MSP — Medicare Savings Programs

Definition. Medicare Savings Programs are state-run Medicaid programs that pay Medicare premiums for people with limited income, and with QMB also Medicare deductibles and coinsurance. In Oregon, ODHS runs them, and there is no asset limit for QMB, SLMB or QI.

What it means

There are four Medicare Savings Programs:

• QMB (Qualified Medicare Beneficiary): pays Part A and Part B premiums, deductibles, coinsurance and copays. Income up to 100% of the federal poverty level.
• SLMB (Specified Low-Income Medicare Beneficiary): pays the Part B premium ($202.90 a month in 2026). Income up to 120%.
• QI (Qualifying Individual): pays the Part B premium. Income from 120% to 135%; funding is limited each year, and you can't get QI if you qualify for other Medicaid.
• QDWI (Qualified Disabled Working Individual): pays the Part A premium for some people under 65 who work and lost premium-free Part A. Income up to 200%.

Being in QMB, SLMB or QI also gets you Extra Help with Part D drug costs, and it removes any Part B late enrollment penalty.

In Oregon

The Oregon Department of Human Services (ODHS) runs the programs. Oregon's rules call SLMB "SMB" and QI the "SMF" benefit, and most working Oregonians with disabilities use Employed Persons with Disabilities instead of QDWI. There are no asset limits: Oregon dropped the resource test for QMB, SMB and SMF on January 1, 2016. ODHS updates the monthly income limits each March. Apply online at ONE Oregon (one.oregon.gov), by phone at 1-800-699-9075 (TTY 711), or at a local ODHS office. Oregon doesn't recover correctly paid Medicare cost-sharing paid on or after January 1, 2010 from estates. Read the full guide.