Nevada Medicare Savings Programs 2026: QMB, SLMB & QI

Nevada Medicare Savings Programs (MSPs) pay some or all of your Medicare costs if your income and assets are limited. The Qualified Medicare Beneficiary (QMB) program covers both the Part A and Part B premiums plus every Medicare deductible, coinsurance, and copay; SLMB and QI cover the Part B premium only. In 2026, QMB starts at a gross monthly income at or below about $1,350 for a single person. The resource test is less settled than it looks: the federal 2026 standard is $9,950 for one person, while Nevada's own DWSS manual still prints $9,430, and nothing published settles which figure a Nevada eligibility worker applies today.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 premiums and cost-sharing. QMB, SLMB, and QI are mandatory eligibility groups under Title XIX of the Social Security Act, so every state Medicaid plan must cover them, and enrolling in any of the three automatically qualifies you for Part D Extra Help.1

In Nevada, all three run on the Income Limit Charts and the Medical Assistance Manual (B-300) published by the Nevada Division of Welfare and Supportive Services (DWSS), and it is state Medicaid agencies that decide who is eligible. You apply through DWSS.1

Because MSPs use the Supplemental Security Income (SSI) related income methodology rather than MAGI rules, a $20 monthly general income disregard applies before your income is measured against the limit. That is why two sets of numbers circulate. DWSS's own 2026 chart tops QMB at $1,330 a month for an individual, measured against the Federal Poverty Level. Add the federal $20 exclusion to each of its bands and you get exactly the figures SSA publishes, which are the ones used throughout this guide: $1,350 single and $1,824 couple for QMB, $1,616 / $2,184 for SLMB, $1,816 / $2,455 for QI.1 Practically, that means you compare your gross monthly income to the figures in this guide. The $20 is already built into them, so don't subtract it again.

QMB: Qualified Medicare Beneficiary

QMB is Nevada's broadest Medicare Savings Program tier. It covers:

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

2026 Nevada QMB income limit: gross monthly income at or below about $1,350 for a single person or about $1,824 for a couple, which is 100% FPL plus the federal $20 general income exclusion. Resource limit: $9,950 for one person and $14,910 for a couple under the 2026 federal standard, though Nevada's DWSS B-300 manual still prints $9,430 and $14,130, so ask DWSS which pair it is applying to you.1 Nevada excludes one vehicle without regard to use or value.3

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

SLMB: Specified Low-Income Medicare Beneficiary

Nevada SLMB covers the Medicare Part B premium only. That single benefit is worth $2,434.80 per year at the 2026 standard premium of $202.90/month.2

2026 Nevada SLMB income limits: gross monthly income of about $1,351 to $1,616 for a single person, or about $1,825 to $2,184 for a couple, which is the 100% to 120% FPL band plus the $20 exclusion. The resource test is the same unsettled pair as QMB's.1

SLMB does not pay deductibles or copays, but the Part B premium savings is the dominant cost for beneficiaries with relatively few medical claims. SLMB enrollment also triggers automatic Part D Extra Help, which on a benchmark plan caps covered drugs at $5.10 per generic and $12.65 per brand-name prescription with a $0 deductible.4

QI: Qualifying Individual

QI covers the Part B premium only, at a higher income band: gross monthly income of about $1,617 to $1,816 for a single person, or about $2,185 to $2,455 for a couple, which is the 120% to 135% FPL band plus the $20 exclusion. The resource test is the same as QMB's, on the same unsettled pair of figures.1

Three structural differences set QI apart from QMB and SLMB:

1. First-come, first-served. QI is funded through a capped federal allotment. Nevada enrolls applicants first-come, first-served, with preference for prior-year QI enrollees.
2. You must apply every year. Being selected for QI in one year does not entitle you to continued assistance in any later year, so a QI enrollee has to reapply annually to stay in the program.1
3. Mutually exclusive with full Medicaid. If you qualify for any full-benefit Nevada Medicaid category, you cannot receive QI. You would instead be eligible for QMB-Plus or SLMB-Plus, which layer full Medicaid coverage on top of MSP protections.

