Wyoming Medicare Savings Programs 2026: QMB, SLMB & QI

Wyoming's Medicare Savings Programs pay the Medicare premiums and cost-sharing that strain a fixed income. The broadest tier, the Qualified Medicare Beneficiary (QMB) program, wipes out the entire Medicare Part B premium, which is $202.90 a month in 2026, plus every Medicare deductible, coinsurance, and copay. All three programs serve income-eligible Wyoming seniors and people with disabilities who are enrolled in Medicare.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 Medicare premiums and cost-sharing. QMB, SLMB, and QI are mandatory eligibility groups under Title XIX of the Social Security Act, so every state plan must cover them.

The Wyoming Department of Health, Division of Healthcare Financing administers all three MSP tiers under the Wyoming Medicaid Eligibility Operations Manual. MSP eligibility uses the Supplemental Security Income (SSI)-related income methodology, which applies the standard federal income disregards before comparing your income to the limit. Because those disregards lower your countable income below your gross income, the monthly figures below are effective limits, and many people whose gross Social Security check sits a little above a limit still qualify once the disregards are applied.2

QMB: Qualified Medicare Beneficiary

QMB is the most comprehensive tier. It covers:

• The Medicare Part A premium (most beneficiaries have premium-free Part A after 40 work quarters, or 10 years, of Medicare-covered employment)
• The Medicare Part B premium, which is $202.90 a month in 2026 (CMS)
• 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 service1

2026 Wyoming QMB income limits: at or below $1,350/month for a single person, or at or below $1,824/month for a couple. These reflect 100% of the Federal Poverty Level after the standard federal income disregards are applied.2

Resource limit: $9,950 for one person, $14,910 for a couple. The primary home and one vehicle are excluded entirely.2

For a single Wyoming senior on Social Security, QMB eliminates the $202.90 monthly Part B premium alone, which is $2,434.80 over a full year, before counting the deductibles and cost-sharing it also erases. On a modest fixed income, that restores a meaningful share of a monthly Social Security check. Every QMB enrollee is automatically deemed eligible for full Part D Extra Help.1

SLMB: Specified Low-Income Medicare Beneficiary

SLMB covers one benefit: the Medicare Part B premium. At the 2026 standard rate of $202.90 a month, that is $2,434.80 per year.1

2026 Wyoming SLMB income limits: $1,351 to $1,616/month for a single person, $1,825 to $2,184/month for a couple.2

Resource limit: same as QMB: $9,950 single, $14,910 couple.2

SLMB does not pay deductibles or copays. For a beneficiary with modest Medicare utilization in a given year, the Part B premium is the dominant out-of-pocket annual cost, and SLMB eliminates it.

SLMB also confers automatic Part D Extra Help, which caps drug costs at $5.10 per generic and $12.65 per brand-name covered drug in 2026, with a $0 deductible and $0 premium on a benchmark Part D plan.3

QI: Qualifying Individual

QI covers the Part B premium only, at a higher income band: $1,617 to $1,816/month for a single person, $2,185 to $2,455/month for a couple (2026 Wyoming figures).2

Two structural differences from QMB and SLMB:

1. First-come, first-served. QI is funded through a capped federal allotment. Wyoming allocates enrollment first-come, first-served, with preference for prior-year QI enrollees. QI is not an entitlement, unlike QMB and SLMB.
2. Mutually exclusive with full Medicaid. If you qualify for any full-benefit Medicaid category, you cannot be on QI. You would instead qualify for QMB-Plus or SLMB-Plus, which combine MSP cost-sharing protection with full Wyoming Medicaid.

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

The QMB Billing Prohibition

Federal law, specifically 42 USC § 1396a(n)(3)(B), prohibits any Medicare provider from billing a QMB enrollee for Medicare cost-sharing. This covers Original Medicare and Medicare Advantage providers alike, regardless of whether they participate with Wyoming Medicaid.2

If you are a QMB enrollee and you receive a bill for a deductible, coinsurance, or copay on a Medicare-covered service, do not pay it. The provider is legally prohibited from collecting it.

