Medicare Savings Program in Florida: 2026 Income Limits, Asset Test and How to Apply

$1,330 a month. That's the 2026 income line for one person in Florida's Qualified Medicare Beneficiary (QMB) program, measured after a $20 deduction the state takes off everyone's income. Come in under it, keep countable assets under $9,950, and Florida Medicaid pays your Medicare premiums, deductibles and coinsurance. The Part B premium alone is $202.90 a month in 2026, or $2,434.80 a year.

If you've read a national article, you may have seen $1,350 instead. That's not a different rule. $1,330 plus $20 is $1,350, and the $20 gap is the $20 general income disregard that the Florida Department of Children and Families (DCF) takes off your income before comparing it to its table. Same line, two ways of writing it. I'll use DCF's figures in this article and say so each time.

Medicare Savings Programs (MSPs) are Medicaid benefits run by the state that pay part of what Medicare costs you. Florida has four. Below: what each one pays, the April 2026 limits by household size, which assets count, when coverage starts, and how to apply.

Source: DCF Appendix A-9.1, effective April 2026; CMS 2026 Part B fact sheet; CMS Medicare Monthly Enrollment, Florida, June 2026 (sum of MSP categories, computed).

Florida's four programs and what each pays

DCF's policy manual (chapter 2000) lists the Medicare Savings Program groups as QMB (Qualified Medicare Beneficiary), SLMB (Special Low Income Medicare Beneficiary), QI-1 (Qualifying Individual 1) and Working Disabled. Florida's rule, FAC 65A-1.702, spells SLMB out as "Specified Low-Income Medicare Beneficiary"; same program. Florida's name for the federal QDWI group is "Working Disabled." You don't choose a program. You apply, and the state places you based on income and assets.

Source: DCF ESS Program Policy Manual, chapter 2000 (passages 2040.0816 to 2040.0819); Florida Administrative Code 65A-1.702(10).

QMB is the full package. The manual says QMB benefits are limited to payment of Medicare premiums, coinsurance and deductibles, and that includes the full Medicare coinsurance for nursing home care. The manual's QMB rule (passage 2040.0817) also covers people who are enrolled, or conditionally enrolled, in Part A, which matters for people who never qualified for premium-free Part A.

SLMB and QI-1 pay the Part B premium and nothing else. Under 65A-1.702(10), Florida's Agency for Health Care Administration (AHCA) pays the premium. QI-1 has two catches. The manual calls it "not an open entitlement program as funding is limited to an annual federal allocation," and to get QI-1 you can't qualify for Medicaid under any other group except Medically Needy. Medicare.gov says QI enrollees must apply every year, approvals are first-come, first-served, and people who had QI the year before get priority.

Working Disabled is narrow. It's for people under 65 who went back to work, lost premium-free Part A, and kept Part A under the special extended coverage rules. The state pays the Part A premium. The income line is 200% of the poverty level, and earned income gets its own deductions, so this one is worth a call to DCF or SHINE rather than a back-of-envelope check. DCF's manual and its newer July 2026 standards table don't show the same asset figure for this group, so I'm not quoting one here; ask DCF which limit applies to you.

April 2026 income limits by household size

DCF publishes these in Appendix A-9.1 of its policy manual, effective April 2026. They're straight percentages of the 2026 federal poverty guideline ($15,960 a year for one person, $21,640 for two). Every figure here is monthly countable income, which means after DCF's $20 general disregard.

Source: DCF Appendix A-9.1, Medicare Savings Programs and LIS Financial Standards, effective April 2026.

The asset limit is the same for all three programs: $9,950 for one person and $14,910 for a couple. Each program starts just above the one before it, so for one person SLMB covers income above $1,330 up to $1,596, and QI-1 above that up to $1,796.

Why would a Medicare program have a three- or four-person column? Because DCF counts dependents. Under manual passage 2240.0606.05, a household member related by blood, marriage or adoption who relies on you (or your spouse) for at least half of their support counts toward family size for QMB, SLMB and QI-1, and their own income and assets aren't reviewed. A grandparent raising a grandchild on a Social Security check is the kind of case where that bigger column matters.

Spouses work the other way. If you live with your spouse and only you apply, DCF counts your spouse's income and assets too, and the couple asset standard is always used (passage 2240.0610).