Like SLMB, QI enrollment triggers automatic Part D Extra Help.1

The QMB Billing Protection

Federal law (42 USC 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 regardless of Nevada Medicaid participation status.1

If you are a Nevada QMB enrollee and receive a bill for a deductible, coinsurance, or copay, do not pay it:

• Inform the provider you are a QMB enrollee and cite the federal balance-billing prohibition.
• Show your DWSS eligibility notice.
• Call 1-800-MEDICARE (1-800-633-4227) to file a complaint, or your Nevada SHIP counselor (see Where to Get Help below).5

The provider is required to recall the bill from any collections process and refund amounts already collected.

Part D Extra Help / Low-Income Subsidy

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

Under the 2026 Part D Extra Help benefit, a full-subsidy enrollee on a benchmark plan pays:

• $0 Part D premium and $0 annual deductible on a benchmark plan
• No more than $5.10 per covered generic prescription
• No more than $12.65 per covered brand-name prescription
• $0 for covered drugs after out-of-pocket costs reach the $2,100 annual cap4

Deeming flows from DHCFP/DWSS to the federal Centers for Medicare & Medicaid Services (CMS) each month after MSP enrollment, and CMS auto-assigns anyone not already in a drug plan to a zero-premium benchmark plan.1

Nevada Medicare Savings Programs: 2026 Income Limits at a Glance

These are gross monthly income figures: the FPL bands DWSS publishes (100% for QMB, 100 to 120% for SLMB, 120 to 135% for QI) plus the federal $20 general income exclusion. On resources, the 2026 federal standard is $9,950 single / $14,910 couple for all three, while Nevada's DWSS B-300 manual still prints $9,430 / $14,130, and nothing published settles which pair Nevada applies today.1

What Counts as a Resource in Nevada?

Both Nevada tests run on countable amounts rather than on everything you own or receive: the DWSS B-300 manual states the resource test as countable resources and the income test as net countable income, and federal guidance describes states disregarding certain types of income and resources.1

What Nevada does not publish is the list. Neither the DWSS Medicare Beneficiary chart nor the B-300 manual sets out which resources Nevada counts and which it excludes for QMB, SLMB, or QI, so none of the resource figures in this guide can be used to rule yourself out.1 One exclusion Nevada does state, in the Medical Assistance Manual covering its aged, blind, and disabled residents, is that one vehicle is excluded without regard to use or value.3

That gap cuts in the applicant's favor, and federal guidance says so outright: staff are told that even where someone's income or resources appear somewhat higher than the state limits, they should be encouraged to apply for the Medicare Savings Programs.1 So if a paid-off Las Vegas home or a bank balance near the limit is what's stopping you, ask DWSS how it counts that asset instead of assuming the answer either way.

How the Income Disregard Works

The most common reason eligible Nevada seniors skip MSP: they look at gross income, see it above the threshold, and stop. The SSI-related methodology counts less than the gross figure. The first $20 of monthly income doesn't count, so a Social Security beneficiary's countable income starts $20 below the gross benefit. That is precisely why the limits in this guide sit $20 above the FPL bands on Nevada's own chart, and why you should compare your gross income to the figures here rather than subtracting the $20 yourself. Nevada also applies the standard SSI earned-income exclusion, which removes a further portion of any wages, so working seniors often have countable income well below the threshold. The same holds on the resource side: states may disregard certain resources as well as income, so run the actual numbers, or let DWSS run them, before concluding you don't qualify on either test.1

How to Apply for Nevada Medicare Savings Programs

There is no separate MSP form in Nevada. You apply for Medicaid and Medicare cost-sharing help through DWSS, and you can also start through Social Security. Follow these steps.

When coverage starts. QMB coverage begins the first day of the month after DWSS approves your application; federal law (42 USC 1396a(e)(8)) bars retroactive QMB coverage. SLMB and QI allow up to three months of retroactive coverage under 42 CFR 435.915 if you were eligible during those months, so file as early as possible.6 Those three months are the federal default; a state can shorten or eliminate the window for some coverage groups only under a Section 1115 demonstration waiver, so ask DWSS how it applies to the program you are applying for.7

Where to Get Help in Nevada

Learn More

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.