Medicare Savings Programs and QMB in Oregon: Help Paying Your Medicare Costs
Key Takeaways
- ✓It is worth about $2,435 a year. That is the 2026 Part B premium, $202.90 a month, that the state pays for you.
- ✓Oregon does not count your savings. There is no asset limit for QMB, SLMB, or QI. Only income matters.
- ✓The limits are higher than they look. Oregon subtracts $20 from your income, and more if you still work.
- ✓QMB is the strongest. Doctors and hospitals that take Medicare cannot bill you for Medicare deductibles, coinsurance, or copays.
- ✓Extra Help comes with it. In 2026 that means a $0 drug plan deductible and copays of no more than $5.10 for generics and $12.65 for brand-name drugs.
- ✓Oregon renamed two programs in 2026. SMB is now SLMB, and SMF is now QI. Older letters and forms may still use the old names.
What Is a Medicare Savings Program?
A Medicare Savings Program is a Medicaid benefit that pays some of your Medicare costs. You keep your Medicare exactly as it is. You keep your doctors and your plan. The state pays part of the bill.
In Oregon the programs are run by the Oregon Department of Human Services. For most people the first thing they notice is a bigger Social Security deposit, because the Part B premium is no longer taken out.
Oregon's Programs and What Each One Pays
| Program | Full name | Old Oregon name | What it pays | Income level |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| QMB | Qualified Medicare Beneficiary | QMB-BAS | Part A premium if you have one, Part B premium, and Medicare deductibles, coinsurance, and copays | Up to 100% of the federal poverty level |
| SLMB | Specified Low-Income Medicare Beneficiary | SMB | Part B premium | Up to 120% |
| QI | Qualifying Individual | SMF | Part B premium | Up to 135% |
Two things about QI. It is funded by a fixed federal allotment, so Oregon can close it if enrollment passes the cap. And you cannot get QI if you qualify for another Medicaid program.
A fourth program, QDWI, pays the Part A premium for certain working people with disabilities. Oregon reports that no one is enrolled in it.
2026 Income Limits
These limits are in effect from March 1, 2026 through February 2027. Oregon raises them each March.
| Program | Single, monthly | Married couple, monthly |
|---|---|---|
| QMB | $1,350 | $1,824 |
| SLMB | $1,616 | $2,184 |
| QI | $1,816 | $2,455 |
These are gross income figures, and they include the $20 that Oregon subtracts from everyone’s income. Oregon’s own rule lists the limits before that $20 is added back: $1,330, $1,596, and $1,796 for a single person, and $1,804, $2,164, and $2,435 for a couple. It is the same limit shown two ways, so do not worry if you see either set of numbers.
How Oregon Counts Your Income
Oregon starts with your gross monthly income and then subtracts:
- 1
$20 from your unearned income, like Social Security or a pension
- 2
$65 from any wages
- 3
Half of the wages that are left
Social Security counts as unearned income.
An example. You get $1,200 a month from Social Security and earn $1,000 a month at a part-time job. That is $2,200, which looks too high. But Oregon counts $1,180 of the Social Security and $467.50 of the wages, for a total of $1,647.50. That is under the QI limit, so the state would pay your Part B premium.
Medicare’s official Plan Finder shows every plan in your ZIP code, with costs for your drugs.
Want free one-on-one help? Oregon’s SHIBA program offers free, unbiased Medicare counseling. Call 800-722-4134 or visit shiba.oregon.gov.
No Asset Limit in Oregon
Oregon does not count your savings, your home, your car, or your retirement accounts for QMB, SLMB, or QI. This has been the rule since January 1, 2016.
This is not true everywhere. Medicare’s national information lists resource limits of $9,950 for one person and $14,910 for a couple, and many states use them. If you read that somewhere and stopped, start again. In Oregon it does not apply.
The Extras That Come With It
Extra Help with prescriptions. Anyone in a Medicare Savings Program gets Extra Help automatically. You do not apply separately.
| Extra Help, if you have a Medicare Savings Program | 2026 | 2027 |
|---|---|---|
| Drug plan deductible | $0 | $0 |
| Generic drug copay, up to | $5.10 | $5.80 |
| Brand-name drug copay, up to | $12.65 | $14.40 |
You also pay no Part D late enrollment penalty while you have Extra Help. See Part D in Oregon.
Billing protection with QMB. Federal law bars Medicare providers, including pharmacies, from billing people with QMB for Part A or Part B deductibles, coinsurance, or copays. If you get a bill for a Medicare-covered service, tell the provider you have QMB.
No Part B late penalty. If you owe a penalty for signing up for Part B late, it goes away when the state starts paying your premium. The state can also enroll you in Part B at any time of year, without waiting for an enrollment period.
No estate claim for these payments. Oregon’s estate recovery rules exclude Medicare cost sharing paid on or after January 1, 2010. Other Medicaid benefits received at age 55 or older can still be recovered, so ask if you have both.
