Getting Assistance with Other Medicare Costs
You may be able to qualify for help with other Medicare costs under the Medicare Savings Programs. If you qualify, you may get help for Part A and Part B premium, copay and coinsurance costs through one of the four available options.
There are four Medicare Savings Programs:
Qualified Medicare Beneficiary (QMB) Program. Pays for Medicare Part A and Part B premiums and cost-sharing expenses. To qualify for this plan, you must be eligible, or currently enrolled in Medicare Part A.
Specified Low-Income Medicare Beneficiary (SLMB) Program. If you earn slightly more than the limit for the QMB program, then you may qualify for this program instead which helps with Medicare Part B premiums. This program does not pay other cost-sharing expenses.
Qualifying Individual (QI) Program.  If you don’t qualify for QMB or the SLMB program, you can apply to this program. It helps with Part B premiums and automatically qualifies you for the Extra Help program. Funding is limited and benefits are available on a first-come, first-served basis.
Qualified Disabled and Working Individuals (QDWI) Program.  This is different from the other three programs and only pays for Medicare Part A premiums.
Benefits vary by program, but all of them, except the QDWI Program help pay for Medicare Part B premiums.
Contact your state Medicare office or your State Health Insurance Counseling and Assistance Program (SHIP) for more details.