• Florida DCF table (after $20)
• Medicare.gov federal figure

$0$500$1,000$1,500$2,000

QMBSLMBQI-1

Source: DCF Appendix A-9.1; Medicare.gov, Medicare Savings Programs

Show the numbers

	Florida DCF table (after $20)	Medicare.gov federal figure
QMB	$1,330	$1,350
SLMB	$1,596	$1,616
QI-1	$1,796	$1,816

Two hypothetical examples, using the DCF table:

• Example 1. Say you're single and your only income is a Social Security benefit of $1,340 a month, gross. Subtract the $20 disregard and you're at $1,320. That's under $1,330, so you're in QMB range, assuming your assets pass.
• Example 2. Same person, but the gross benefit is $1,700. After the $20 you're at $1,680: over the SLMB line of $1,596, under the QI-1 line of $1,796. QI-1 would pay the $202.90 Part B premium if there's funding.

Use your gross benefit, not the deposit you see in the bank. If Part B is already being taken out of your Social Security check, the deposit is smaller than what DCF counts. And treat the table as a screen, not a decision. DCF has other deductions (for wages, it's $65 plus half of the rest, per passage 2440.0321), and only one $20 disregard per couple. If you're within a hundred dollars of a line, apply and let DCF run it.

DCF updates these standards during the year (in 2026, an interim January table and a new April table). Check the current Appendix A-9.1 before you rule yourself out.

The asset test: what counts and what doesn't

Florida tests assets for QMB, SLMB and QI-1. DCF's manual sets the limit at three times the SSI resource limit, adjusted each year for inflation, which works out to $9,950 for one person and $14,910 for a couple in the April 2026 table. Those match the federal figures on Medicare.gov.

That's a real difference from some other states. Washington, for example, dropped the asset test for MSPs entirely (WAC 182-517-0100: "The federal MSPs do not require a resource test") and sets its QMB line higher, at 110% of the poverty level. Our Washington Medicare Savings Program guide has those numbers. Florida uses the federal standards on both counts.

What DCF leaves out of the count, per chapter 1600 of its manual:

Source: DCF ESS Program Policy Manual, chapter 1600 (passages 1630, 1640.0505.04, 1640.0514, 1640.0534, 1640.0591).

The retirement account row is where people get surprised. A paid-off house in Ocala and a car in the driveway don't hurt you; an IRA can count, depending on whether you're drawing regular payments from it. How DCF treats a specific account depends on the details, so bring the statements and ask.

What the help is worth in 2026

CMS sets the Medicare numbers each year. For 2026 the standard Part B premium is $202.90 a month, up $17.90 from $185.00 in 2025, and the Part B deductible is $283. The Part A hospital deductible is $1,736 per benefit period.

Source: CMS, 2026 Medicare Parts A & B premiums and deductibles (amounts; annual figure computed as 12 x $202.90); DCF manual chapter 2000 (what each program pays).

For SLMB or QI-1, the value is easy to see: $2,434.80 a year back in your Social Security check. For QMB, add the $283 deductible and you're at $2,717.80 before a single hospital stay or any Part B coinsurance.

The Part A rows are the quiet ones. CMS says about 99% of people with Medicare don't pay a Part A premium, because they have at least 40 quarters of Medicare-covered work. People with short U.S. work histories do, and $565 a month is more than most of them can carry. That's where QMB's ability to buy into Part A matters most. If you skipped Part A or Part B because of the cost, our guide to Medicare late enrollment penalties explains what the delay can add, and it's worth asking DCF or SHINE whether QMB changes the math for you.

CMS hasn't announced the 2027 Part B premium yet. When it does (the 2026 figures came out on November 14, 2025), this page will be updated. Our Part B premium 2027 post tracks what's known so far.

QMB: providers can't bill you for Medicare cost sharing

This is the part of QMB I'd want every enrollee to know by heart. Medicare.gov says that if you qualify for QMB, Medicare providers aren't allowed to bill you for services and items Medicare covers, including deductibles, coinsurance and copayments. You may get a bill for a small Medicaid copayment, if one applies. That's it.

What to do with that:

• Show your Medicare card and your Medicaid (or QMB) card every time you get care. Medicare.gov says people with Original Medicare can also show one of their Medicare claims statements.
• If a doctor's office sends you a bill for a Medicare deductible or coinsurance anyway, don't pay it first and argue later. Call 1-800-MEDICARE or SHINE and ask them to help you sort it out.
• Keep your DCF approval notice somewhere you can find it.