If you receive such a bill:

• Tell the provider you are a QMB enrollee and cite federal law.
• Show your Wyoming Medicaid eligibility notice or Medicare card with the QMB indicator.
• Call 1-800-MEDICARE (1-800-633-4227) to file a complaint.
• Contact the Wyoming State Health Insurance Information Program (WSHIIP) for free help.

A provider who has incorrectly billed a QMB must recall the bill and refund payments already collected.

Part D Extra Help / Low-Income Subsidy

Every QMB, SLMB, and QI enrollee in Wyoming 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 structure:

• $0 Part D premium on a benchmark plan
• $0 annual deductible
• $5.10 per generic prescription
• $12.65 per brand-name or preferred multi-source drug
• $0 in copays once out-of-pocket drug costs reach the $2,100 catastrophic cap for 20263

For a senior filling several prescriptions a month, those capped copays are often the larger of the two benefits, on top of the Part B premium relief from SLMB or QI.

The deeming flows automatically from Wyoming to CMS each month after MSP enrollment. If you are not already in a Part D plan, CMS will auto-assign you to a zero-premium benchmark plan.

Wyoming Medicare Savings Programs: 2026 Income Limits at a Glance

Income limits reflect 100% FPL (QMB), 100-120% FPL (SLMB), and 120-135% FPL (QI) after the standard federal income disregards are applied. Resource limit for all three: $9,950 single / $14,910 couple.4,2

What Counts as a Resource, and What Doesn't

The $9,950/$14,910 resource test excludes several major asset categories:2

Excluded (don't count):

• Primary residence, regardless of value or equity
• One vehicle, regardless of make, model, or value
• Household goods and personal effects
• Prepaid burial arrangements and a modest burial fund2

Counted:

• Checking and savings account balances
• Stocks, bonds, certificates of deposit, mutual funds
• A second vehicle or second home
• Non-exempt cash-value life insurance above the face-value threshold

Many Wyoming seniors assume their home counts toward the limit. It does not. The primary residence is fully excluded from the resource count regardless of its value or equity.

How to Apply for Wyoming Medicare Savings Programs

Wyoming offers multiple application pathways:

1. Online via the Wyoming Eligibility System Apply at wesystem.wyo.gov. This is Wyoming's online portal for Medicaid and related benefit programs. Complete the application and upload supporting documents.

2. By phone Call the Wyoming Medicaid Long-Term Care Eligibility Unit at 1-855-203-2936. Staff can take applications by phone for applicants who cannot access the online portal.4

3. Through the Social Security Administration (SSA) Applying for Part D Extra Help at your Social Security Administration office using Form SSA-1020 generates an automatic referral to Wyoming Medicaid under federal law (42 USC § 1320b-14). Your SSA application date serves as the protected filing date.

Documents to Gather Before You Apply

• Medicare card (showing your Medicare Beneficiary Identifier / MBI)
• Social Security card or proof of Social Security number
• Most recent SSA benefit award or COLA letter
• Recent bank and investment account statements
• Pension or annuity statements, if applicable
• Proof of Wyoming residency (utility bill, lease, or mortgage statement)

Effective Dates and Retroactive Coverage

• QMB: coverage begins the first day of the month after Wyoming approves your application. Federal law (42 USC § 1396a(e)(8)) prohibits retroactive QMB coverage. Apply early.
• SLMB and QI: up to three months of retroactive coverage is available under 42 CFR § 435.915 if you were eligible during that window. File as early as possible.

After approval, Wyoming sends a written eligibility notice. For QMB, a state buy-in notice goes to CMS, which stops withholding the Part B premium from your Social Security check the following month.

Wyoming-Specific Notes

Wyoming is an income-cap state for long-term care Medicaid, meaning an applicant whose gross income exceeds $2,982/month (300% of the 2026 SSI Federal Benefit Rate of $994) must establish a Qualified Income Trust (Miller Trust) to deposit excess income before Medicaid pays for long-term care services. That requirement applies to nursing-facility and HCBS-waiver Medicaid, not to Medicare Savings Programs. MSP eligibility turns entirely on the QMB/SLMB/QI income and resource tests described above.4

Wyoming's long-term care Medicaid rules are covered in Wyoming Medicaid eligibility and income limits, and the state's full benefit categories are listed on the Wyoming Department of Health's Medicaid Programs and Eligibility page.

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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.