Who gets it automatically
Medicare.gov says you get Extra Help without applying if you:
- Have full Medicaid (in Oregon, OHP with Medicare),
- Get help from the state paying your Part B premium through a Medicare Savings Program, or
- Get Supplemental Security Income (SSI).
Here's the Oregon angle: Oregon's Medicare Savings Programs have no asset limit. If your income is up to 135% of the poverty level, applying for a savings program through ODHS can bring Extra Help with it, even if your savings are above Extra Help's own resource limit.
How to apply if it isn't automatic
- Check the 2026 limits. Income up to $23,940 a year for one person or $32,460 for a married couple, and resources up to $18,090 or $36,100, counting burial funds.
- Apply with Social Security. Use the online form at ssa.gov/medicare/part-d-extra-help, or call 1-800-772-1213 (TTY 1-800-325-0778).
- Let it start a savings program application. Medicare.gov says Social Security sends your information to the state to start a Medicare Savings Program application unless you opt out. In Oregon that's worth keeping.
- Join or keep a Part D plan. Extra Help works through a Medicare drug plan or a Medicare Advantage plan with drug coverage.
What Extra Help does
- Lowers or covers your Part D premium, depending on the plan, and lowers your deductible and copays.
- Removes the Part D late enrollment penalty while you have it.
- Works alongside the Part D out-of-pocket cap ($2,100 in 2026), after which you pay nothing for covered Part D drugs for the rest of the year.
OHP doesn't pay Part D premiums or copays for people with Medicare, so Extra Help is how Oregonians with OHP get help with Part D. Which drugs a plan covers depends on its formulary. You can check a plan's drug list for your ZIP code, or request a call from a licensed insurance agent. More in Extra Help in Oregon.
Related questions
Medicare Savings Program income limits
Oregon's chart, by percent of poverty.
Does Oregon have an asset limit?
No, for QMB, SLMB and QI.
How do I apply for a savings program?
Step by step through ONE.
Sources
- Medicare.gov — Help with drug costs (Extra Help)
- Social Security — Extra Help with Medicare prescription drug plan costs
- CMS — CY 2026 resource and cost-sharing limits for the Low-Income Subsidy
- Oregon Department of Human Services — Medicare Savings Programs
- Oregon Health Authority — OHP and Medicare
More questions in this guide
- Will Oregon take my house if I get help paying for Medicare?
- Does Oregon have an asset limit for Medicare Savings Programs?
- How do I apply for a Medicare Savings Program in Oregon?
- What are the Oregon Medicare Savings Program income limits?
Part of the guide: Medicare Savings Programs in Oregon · All questions
Frequently asked questions
Do I have to apply for Extra Help if I have OHP?
No. Medicare.gov says people with full Medicaid, a Medicare Savings Program or SSI qualify automatically. Medicare mails a notice confirming it.
Is there a late enrollment penalty if I get Extra Help?
No. Medicare.gov says you don't pay the Part D late enrollment penalty while you get Extra Help.
Can I change drug plans more often with Extra Help?
Medicare.gov says that if you have Medicaid or Extra Help, you may be able to change your drug plan once a month. Call 1-800-MEDICARE to confirm your options.
Does Oregon have its own drug help program for Medicare?
Extra Help is federal. Oregon's part is the Medicare Savings Programs: they have no asset limit in Oregon and give you Extra Help automatically.
Medicare in your Oregon county
Plans, local agents and help, county by county: Multnomah · Washington · Clackamas · Lane · Marion · Jackson · Deschutes · Linn · Douglas · Yamhill · Benton · Polk · Josephine · Umatilla · Klamath · Coos · Columbia · Lincoln · Clatsop · Malheur · All 36 counties →
