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Medicare is a federal health insurance program primarily for individuals aged 65 and older. It also covers certain younger individuals with disabilities, as well as those with End-Stage Renal Disease (ESRD) or Amyotrophic Lateral Sclerosis (ALS, also known as Lou Gehrig’s disease). There are two main ways to get Medicare coverage: through Original Medicare (Part A and Part B) or a Medicare Advantage Plan (Part C), which is offered by private insurers. To learn more about Medicare as a whole, please go here. Regardless of the option chosen, beneficiaries may be responsible for paying premiums, deductibles, and other out-of-pocket costs.
Fortunately, Maryland offers Medicare Savings Programs (MSP) that can help individuals who are struggling to afford paying the premiums. Among the MSPs that Maryland offers are the Qualified Medicare Beneficiary Program (QMB), the Specified Low Income medicare Beneficiary Program (SLMB), the Qualifying Individual Program (QI), and Qualified Disabled & Working Individual Program (QDWI). Read on to learn how to apply for these programs in manageable, easy-to-understand steps!
How it Works
Each Medicare Saving Program helps to assist with different costs associated with Medicare. In this section, we’ll break down what costs each program assists with so that you can apply for the programs that are most beneficial to you.
Qualified Medicare Beneficiary Program (QMB) assists with…
- Part A premiums
- Part B premiums
- Deductibles, coinsurance, and copayments (for services and items Medicare covers)
Specified Low Income medicare Beneficiary Program (SLMB) assists with…
- Part B premiums (You must have both Part A and Part B to qualify.)
Qualifying Individual Program (QI) assists with…
- Part B premiums (You must have both Part A and Part B to qualify.)
- An important note is that Maryland provides the QI program on a first come, first served basis with last year QI beneficiaries getting priority.
Qualified Disabled & Working Individual Program (QDWI) assists with…
- Part A premiums
For each of these programs there may be additional benefits you qualify for that can ease the burden of medical costs. To read more into depth about the Medicare Savings Programs, please visit this website.
Eligibility
To be eligible for Medicare savings programs, you must satisfy monthly income and resource limits. Resource limits consist of stocks, bonds, and money held in checking, savings, and retirement accounts. However, resource limits do not include your home, one car, a burial plot (and up to $1500 for burial expenses if set aside), and furniture or other personal items. Income limits for programs vary depending on whether you are applying as an individual or are married.
The monthly income and resource limits for the various Medicare savings programs are listed in the table below. Please note the limits posted are valid for 2025 and may be subject to change.
| Medicare Savings Program | Individual | Married Couples | ||
| Income Limit | Resource Limit | Income Limit | Resource Limit | |
| Qualified Medicare Beneficiary Program (QMB) | $1325 | $9660 | $1783 | $14470 |
| Specified Low-Income Medicare Beneficiary Program (SLMB) | $1585 | $9660 | $2135 | $14470 |
| Qualifying Individual Program (QI)* | $1781 | $9660 | $2400 | $14470 |
| Qualified Disabled & Working Individual Program (QDWI)** | $5302 | $4000 | $7135 | $6000 |
* If you wish to be enrolled in the QI program for multiple years, you must reapply each year.
** To be eligible for QDWI, you must be working and disabled, and have lost both your social security benefits and medicare premium-free part A benefits.
Step-by-Step Application Process
You can apply for Medicare Savings Programs online at myMDTHINK.
Step 1: Gather the Required Documents:
- Photo ID (e..g, driver’s license, social security card, birth certificate, passport)
- Medicare Card
- Proof of Income for the past 30 days (social security award letter, pay stubs, income tax returns)
Step 2: Visit MDThink
- Select “Yes” when asked whether you want to apply for medical assistance.
- When starting a new application, check the relevant program you are interested in applying for based on the eligibility criteria.
- Complete the application and upload the documentation from Step 1 to the application portal.
- Once you submit your application, please record the Web Ref # for future correspondence with DSS.
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