How to Apply in Oregon
| Way to apply | Where |
|---|---|
| Online | Oregon’s ONE system |
| By phone | ONE Customer Service Center, 800-699-9075, Monday through Friday, 7 a.m. to 6 p.m. |
| In person | Your local Oregon Department of Human Services office. Use the office finder |
| With free help | Aging and Disability Resource Connection, 855-673-2372, or Oregon SHIBA, 800-722-4134 |
Have these ready:
- ✓Your Medicare card
- ✓Your Social Security award letter or a recent benefit statement
- ✓Pension statements and recent pay stubs if you work
- ✓The same for your spouse, if you are married
Oregon says it will tell you whether you are approved within 45 days of the date you apply. Oregon no longer requires an interview for these programs.
When It Starts and How Long It Lasts
- ✓QMB starts the first of the month after Oregon finds you eligible and has the proof it needs.
- ✓SLMB and QI can go back up to three months before the date you asked, if you were eligible then. For QI, that cannot reach into the prior calendar year.
- ✓Renewal happens every year. Watch your mail for the renewal notice and return it, or the help stops.
The 2027 Part B premium has not been announced yet. Whatever it turns out to be, the program pays it.
FAQs
What is a Medicare Savings Program?
A state-run Medicaid benefit that pays Medicare costs for people with limited income. All of Oregon's main programs pay the Part B premium. QMB also pays deductibles, coinsurance, and copays.
What is the income limit for a Medicare Savings Program in Oregon?
From March 2026 through February 2027, up to about $1,816 a month for a single person and $2,455 for a married couple for QI, the broadest program. You may qualify with more if some of your income is from work.
Is there an asset limit in Oregon?
No. Oregon has had no asset limit for QMB, SLMB, or QI since January 1, 2016.
What does QMB cover?
Your Part B premium, your Part A premium if you have one, and Medicare's Part A and Part B deductibles, coinsurance, and copays. Providers who take Medicare cannot bill you for those.
What is the difference between QMB, SLMB, and QI?
The income level and what is paid. QMB is for the lowest incomes and pays the most. SLMB and QI are for slightly higher incomes and pay the Part B premium only.
What happened to SMB and SMF?
Oregon renamed them in 2026 to match the federal names. SMB is now SLMB, and SMF is now QI. The benefits did not change.
Do I get Extra Help if I qualify?
Yes, automatically. You do not need a separate application.
Can I have a Medicare Savings Program and a Medicare Advantage plan?
Yes. The program pays Medicare costs whether you have Original Medicare or a Medicare Advantage plan.
Will I get money back for premiums I already paid?
SLMB and QI can go back up to three months before you asked, if you were eligible. QMB does not go back.
Does Oregon take the money back from my estate?
Not for Medicare Savings Program payments. Oregon's estate recovery rules exclude Medicare cost sharing paid on or after January 1, 2010.
Where do I apply?
Online through Oregon's ONE system, by phone at 800-699-9075, or at a local Oregon Department of Human Services office. Oregon SHIBA can help you for free at 800-722-4134.
Medicare’s official Plan Finder shows every plan in your ZIP code, with costs for your drugs.
Want free one-on-one help? Oregon’s SHIBA program offers free, unbiased Medicare counseling. Call 800-722-4134 or visit shiba.oregon.gov.
How We Got These Numbers
Program rules, names, and income standards come from the Oregon Administrative Rules and the Oregon Department of Human Services. The gross income figures, which include the $20 deduction, match Medicare.gov and Oregon SHIBA’s 2026 fact sheet. Part B costs come from the Centers for Medicare and Medicaid Services. Extra Help copays come from CMS’s 2026 and 2027 announcements.
- Oregon Department of Human Services, Medicare Savings Programs
- Oregon Department of Human Services, Transmittal OEP-PT-26-021, program name changes (June 29, 2026)
- Oregon Department of Human Services, Transmittal OEP-PT-26-005, 2026 income standards
- Oregon Administrative Rule 461-135-0730, program requirements
- Oregon Administrative Rule 461-155-0290, QMB income standard
- Oregon Administrative Rule 461-155-0295, SLMB and QI income standards
- Oregon Administrative Rule 461-160-0552, income deductions
- Oregon Administrative Rule 461-160-0015, resources
- Oregon Administrative Rule 461-180-0090, QMB effective date
- Oregon Administrative Rule 461-180-0140, retroactive Part B payment
- Oregon Administrative Rule 461-135-0835, estate claims
- Oregon State Plan Amendment OR-15-0003, resources excluded (effective January 1, 2016)
- Oregon SHIBA, 2026 Medicare Savings Program and Extra Help fact sheet
- Oregon SHIBA, Connect with us
- Aging and Disability Resource Connection of Oregon
- Medicare.gov, Medicare Savings Programs
- Medicare.gov, Help with drug costs
- Medicare.gov, Avoid late enrollment penalties
- CMS, 2026 Medicare Parts A and B premiums and deductibles (November 14, 2025)
- CMS, Qualified Medicare Beneficiary program
- CMS, 2026 low-income subsidy memo
- CMS, 2027 Rate Announcement
- CMS, State Buy-In Manual, Chapter 1
- Medicaid.gov, Estate recovery
