Medicare Savings Programs in Delaware: 2026 income limits and how to apply

Who qualifies

You can get a Medicare Savings Program (MSP) in Delaware if you:

• live in Delaware,
• are entitled to Medicare Part A, and
• have monthly income at or below the limit for one of the three levels.

These amounts include the first $20 of monthly income, which is never counted. Delaware's own chart shows figures $20 lower because it takes that amount off first. They are the same limits.

What counts and what does not

Income

Delaware counts income the same way SSI does.

• Your gross monthly income counts, before anything is taken out. Social Security counts before the Part B premium is deducted.
• If you are married and live together, your spouse's income counts too. A couple gets only one set of the disregards below.
• The first $20 of income each month is not counted.
• If you work, another $65 of earnings plus half of the rest is not counted.
• Some money is not income at all, such as tax refunds, loans, and money from selling something you own.

Assets

• No asset test. Delaware's Social Services Manual says all resources of the applicant and spouse are excluded for QMB. SLMB and QI-1 follow the same financial rules as QMB, except for income.
• Your bank accounts, retirement savings, home, car and life insurance do not affect MSP.

The three levels

QMB (Qualified Medicare Beneficiary)

QMB starts the first day of the month after Delaware decides you qualify. It does not pay for months before that. Medicaid pays:

• your Medicare Part A premium, if you have one,
• your Part B premium ($202.90 a month in 2026),
• the Part A deductible and the yearly Part B deductible ($283 in 2026),
• the 20% Part B coinsurance.

SLMB (Specified Low Income Medicare Beneficiary)

Pays your Part B premium only. SLMB can be paid back for up to three months before the month you apply, if you qualified then.

QI-1 (Qualified Individual)

Pays your Part B premium only. QI-1 can also go back up to three months, but not before January 1 of the year you apply. QI-1 has a capped yearly budget, and people are approved first come, first served. Once approved, you keep it for the rest of the calendar year, and people who had QI-1 in December get first chance the next year.

What MSPs do not do

People on an MSP do not get regular Medicaid services. If your income and savings are low enough, you may also qualify for full Medicaid. Ask when you apply.

Extra Help comes with every level

If you get QMB, SLMB or QI-1, you get Extra Help automatically. Extra Help lowers your Part D premium and caps copays at $5.10 for generics and $12.65 for brand-name drugs.

How to apply

1. Apply online through ASSIST at assist.dhss.delaware.gov. You can also use ASSIST to check if you might qualify.
2. Or apply in person at a Delaware Health and Social Services State Service Center.
3. Have proof ready of your income, such as your Social Security award letter and pension statements.
4. Questions: DHSS general information, 302-255-9040.

After you apply

• Your notice: the Division of Social Services sends a letter with its decision.
• Renewals: Delaware reviews your MSP at least every 12 months, and sooner if you report a change. Return any forms on time so your benefit does not stop.
• Report changes in income, address or household.
• If you are denied: your notice explains your right to a fair hearing and the deadline. Free counselors at the Delaware Medicare Assistance Bureau can help you understand the notice.

Things people miss

• Savings do not count. Many retirees with money in the bank never apply because they assume they have too much.
• Check the gross amount. Use your Social Security amount before the Part B premium comes out.
• A little over? Apply anyway. Some income is not counted.
• Apply early for QMB. QMB is not backdated, so each month you wait is a month of costs you pay yourself.
• Delaware also has DPAP. If your income is too high for an MSP, the Delaware Prescription Assistance Program may still help with drug costs. Call 1-844-245-9580.

Free help

• Delaware Medicare Assistance Bureau (DMAB): Delaware's State Health Insurance Assistance Program (SHIP), part of the Department of Insurance. Free, unbiased help with Medicare Savings Programs and Extra Help. Call 1-800-336-9500 (toll-free in Delaware) or 302-674-7364.
• Aging and Disability Resource Center (ADRC): 1-800-223-9074.

See all benefits in Delaware for Medicaid, DPAP and more. Learn more about Medicare Part B and Extra Help.

Phone numbers: Free help lines for Delaware agencies

Check what you may qualify for