Benefits for seniors in Iowa

Medicaid for people 65 and over

Iowa covers people who are 65 or older, blind or disabled through SSI-related Medicaid. Iowa HHS decides who qualifies.

• Income: Up to $994 a month for one person, or $1,491 for a couple. This is the same as the federal SSI payment. Some income is not counted.
• Assets: Up to $2,000 for one person, or $3,000 for a couple. Your home and some other things do not count.
• What it covers: Doctor visits, hospital care, prescriptions and costs Medicare does not pay.

Medically Needy. If your income is too high, you may still qualify if you have large medical bills. This is called a "spend down." Your medical bills must bring your income down to $483 a month. The asset limit is $10,000 for the household.

Nursing home care. Medicaid can pay for nursing home care if you need that level of care. The income limit is three times the SSI payment: $2,982 a month. If your income is higher, you may still qualify by putting your income into a special trust (a Medical Assistance Income Trust). You keep $50 a month for personal needs. The rest of your income goes toward your care.

If your spouse stays at home. Your spouse can keep half of your combined countable assets, but no less than $32,532 and no more than $162,660. Your spouse can also keep some of your income, so their total income can reach up to $4,066.50 a month.

Estate recovery: Iowa seeks repayment from the estate of Medicaid members who were 55 or older, or who lived in a medical facility and were not expected to return home. Repayment may be delayed while a spouse is alive. Call the Iowa Estate Recovery Program at 877-463-7887.

Help paying Medicare costs

Iowa has these Medicare Savings Programs. You must have Medicare Part A (or be able to get it).

• QMB (Qualified Medicare Beneficiary): Pays your Part B premium and deductible, your Part A premium if you have one, and Medicare coinsurance and deductibles. Income up to 100% of the poverty level, about $1,350 a month for one person or $1,824 for a couple.
• SLMB (Specified Low-Income Medicare Beneficiary): Pays your Part B premium. Income up to 120% of the poverty level, about $1,616 a month for one person or $2,184 for a couple.
• Expanded SLMB (E-SLMB): This is Iowa's name for QI. It pays your Part B premium. Income up to 135% of the poverty level, about $1,816 a month for one person or $2,455 for a couple.

Iowa uses the federal limits. Iowa's own charts look $20 lower because they already take off the first $20 of income. There is an asset test: $9,950 for one person or $14,910 for a couple. Apply even if you are a little over.

If you get QMB, SLMB or E-SLMB, you get Extra Help with Part D drug costs automatically.

Prescription drug help

Iowa's state agencies do not list a state drug payment program for seniors. Use federal Extra Help, which lowers Part D premiums, deductibles and copays. SHIIP can help you apply.

Extra state payment with SSI

Iowa does not add money to the SSI check of most people who live on their own. If you live on your own, your SSI payment is the federal amount, up to $994 a month.

Iowa's State Supplementary Assistance, paid fully by the state, helps some people who get SSI (or would, except for income): people who are blind ($22 a month), people who need in-home health-related care, people in residential care facilities or family-life homes, and people with a dependent living with them. The asset limit is $2,000 for one person. Apply through the Iowa HHS Benefits Portal or call (800) 972-2017.

Food help

Iowa's food program is SNAP (it used to be called food stamps). Benefits come on an EBT card.

• Rules for seniors: If someone in your home is 60 or older or disabled, you do not have to meet the gross income limit. You only have to meet the net income limit, which is $1,330 a month for one person or $1,804 for two (October 2026 to September 2027). Net income is what is left after allowed costs are taken off.
• Costs that help you qualify: Medical costs over $35 a month for a member who is 60 or older or disabled can be taken off your income, along with high housing costs.
• Assets: Most households do not have an asset test. If yours does, your home and at least one vehicle are not counted.
• How to apply: Online at hhsservices.iowa.gov. For questions, call 877-347-5678.

