I'm living solely on Social Security of $1,400 monthly and can't afford my Medicare premiums and copays. What assistance programs might help someone in my situation?
Answered by 17 licensed agents
A person of this income level may qualify for Medicaid, which is a separate agency from Medicare, administered by individual States, for low-income folks. Apply through Department of Health and Human Services in your state. If you qualify for Medicaid, it can go along with your Medicare. This is referred to as dual-eligible (Medicare & Medicaid). Dual eligible individuals qualify for additional benefits. There is another program for low-income folks called Extra Help for Prescription Drug Costs. The income brackets for this program are slightly higher than those for Medicaid. Some folks qualify for Medicare, Medicaid and Extra Help for Prescription Drug Costs. If necessary, I'm able to guide folks in applying for Medicaid and/or Extra Help. Additionally, I offer benefit reviews at no charge, to see if I can offer you more benefits or lower premiums or both.
I'm living solely on Social Security of $1,400 monthly and can't afford my Medicare premiums and copays. What assistance programs might help someone in my situation? You might be eligible for medicaid which can qualify for Medicare Saving Programs(MSP) like Qualified Medicare Beneficiary (QMB) Program or other MSP which can with premiums and other cost sharing
Low-income subsidy by the state you live in or apply for state Medicaid at that income. You can apply for this online at SSA.gov under the Medicare tab dropdown that says Low-income part D extra help
Since I only have an Arizona insurance license, I can only tell you about my state. Therefore, you are currently making too much to qualify for Medicaid. You can also contact “SHIP” or the State Health Insurance Program (Google it) to see if you may qualify for other types of assistance? There are also non-profit organizations to whom you can appeal. If you know of a social worker, that is yet another source of information to help you, too. See if there is an organization of social workers who can recommend someone who is willing to advise you. Lastly, if you can't afford the Medicare premiums, you may have signed up for a Medigap or Medicare Supplement plan, all of which have a monthly premium. So, during the upcoming fall Annual Open Enrollment period: October 15 - Dec. 7, pick up a (free of premium) Medicare Advantage plan which is government- subsidized. That becomes effective on January 1st of the following year.
Contact a local Medicare broker to Check your state EXTRA Help programs. There are resources and programs you are able to apply for that are Income based and may pay your Medicare premiums, penalties, RX copays and much more.
As a Medicare broker to my clients, I help apply for these resources and also can guide where to and how to apply.
We have several options we can explore. LIS, QMB, a Medicare Advantage part B give back. Lets provide a full look at your situation and see what fits best in your situation.
Many programs can assist you in achieving your goals of having a zero-dollar cost for your Medicare Part B premium and a zero-dollar or low-cost option for your prescriptions. You need to have a dedicated insurance agent that can help you and manage the care and the programs for you.
Dependent on your state then you should be receiving help with your part D prescription drug coverage and possibly reach a subsidy level through the state to cover your part B premium.
Sure, the Extra help would be ideal to help pay copayments, coinsurance & premiums for low income people on fixed incomes. Simply type in Extra Help in the Medicare.gov search box & it will show you exactly how the program works & how you qualify!
You can look into Medicaid assistance. You need to apply with the Department of Children and Family. As a broker this is a process I assist my clients with.
You should qualify for assistance based on your income. Since I do not know enough about your situation, I suggest you contact Medicaid to see if you are dual eligible for both Medicare and Medicaid.
Medicaid is the best option. At that income level, you may not qualify for FULL benefits, however you could possibly qualify for partial. Partial may cover your Part B Premium for you. Also, look into your states Agency on Aging and apply for Extra Help aka LIS.
You should apply through your state for something called Medicare Savings Programs. Based on your income and resources you might qualify for one of 4 different programs. For example. Someone making less than $1585 a month and has less than $9660 in resources might qualify for the Specified Low Income Medicare Beneficiary (SLMB) program which helps pay for Medicare Part B premium and also provides you with Extra Help which pays for your prescription drugs.
