Medicare Part D Extra Help (Low-Income Subsidy)
Social Security Administration
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Extra Help, also called the Part D Low-Income Subsidy, lowers what a person with Medicare pays for prescription drug coverage. In 2027, people who qualify pay no plan premium or deductible and pay limited copays for covered drugs. Extra Help also removes the Part D late-enrollment penalty while the person gets Extra Help and can create a Special Enrollment Period to change plans. People with full-benefit Medicaid, Supplemental Security Income, or help from a Medicare Savings Program get Extra Help automatically and do not file a separate application.
Who qualifies
What it covers
Cost
How to apply
How to apply
Apply online with Social Security
Check first whether you are already auto-enrolled. If you are on SSI, full Medicaid, or a Medicare Savings Program, you already have Extra Help and should not apply.
- Social Security online application (i1020) Open
- Social Security 1-800-772-1213
- Form SSA-1020 Open
- Any local Social Security office
Documents to gather
- Bank, stock, bond, mutual fund, CD, and IRA statements
- Records of real estate other than the home you live in
- Proof of income (Social Security award, pensions, wages)
- Life insurance policy face values
- Medicare card or Medicare number
Social Security does not publish a decision-timeline commitment for Extra Help. We checked, and no official day count exists.
Worth knowing
Do not apply if you are on SSI, full Medicaid, or a Medicare Savings Program (QMB, SLMB, or QI). You are automatically deemed eligible and filing an application is wasted effort. QDWI enrollees are the exception and are not deemed.
The 2026 resource limits are $18,090 for one person and $36,100 for a couple. Those figures already include a $1,500 per person burial exclusion. Your home, one car, and personal belongings do not count.
Qualifying does not save you money until you enroll in a Medicare Part D drug plan. The subsidy sits inert until then.
With the full subsidy, 2026 copays are $5.10 for generics and $12.65 for brand-name drugs, with no deductible.
If you got Extra Help by being deemed through SSI, Medicaid, or an MSP, losing that program also ends your Extra Help.
See your next step, the documents you will need, and how to apply. Save it to your account to track your progress.
Where to go from here
VA Aid and Attendance and Housebound benefits
$2,424 to $2,874/moVA Aid and Attendance (A&A) and Housebound benefits are monthly payments added to a qualifying veteran's or survivor's VA pension. You cannot get both at the same time. Aid and Attendance is for those who need another person's help with daily activities, are bedridden, are in a nursing home because of a disability, or have severely limited eyesight. Housebound is for those who spend most of their time at home because of a permanent disability.
Last checked Jun 1, 2026
VA Survivors Pension
$975 to $1,558/moVA Survivors Pension offers monthly tax-free payments to qualified unmarried surviving spouses and unmarried dependent children of wartime veterans, subject to income and net worth limits set by Congress. May be supplemented by Aid and Attendance or Housebound benefits if the survivor needs help with daily activities or is housebound.
Last checked Jun 1, 2026
Elderly Simplified Application Project (ESAP)
$25 to $562/moESAP is a simpler way to get Basic Food for households where every member is 60 or older or an adult with a disability and no one has earned income. It is not a separate benefit. Your Basic Food amount is the same, but two things change. First, you are approved for 36 months instead of 12. Second, you do not have to do a renewal interview or the usual mid-period check-ins during that time. ESAP is decided only when you first apply and when you renew. A household already on Basic Food cannot switch into ESAP in the middle of a certification period. Reporting is lighter too: you only have to report if your household income goes over 130% of the federal poverty level or if you have large gambling or lottery winnings. If your household stops qualifying for ESAP during the period, for example a member who is not elderly or disabled moves in, or someone starts earning wages, you keep Basic Food for the rest of the 36 months but go back to the regular check-ins. The state's benefit system sets the ESAP status automatically.
Last checked Oct 15, 2026
Basic Food (SNAP / Food Assistance Program)
$25 to $306/moBasic Food combines two food programs run by the state in Washington: the federal Supplemental Nutrition Assistance Program (SNAP) and the state-funded Food Assistance Program, which serves legal immigrants who meet all the SNAP rules except the federal ones about immigration status. Approved households get monthly benefits on a Washington Quest EBT card to buy approved groceries. The benefit amount depends on household size, income, and allowable deductions, including a standard deduction, a 20% deduction on earned income, dependent care, child support you are legally required to pay, medical expenses over $35 a month for elderly or disabled members, and part of your housing costs. You must complete an interview, in person or by phone. Most households are approved for 12 months with a check-in at month 6. Households that qualify for expedited service can receive benefits within 7 days. People on SNAP can also volunteer for Basic Food Employment and Training for help with job search, training, and education. Getting Basic Food does not count against a non-citizen under the public charge rule. Undocumented immigrants and people fleeing felony charges are not eligible.
Last checked Oct 15, 2026
Not sure this one fits your situation? Your local Area Agency on Aging can check what you qualify for and point you to the right programs, for free. No one will sell your information, and no one will cold-call you.
Source www.ssa.gov/medicare/part-d-extra-help
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