Other food help for people 60 and over:

• Senior Farmers Market Nutrition Program: Checks to buy fresh fruits and vegetables at farmers markets. You must be 60 or older with household income at or below 185% of the poverty level. Checks are given out June 1 through September 30, first come, first served. Apply each year through your Area Agency on Aging.
• Commodity Supplemental Foods Program: Free food, such as canned fruits and vegetables, cereal, cheese, milk and peanut butter, for people 60 and over who meet income rules in Polk, Dallas, Boone, Jasper, Story and Warren counties. Call (515) 286-3655 or 1-877-288-3655.

Your Area Agency on Aging can tell you about senior meals near you.

Help staying at home

Elderly Waiver. This Medicaid program helps people 65 and over get care at home instead of in a nursing home.

• You must be 65 or older, eligible for Medicaid, and need the level of care a nursing home gives.
• Income: Up to three times the SSI amount, $2,982 a month.
• Assets: Less than $2,000 in countable assets.
• How to apply: It is part of the Medicaid application. On the form, check "Services to remain in your home" and the Elderly waiver. You can apply online, by mail, in person, or by phone at 1-855-889-7985. As of January 2026, there was no waiting list.

PACE (Program of All-Inclusive Care for the Elderly). PACE covers all your medical and long-term care through a local center, for people 55 and over who need nursing-home-level care but can live safely at home. It serves some areas, including the Des Moines, Council Bluffs, Sioux City, Quad Cities, Cedar Rapids and Waterloo areas. For questions, call Iowa Medicaid Member Services at 1-800-338-8366.

Property tax and housing help

Elderly and disabled property tax credit. This credit lowers property taxes on your home. File with your county treasurer, not the Department of Revenue.

• Age 65 to 69, or disabled: Household income must be less than $26,895 a year.
• Age 70 or older: Household income must be less than 250% of the poverty level. For 2026 claims, that is $39,125 for one person or $52,875 for two.
• Deadline: The 2026 claim was due June 1, 2026. The treasurer may allow late claims up to March 31, 2027.

Homestead exemption. A 2026 law replaces Iowa's homestead tax credit with a homestead exemption of 10% of your home's taxable value, with a minimum of $5,500 and a maximum of $20,000. It starts with the 2026 assessment, for taxes paid in September 2027 and March 2028. If you already get the homestead credit, you do not need to file again.

Extra exemption at 65. If you were 65 or older on January 1 of the year you apply, you get an extra exemption of $6,500 of taxable value, on top of the regular homestead exemption.

File form 54-028 with your city or county assessor by July 1 of the first year you claim it. Once approved, it continues each year while you qualify. Questions: Department of Revenue, 515-281-3114.

Rent Reimbursement. If you rent and are 65 or older, or an adult with a disability, Iowa HHS may pay back part of your rent. The most it can pay is $1,000, and lower incomes get a bigger share. For rent paid in 2025, household income must be less than $26,895 a year. In 2026 you can claim rent paid in 2025 and 2024, with a separate claim for each year. Apply online at benefits.stateofiowahhs.org/program/rentreimbursement, with proof of your identity, income and rent paid. Your Community Action Agency may help. Call the Rent Reimbursement Team at 515-420-6077.

Help with energy bills

Iowa's Low Income Home Energy Assistance Program (LIHEAP) helps pay heating bills. Homeowners and renters can apply.

• Seniors apply early: If someone in your home is 60 or older or disabled, you can apply starting October 1. Others start November 1. Applications close April 30, and help is given first come, first served.
• Income: At or below 200% of the poverty level. For the 2026-2027 season that is $31,920 a year for one person or $43,280 for two.
• How to apply: At the Community Action Agency for your county. To find yours, call 515-776-8871.

Free help and counseling

• SHIIP (Senior Health Insurance Information Program): Iowa's free, private and unbiased Medicare counseling program, run by the Iowa Insurance Division. Call 1-800-351-4664 (TTY 1-800-735-2942).
• LifeLong Links: Iowa's Aging and Disability Resource Center. It gives free advice on care options and how to pay for them. Call 866-468-7887 or visit lifelonglinks.org. You can also reach it through Iowa's six Area Agencies on Aging.
• Iowa HHS: General line (800) 972-2017.

How to apply

Check what you may qualify for