THE SHORT ANSWER

New York's Medicare Savings Program (MSP) pays some or all of your Medicare costs if your income is under the limit, and New York doesn't count savings or other assets at all. In 2026, a single person with gross monthly income up to $1,856 ($2,509 for a couple) can get QMB, which pays the Part B premium plus Medicare deductibles and coinsurance. Up to $2,494 for one person ($3,375 for a couple), QI pays the Part B premium only. Either way, that's at least $202.90 a month back in your Social Security check, and you automatically get Extra Help with prescription drug costs. [1][2][3][5]

2026 income limits in New York[1][2]

Limits are gross monthly income and already include the standard $20 disregard.

Program What it pays Single Couple Asset limit
QMB (up to 138% of the federal poverty level) Part B premium, Part A premium if you owe one, and Medicare deductibles, coinsurance and copays $1,856 $2,509 None
QI (138% to 186% of the federal poverty level) Part B premium only $1,857 to $2,494 $2,510 to $3,375 None
QDWI (under 65, working and disabled) Part A premium only Under $2,680 Under $3,627 $4,000 / $6,000

You may still qualify even if your income is a little higher, because some expenses can be subtracted. Ask the county Medicaid office before ruling yourself out. [2]

Why NY is different from what you'll read online: Medicare.gov lists federal minimum limits (for example, $1,350 a month for QMB, with a $9,950 asset limit). Those are a floor. New York raised its income limits in 2023 and has no asset test for QMB or QI, so many people who'd fail the federal numbers qualify here. [2][4]

What about SLMB?

New York no longer has a separate SLMB program. It was folded into QMB and QI when the state raised its limits in 2023, so anyone who would have been SLMB is now QMB or QI. [2][6]

What you actually save in 2026[3][4]

  • Part B premium: the standard premium is $202.90 a month in 2026. Once you're approved, it stops coming out of your Social Security check. That's $2,434.80 a year.

  • Part B deductible (QMB only): $283 in 2026, plus the 20% coinsurance on covered services. With QMB, Medicare providers aren't allowed to bill you for deductibles, coinsurance or copays on Medicare-covered care. Show your Medicare card and your Medicaid or QMB card every visit.

  • Prescriptions: MSP enrollees automatically get Extra Help (the federal Part D subsidy). In 2026 you pay no more than $12.65 per covered drug. Medicare mails a purple "Deemed Status" letter, and if you don't have a drug plan, Medicare may enroll you in one. [4][5]

  • No payback: Medicaid estate recovery doesn't apply to Medicare Savings Program help. [7]

QMB vs. QI: the rules that trip people up[2][6]

  • When it starts: QMB begins the month after you apply. It is not retroactive. QI can reach back up to 3 months before the month you apply, but only within the same calendar year (so a January application gets no retro months).

  • QI and Medicaid don't mix: you can have QMB and full Medicaid at the same time, but not QI and Medicaid. Someone in the QI income range who also has Medicaid with a spend-down has to choose between them.

  • Spend-down warning: if you're on Medicaid with a spend-down, getting MSP can raise your spend-down, because the Part B premium no longer comes out of your income. Ask the county worker to run the numbers before you switch.

  • QI is first-come, first-served and renews each calendar year. [5]

How to apply in New York[1][2][4]

  1. Get form DOH-4328 (the Medicare Savings Program application) from your county Department of Social Services, or apply in person there. In Erie and Niagara counties, see our Erie County and Niagara County pages for where to go.

  2. Bring proof of income (Social Security award letter, pension statements) and your Medicare card. Because there's no asset test, you don't need bank statements for QMB or QI.

  3. Or start through Social Security: if you apply for Extra Help, Social Security sends your information to the state to start an MSP application unless you tell them not to. [5]

  4. Free help: New York's HIICAP counselors (the state's free Medicare counseling program, run through county Offices for the Aging) help people apply. [2]

Even if you're not sure you qualify, apply. The state decides which program fits. [4]

Questions families ask

Does New York have an asset limit for the Medicare Savings Program?

No. For QMB and QI, New York has no resource limit, so savings, a house or a retirement account don't count. Only QDWI (for working people under 65 with disabilities) has an asset limit, $4,000 for one person. [2]

What is the 2026 income limit for the Medicare Savings Program in NY?

$1,856 a month for one person or $2,509 for a couple for QMB, and up to $2,494 for one person or $3,375 for a couple for QI. These include the $20 disregard. [1][2]

How much does the Medicare Savings Program save me?

At least the Part B premium, $202.90 a month in 2026 ($2,434.80 a year). QMB also covers the $283 Part B deductible and Medicare coinsurance, and both programs come with Extra Help for prescriptions. [3][4]

Does New York still have SLMB?

No. New York folded SLMB into QMB and QI in 2023. [2]

Can I get the Medicare Savings Program and Medicaid at the same time?

QMB, yes. QI, no: if you're eligible for Medicaid, you can't also have QI. [1][6]

Will the state take my house to pay it back?

No. Medicaid estate recovery doesn't apply to Medicare Savings Program benefits. [7]

Keep exploring

Sources & dates

  1. NYS Department of Health, Medicare Savings Program 2026: health.ny.gov
  2. NYSOFA, 2026 HIICAP Notebook, Module 9: Medicare Savings Programs: aging.ny.gov
  3. CMS, 2026 Medicare Parts A & B Premiums and Deductibles: www.cms.gov
  4. Medicare.gov, Medicare Savings Programs: www.medicare.gov
  5. Medicare.gov, Help with drug costs (Extra Help) and Deemed Status Notice: www.medicare.gov · www.medicare.gov
  6. NY Health Access (Empire Justice/NYLAG), Medicare Savings Programs in New York: www.nyhealthaccess.org
  7. CMS, Model Medicare Savings Program application instructions ("Estate recovery does not apply..."): www.cms.gov

Reviewed against sources Oct 29, 2026. Not legal or financial advice; eligibility is decided by your county Department of Social Services.

Sources checked 2026-10; page published 2026-10-31. General education only, not legal or financial advice.