Extra Help comes along

Any of the three Part B programs (QMB, SLMB, QI-1) brings Extra Help with prescription drug costs automatically. Medicare.gov lists three groups who get it without a separate application: people with full-benefit Medicaid, people whose state pays their Part B premium through an MSP, and people on SSI.

For MSP enrollees, Medicare.gov says you'll pay no more than $12.65 in 2026 for each drug your Medicare drug plan covers. That cap is a federal rule, not a plan feature. Our page on Medicare Part D in Florida explains how drug coverage works, and the Medicare.gov plan finder or SHINE can help you compare options without anyone steering you.

It also works in reverse. If you apply for Extra Help through Social Security, Medicare.gov says Social Security sends your information to the state to start an MSP application, unless you tell it not to on the Extra Help form. Extra Help has its own, higher national limits for 2026: $23,940 a year in income and $18,090 in resources for one person ($32,460 and $36,100 for a couple). Those come from Medicare.gov; DCF's appendix still shows older Extra Help asset figures, so go by Medicare.gov's.

When coverage starts

This is where waiting costs money. The three programs don't start the same way.

Source: FAC 65A-1.702(8)(a) and (10)(b), (d); 42 U.S.C. 1396a(e)(8) (QMB applies to services after the month of determination); Medicare.gov (QI reapply yearly).

QMB never reaches back. Federal law says a QMB determination applies to services furnished after the end of the month in which the determination is made. Every month between "I think I qualify" and "approved" is a month you pay yourself.

For SLMB and QI-1, the wording in rule 65A-1.702(10) is the most generous piece of Florida's rules. Another part of the same rule, 65A-1.702(8), limits retroactive Medicaid for applications filed since February 1, 2019 to children under 21 and pregnant women, so the two sections read a little differently. Don't count on the back months until DCF confirms them in writing. Ask DCF or SHINE how they apply to your case.

Processing time: DCF's manual (passage 0640.0400) says an application with all the information should be processed by the 30th day after the application date, or within 90 days if you're claiming a disability. The clock assumes DCF has everything it needs, so send it all the first time.

How to apply in Florida

You apply through DCF, not Medicare and not Social Security (with the Extra Help exception above). Medicare.gov's advice is blunt: Even if you don't think you qualify, you should still apply. DCF's FAQ lists these routes:

• Online: MyACCESS (myaccess.myflfamilies.com). DCF calls it the quickest way.
• In person: a DCF customer service center or a DCF community partner.
• Mail: a paper application to ACCESS Central Mail Center, P.O. Box 1770, Ocala, FL 34478-1770.
• Fax or hand delivery: to a DCF customer service center.
• Questions: DCF's Customer Call Center, 1-850-300-4323.

There isn't a separate MSP form on DCF's forms page; the paper route is the general Government Assistance Application, which covers Medicaid. Because MSPs are an SSI-related Medicaid group, DCF's manual says it needs a Financial Information Release Form (CF-ES 2613) or written permission to check your accounts. Have these ready: your Medicare card, your Social Security award letter, pension statements, recent bank statements and anything showing retirement account balances.

How many Floridians get this help

CMS counts Medicare enrollees by their Medicaid status every month. In June 2026, Florida had 5,334,437 people with Medicare. Adding up the MSP categories gives 850,968, or about 16%. That's my sum of CMS's columns, not a figure CMS publishes on its own. "QMB plus" and "SLMB plus" are people who have the MSP and full Medicaid on top of it.

QMB plus (with full Medicaid)342,152QMB only307,569SLMB only116,651QI / QDWI66,231SLMB plus (with full Medicaid)18,365

Source: CMS Medicare Monthly Enrollment, Florida, June 2026

Show the numbers

Item	People
QMB plus (with full Medicaid)	342,152
QMB only	307,569
SLMB only	116,651
QI / QDWI	66,231
SLMB plus (with full Medicaid)	18,365

QMB dominates: 649,721 people in the two QMB groups. The yearly CMS figures show the MSP-only groups (people who don't also have full Medicaid) over time:

