Medicare Savings Programs in Massachusetts: 2026 income limits and how to apply

What the programs pay

Massachusetts used to call these programs MassHealth Buy-In. There are three levels.

• QMB (Qualified Medicare Beneficiary): pays your Part A premium if you have one, your Part B premium ($202.90 a month in 2026), and Medicare deductibles and copays. Doctors and hospitals that take Medicare, including Medicare Advantage providers, cannot bill you for Medicare copays or deductibles. You may still have a small pharmacy copay.
• SLMB (Specified Low-Income Medicare Beneficiary): pays your Part B premium.
• QI (Qualifying Individual): pays your Part B premium.

Every level also gives you:

• Extra Help with Part D drug costs, with no separate application.
• Health Safety Net (HSN), which can pay Medicare copays and deductibles billed by acute care hospitals and community health centers. HSN is not insurance.
• The right to sign up for Part B at any time without a late-enrollment penalty.

An MSP is not full health insurance. It only lowers your Medicare costs. Full MassHealth (such as MassHealth Standard) covers things Medicare does not, like dental care, eyeglasses and hearing aids. It has stricter rules.

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Who qualifies

You must have Medicare and live in Massachusetts. The income limits are set as a share of the federal poverty level and change every year on March 1. These are the limits from March 1, 2026:

MassHealth says its dollar chart is rounded, so treat these amounts as close guides. The federal minimum is much lower: QMB at 100% and QI at 135% of the poverty level.

What counts as income

• The form asks for your gross monthly income, before taxes and before deductions such as the Part B premium taken out of your Social Security check.
• MassHealth takes $20 off your unearned income (such as Social Security or a pension) before comparing it to the limit.
• If your spouse lives with you, MassHealth looks at both of your incomes and uses the couple limit.

Assets do not count

There is no asset test for any MSP in Massachusetts. This started March 1, 2024. Your savings, home, car and retirement accounts are not checked for an MSP. Asset limits apply only if you also want full MassHealth: $2,000 for one person or $3,000 for a married couple.

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How to apply

1. Get the form. Use the "Medicare Savings Programs Application" from the MassHealth help paying Medicare costs page on mass.gov. It comes in English, Spanish, Simplified Chinese, Haitian Creole, Brazilian Portuguese and Vietnamese. If you want full MassHealth too, or need long-term care, use the longer Application for Health Coverage for Seniors and People Needing Long-Term-Care Services instead. It also checks you for an MSP.
2. Fill it out. List each type of income before deductions. Both you and your spouse must sign if your spouse lives with you. If someone is helping you, add the Authorized Representative Designation Form (ARD-1122).
3. Ask for SNAP at the same time if you want. Page 1 has a box to send your application to the Department of Transitional Assistance (DTA) for SNAP food benefits.
4. Send it in one of these ways:
   • Online: fill out the electronic form linked on mass.gov. You need an email address and must finish it in one sitting.
   • Mail: MassHealth Enrollment Center, PO Box 4405, Taunton, MA 02780-0968.
   • Fax: (857) 323-8300.
   • In person: MassHealth Enrollment Center, The Schrafft Center, 529 Main St., Suite 1M, Charlestown, MA 02120.
5. Answer any requests. The form does not ask you to attach proof of income. MassHealth will contact you if it needs more. A copy of your immigration document, if you have one, may speed things up.

Coverage may start in the month MassHealth processes your application, or as early as three months before that. You will get a written decision notice.

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After you are approved

• Report changes in income, address or other facts within 10 calendar days.
• Renew when MassHealth sends you a renewal form, and send it back on time.
• If a provider bills you for Medicare copays while you have QMB, call Medicare at 1-800-633-4227 (TTY 1-877-486-2048).

If you are denied

You can ask for a fair hearing within 60 calendar days of the date you got the notice. Send the Fair Hearing Request Form and a copy of the notice to the Office of Medicaid, Board of Hearings, by fax at 1-617-887-8797, by email to [email protected], or in person at 1 Enterprise Drive, 3rd Floor, Quincy, MA 02171. MassHealth Customer Service at (800) 841-2900 can also take your request.

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Things people miss

• Savings do not matter. Many people with a paid-off house and money in the bank assume they will not qualify. For an MSP, assets are not counted at all.
• Middle incomes can qualify. A single person with income near $2,993 a month can still get the Part B premium paid.
• No estate recovery. MassHealth does not seek repayment from your estate for MSP benefits.
• Extra Help comes with it. You do not need to apply for Extra Help separately.
• The limits rise each March 1. If you were over the limit last year, check again.

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Free help

• SHINE (Serving the Health Insurance Needs of Everyone): free Medicare counseling. Counselors can help you fill out the MSP form. Call (800) 243-4636, TTY (800) 439-2370, Monday to Friday, 9 a.m. to 5 p.m.
• MassHealth Customer Service: (800) 841-2900, TTY 711, Monday to Friday, 8 a.m. to 5 p.m.
• MassHealth Enrollment Centers take limited walk-ins and appointments.

For other programs, see all benefits in Massachusetts. Learn more about Medicare Part B and Extra Help.

Phone numbers: Free help lines for Massachusetts agencies

Check what you may qualify for