How should a low-income beneficiary decide where to apply for the low-income subsidies: the state Medicaid agency or the Social Security Administration?

Any Medicare beneficiary who applies for a low-income benefit at a state Medicaid agency should be screened for and enrolled in, if found eligible, a Medicare Savings Program. Medicare beneficiaries found eligible for a Medicare Savings Program, including the Qualified Medicare Beneficiary (QMB), Specified Low-Income Beneficiary (SLMB), and Qualifying Individuals (QI) programs, will be eligible for the low-income subsidies to help with the cost of their Medicare prescription drugs if they enroll in a Medicare drug plan. 

For beneficiaries who apply at their local SSA office, the SSA is generally able to verify entitlement to the low-income subsidies by matching data from federal agencies such as the SSA, the Internal Revenue Service (IRS), and CMS. State Medicaid Agencies (SMAs) may require low-income applicants to submit documents to verify their income and resources.

(Back to Medicare Drug Coverage: Extra Help)