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Getting help

How to apply for Extra Help and Medicare Savings Programs

Step by step: who gets help automatically, how to apply for Extra Help through Social Security and for a Medicare Savings Program through your state, and what to expect.

Checked against official sources on October 27, 2026 · How we check facts

Two programs can cut your Medicare costs if your income and savings are limited. Extra Help lowers drug costs; Medicare Savings Programs pay premiums and sometimes much more. Even if you don't think you qualify, apply: limits vary by state and some states are much more generous.

Step 1: Check whether you already qualify

You get Extra Help automatically, without applying, if you have Medicare and:

  • Full Medicaid, or
  • Help from your state paying your Part B premium (a Medicare Savings Program), or
  • Supplemental Security Income (SSI).

Medicare mails you a purple letter to say so. Keep it. If you don't have drug coverage, Medicare may enroll you in a drug plan and send a yellow or green letter; you can switch to a different plan if you prefer.

Step 2: Apply for Extra Help through Social Security

  • Apply online any time at SSA.gov/extrahelp, or call Social Security at 1-800-772-1213.
  • Have your income and resource information ready: bank accounts, stocks, bonds, mutual funds and IRAs count; your home, car, household items, a burial plot, up to $1,500 per person for burial expenses, and life insurance don't.
  • The same application can start your Medicare Savings Program application. Social Security sends your information to your state unless you tell it not to.

Step 3: Apply for a Medicare Savings Program through your state

  • Contact your state Medicaid office. Find your state's office, phone and its own savings program rules on our state pages.
  • The four programs are QMB, SLMB, QI and QDWI, though names vary by state. QMB also protects you from being billed for Medicare copays; see QMB protections.
  • If you qualify for QMB, SLMB or QI, you also get Extra Help automatically.
  • Medicare Savings Programs and Extra Help aren't available in U.S. territories, which have other help programs.

After you qualify

  • If you have Medicaid or Extra Help, you can change your drug coverage once a month; the change starts the first day of the next month.
  • With Extra Help, you won't pay a Part D late enrollment penalty.
  • Your state checks your eligibility again from time to time. Answer renewal letters on time so you don't lose your help.

Your state's free SHIP counselors can help you fill out either application. Find yours on your state page.

Common questions

How do I apply for Extra Help?

Apply online at SSA.gov/extrahelp or call Social Security at 1-800-772-1213. You don't need to apply if you have full Medicaid, a Medicare Savings Program or SSI; you qualify automatically.

Where do I apply for a Medicare Savings Program?

Through your state Medicaid office. Your Extra Help application can also start it: Social Security sends your information to your state unless you tell it not to.

What counts as resources for Extra Help?

Money in checking and savings accounts, stocks, bonds, mutual funds and IRAs. Your home, car, household items, burial plot, up to $1,500 per person for burial expenses, and life insurance don't count.

Should I apply if I think my income is too high?

Yes. Limits vary by state, some states are much more generous than the federal minimum, and Medicare encourages people to apply even if they don't think they qualify.

Sources

General information, not advice about a specific plan.