• QMB only
• SLMB only
• QI / QDWI

0100,000200,000300,000400,000

289,819113,71264,910

2019202120232025

Source: CMS Medicare Monthly Enrollment, Florida, annual rows

Show the numbers

	QMB only	SLMB only	QI / QDWI
2019	255,859	118,230	69,630
2020	270,846	120,076	70,330
2021	275,236	119,913	72,654
2022	274,266	119,443	74,812
2023	273,475	121,233	77,868
2024	285,039	122,007	72,482
2025	289,819	113,712	64,910

QMB-only grew from 255,859 in 2019 to 289,819 in 2025, while SLMB-only and QI/QDWI stayed roughly flat or slipped. Over the same years Florida's Medicare population rose from 4,556,578 to 5,242,870. I wouldn't read a cause into that from these numbers alone, but it does say the higher-income tiers aren't growing with the Medicare rolls.

Open Enrollment is running. MSPs aren't tied to it

Medicare's Open Enrollment Period runs October 15 to December 7, per Medicare.gov. That's the window for joining, dropping or switching Medicare Advantage and drug plans. Nothing in DCF's MSP rules I reviewed ties an MSP application to that window, so don't wait for it or rush because of it. QMB only starts the month after approval, which is the real reason to apply sooner rather than later.

Open Enrollment is still a good moment to check, because an MSP brings Extra Help, and that changes what drug costs look like for you. Our Florida Medicare overview covers the rest of the Medicare calendar here.

FAQ

What is the income limit for the Medicare Savings Program in Florida in 2026?

For QMB, DCF's April 2026 table shows $1,330 a month for one person and $1,804 for a couple, after a $20 disregard. SLMB goes up to $1,596 and QI-1 up to $1,796 for one person. Medicare.gov's federal figures are $20 higher; the $20 gap is DCF's $20 general income disregard.

Does Florida have an asset limit for Medicare Savings Programs?

Yes. The 2026 limit for QMB, SLMB and QI-1 is $9,950 for one person and $14,910 for a couple. Your home, one car and up to $2,500 each in separately identifiable burial funds are excluded.

What does the Medicare Savings Program pay for in Florida?

QMB pays Part A and Part B premiums plus Medicare deductibles and coinsurance. SLMB and QI-1 pay the Part B premium. Working Disabled pays the Part A premium for people under 65 who lost premium-free Part A by working.

How do I apply for the Medicare Savings Program in Florida?

Apply through DCF online at MyACCESS, at a DCF customer service center or community partner, or by mailing a paper application to ACCESS Central Mail Center, P.O. Box 1770, Ocala, FL 34478-1770. DCF's call center is 1-850-300-4323, and SHINE (1-800-963-5337) can help.

When does QMB start in Florida?

QMB starts the month after the month DCF approves you, with no retroactive months. For SLMB and QI-1, Florida's rule says AHCA will pay the Part B premium for up to three months retroactive to the month of application; confirm with DCF or SHINE.

Florida's rules and your own situation decide whether you qualify and what's paid. Confirm the details with DCF, SHINE, 1-800-MEDICARE or a licensed agent, and talk to an attorney about legal questions.

Sources

1. Florida DCF: Appendix A-9.1, Medicare Savings Programs and LIS Financial Standards, effective April 2026
2. Florida DCF ESS Program Policy Manual, chapter 2000 (coverage groups)
3. Florida DCF ESS Program Policy Manual, chapter 1600 (assets)
4. Florida DCF ESS Program Policy Manual, chapter 2200 (household and spouse rules)
5. Florida DCF ESS Program Policy Manual, chapter 2400 (income disregards)
6. Florida DCF ESS Program Policy Manual, chapter 600 (application processing)
7. Florida Administrative Code 65A-1.702: Special Provisions
8. Florida DCF: Economic Self-Sufficiency FAQ (how to apply)
9. Florida DCF: MyACCESS
10. CMS: 2026 Medicare Parts A & B premiums and deductibles
11. CMS: Medicare Monthly Enrollment
12. Medicare.gov: Medicare Savings Programs
13. Medicare.gov: Help with drug costs (Extra Help)
14. Medicare.gov: Joining a plan (enrollment periods)
15. HHS ASPE: 2026 poverty guidelines
16. 42 U.S.C. 1396a (Cornell LII)
17. WAC 182-517-0100: Medicare savings programs (Washington)
18. Florida SHINE