to bill the state to determine the state's Medicare cost-sharing liability, and requires states to let any Medicare-enrolled provider enroll for the purpose of submitting those claims. A provider who bills you anyway is violating its Medicare provider agreement or its Medicare Part C obligations and may be subject to sanctions, even when Medicaid pays nothing.4

If a bill for Medicare cost-sharing shows up anyway:

1. Don't pay it. Tell the provider you're in the QMB group and that federal law bars the charge.
2. Show your MDHHS approval notice. The letter approving your QMB coverage is proof you're in the group.
3. Call Michigan's SHIP at 1-800-803-7174. The State Health Insurance Assistance Program, run by MDHHS, is Michigan's free, unbiased resource for navigating Medicare, and its local certified counselors give personal assistance at no charge.5
4. If it isn't resolved, call 1-800-MEDICARE (1-800-633-4227) and ask the representative to submit your complaint to the Medicare Beneficiary Ombudsman, the Centers for Medicare & Medicaid Services program that takes beneficiary complaints your plan and 1-800-MEDICARE did not resolve.6,7

Extra Help: The Automatic Benefit

Enrolling in QMB, SLMB, or QI automatically qualifies you for Extra Help, also called the Part D Low-Income Subsidy (LIS). Federal rules deem those three groups full-subsidy eligible. QDWI, the fourth MSP, does not confer Extra Help.1

Extra Help lowers Part D prescription-drug premiums, deductibles, and copays. Because the deeming is automatic, you do not file a separate Extra Help application once your MSP is approved.1

How to Apply for a Michigan Medicare Savings Program

Michigan MSP applications go through MDHHS on the MDHHS-1171 Assistance Application (a MI Bridges online application counts as the same form). Standard processing takes up to 45 days for a non-disability case. Here is the path from start to coverage.8

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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.