Medicare Savings Program (MSP)
WA Health Care Authority
Medicare Savings Programs are Medicaid-funded and run by Washington. They help people who have Medicare pay their Part A premium, their Part B premium, or both, and (for the QMB tier) their out-of-pocket costs too. Washington sets aside the first $20 of unearned income, which is income not from working, and, unlike many states, uses no asset test, so you are not asked to prove your bank balances or other resources. There are four tiers, each with its own income limit and benefits. If you are in a Medicare Savings Program, you are also signed up automatically for Extra Help (the Low-Income Subsidy) that lowers Medicare Part D drug costs.
Who qualifies
What it covers
Cost
How to apply
How to apply
Apply through Washington Connection
This is usually the higher-leverage first door for someone on Medicare with a low income, because approval also gets you Extra Help automatically.
- Washington Connection Open
- DSHS Customer Service Center 1-877-501-2233
- Form HCA 13-691, Application for Medicare Savings Programs Open
- Drop box at a local DSHS Community Services Office Open
Documents to gather
- Medicare card or Medicare number
- Proof of monthly income (Social Security award letter, pensions, wages)
- Proof of identity and Washington residency
The Health Care Authority does not publish a decision-timeline commitment for Medicare Savings Programs. We checked, and no official day count exists.
Worth knowing
Washington removed the Medicare Savings Program resource test on January 1, 2023, so savings are not used as a financial eligibility test. Follow the agency's current application checklist and provide records the agency requests. If a resource document request is unclear, ask the worker what rule or application item requires it rather than withholding a requested record.
Getting approved also gets you Medicare Part D Extra Help automatically, with no separate Social Security application.
QMB is the top tier and stops all Medicare cost sharing, including Part A and B premiums, deductibles, coinsurance, and most copays. SLMB and QI-1 cover the Part B premium only.
These benefits are not subject to estate recovery.
You may see two different sets of income numbers. The consumer worksheet has you subtract $20 from your gross monthly income first, while the internal reference guide lists standards $20 higher with that deduction already built in. They give the same answer.
Income standards change every April 1. The 2026 monthly figures, after subtracting $20 from gross income, are $1,463 for one person and $1,984 for a couple for QMB, $1,596 and $2,165 for SLMB, and $1,835 and $2,490 for QI-1.
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)
$50 to $546/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 Jun 17, 2026
Medicare Part D Extra Help (Low-Income Subsidy)
$5,700/yrExtra Help, also called the Part D Low-Income Subsidy, lowers what a Medicare beneficiary pays for prescription drug coverage. It can cover the Part D premium, the deductible, and the per-prescription copays, and it removes the Part D late-enrollment penalty and opens a special enrollment window to change plans. Recent federal changes folded the old partial subsidy into the full subsidy, so most people who qualify now receive the full benefit. People already enrolled in Medicaid, Supplemental Security Income, or a Medicare Savings Program are deemed automatically eligible and do not need to file a separate Extra Help application.
Last checked Jun 1, 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.hca.wa.gov/free-or-low-cost-health-care/i-need-medical-dental-or-vision-care
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