Benefits for seniors in Maine

Medicaid for people 65 and over

MaineCare is run by the Maine Department of Health and Human Services (DHHS). Its Office for Family Independence (OFI) decides who qualifies.

• Who it is for: Maine residents who are 65 or older, blind, or have a disability.
• Income: For full MaineCare, your income must be at or below 100% of the federal poverty level. Some income is not counted. Check the current dollar limit with OFI at 1-855-797-4357.
• Assets: Up to $2,000 for one person or $3,000 for a couple. Maine can also exclude up to $8,000 more for one person, or $12,000 for a couple.
• Over the income limit? MaineCare has a Medically Needy deductible. You pay a set amount of medical bills yourself, and then MaineCare can cover you, usually for up to 6 months.
• What it covers: Doctor and hospital care, prescriptions, and other care. If you have Medicare, MaineCare can pay costs Medicare does not.

Long-term care. MaineCare can pay for nursing home care, and for assisted living services in a residential care facility. You must be 65 or older, blind, or disabled, meet the income and asset rules, and have a medical need for this care. The same asset limits apply. DHHS looks back 60 months at money and property you gave away. Giving things away for less than they are worth can cause a waiting period. If you are married, your spouse at home can keep part of your savings, up to $162,660 in 2026, plus some of your income. Ask OFI how these rules apply to you.

Estate recovery. If you were 55 or older when MaineCare paid for long-term care (nursing home or home care), Maine may seek repayment from your estate, but not while a spouse, a child under 21, or a blind or disabled child is living. It does not apply to Medicare Savings Program benefits.

Help paying Medicare costs

Maine calls these Medicare Savings Programs, or "Buy-In." Since July 1, 2024, Maine's limits are much higher than the federal ones. There is no asset test.

• QMB (Qualified Medicare Beneficiary): Income up to 185% of the federal poverty level. QMB pays your Part A and Part B premiums, deductibles and copays.
• QI (Qualified Individual): Income above 185% and up to 250% of the federal poverty level. QI pays your Part B premium of $202.90 a month.

For comparison, the federal minimum QMB limit is $1,350 a month for one person. Maine's limit is far higher, so apply even if you think your income is too high. Check the current dollar limits with OFI at 1-855-797-4357.

If you get a Medicare Savings Program, you also get Extra Help with drug costs automatically.

Prescription drug help

Low Cost Drugs for the Elderly and Disabled (DEL) is Maine's own drug program.

• Who qualifies: People 62 or older, or people with a disability, whose income is over the MaineCare limit. There is no asset test. Maine's April 2026 program guide lists the same income limit for DEL as for QMB.
• What it does: You may get up to 80% off the cost of your prescriptions. You may pay a $2 copayment.
• Questions: MaineCare Pharmacy Help Desk, 1-866-796-2463 (TTY 711).

Ask OFI at 1-855-797-4357 how to apply for DEL. Also make sure you have Extra Help, which lowers Part D costs to no more than $5.10 for generics and $12.65 for brand-name drugs.

Extra state payment with SSI

Maine adds a small state supplement to SSI. If you live on your own, it is $10 a month on top of the federal SSI payment of $994. The amount is different if you live in someone else's household, or in an adult foster home, boarding home or residential care facility, where it can be higher.

The State of Maine (DHHS), not Social Security, runs and pays this supplement. Questions: OFI at 1-855-797-4357.

Food help

Maine runs SNAP (food stamps) through the Office for Family Independence. Benefits come on an EBT card.

• Income: Maine's gross income limit is 200% of the federal poverty level.
• If you are 60 or older or disabled: OFI can count medical costs you pay, such as insurance premiums, bills insurance does not cover, and travel to medical care. Tell OFI about them and keep proof.
• How to apply: Online at My Maine Connection, by phone at 1-855-797-4357, or at a DHHS regional office. You can also mail an application to OFI, 114 Corn Shop Lane, Farmington, ME 04938.
• Maine Senior FarmShare: If you are 60 or older (55 for Native Americans) and your household income is up to $29,526 a year for one person or $40,034 for two, you can get a $50 share of fresh local fruits, vegetables, herbs and honey at no cost. Enrollment opens June 1 each year. Sign up online for a farm, or at the information booth of a participating farmers' market. You choose one farm or market a year. Questions: 207-287-3491.
• Meals: Your Area Agency on Aging can help you find senior meals and home-delivered meals.

Help staying at home

Maine has several programs to help older adults get care at home and avoid or delay a nursing home.

• Elderly and Adults with Physical Disabilities Waiver: A MaineCare program (MaineCare Benefits Manual Section 19) for people who need nursing-home level care but want to stay home.
• State-funded in-home and community support services: Help for people who do not qualify for MaineCare.
• Consumer Directed Attendant Services: Lets you hire and direct your own attendant.
• Homemaker services (Independent Support Services): Call Catholic Charities of Maine at 1-888-477-2263.

How to start: Most in-home services need a free, private assessment. Apply for MaineCare long-term care first. Then call Maine's Assessing Services Agency (Maximus) at 1-833-525-5784. Your Aging and Disability Resource Center can help you through the steps.

Maine's DHHS home care pages do not list a PACE (Program of All-Inclusive Care for the Elderly) program. Ask the ADRC about other options.

Property tax and housing help

• Homestead exemption: If you have owned your Maine home for 12 months and it is your permanent home, your town can take up to $25,000 off its taxable value. File the form with your town by April 1.
• Property Tax Fairness Credit: If you own or rent your home in Maine and paid property tax or rent, you may get money back when you file your Maine income tax return (Form 1040ME with Schedule PTFC/STFC). For tax year 2025 the credit is up to $1,000, or up to $2,000 if you are 65 or older. Older filers also have a higher income limit. If the credit is more than the tax you owe, Maine sends you the difference. Questions: [email protected].
• State Property Tax Deferral Program: The State pays your property tax each year (plus up to two years of past-due tax). You, your estate or your heirs repay it later, with interest.
  • Who qualifies: You are 65 or older, or unable to work because of a permanent disability. Your income last year was less than $80,000. Your liquid assets are less than $100,000 ($150,000 if you apply jointly). Retirement accounts such as IRAs and 401(k)s do not count.
  • Your home: You own and live in it, and it gets the homestead exemption.
  • When: The filing period is January 1 to April 1 each year. Get the form from Maine Revenue Services or your town office.
• Local relief: Ask your town or city assessor about other property tax help where you live.

Help with energy bills

Maine's LIHEAP program is the Home Energy Assistance Program (HEAP), run by MaineHousing.

• Who qualifies: Homeowners and renters. For one person, gross income can be up to $38,070 a year. If you are over, some medical costs can be deducted.
• When: For the 2026-2027 season, HEAP is open from August 3, 2026, until funds run out or May 29, 2027.
• How to apply: Online at ecos.mainehousing.org, or call your local Community Action Agency to set up an appointment. HEAP questions: 1-877-544-3271.
• Emergency fuel (ECIP): If you are almost out of heating fuel, apply for HEAP first, then call your Community Action Agency. ECIP runs November 1, 2026, to April 30, 2027.

Free help and counseling

• Maine State Health Insurance Assistance Program (SHIP): Free, private help with Medicare, MaineCare, Medigap, Part D, and enrolling in Medicare Savings Programs. Counselors do not sell insurance. Call 1-877-353-3771.
• Area Agencies on Aging: Maine's five Area Agencies on Aging also serve as Aging and Disability Resource Centers (ADRCs). Call 1-877-353-3771 and choose your county. You can also call directly:
  • Aroostook Area Agency on Aging: 1-800-439-1789
  • Eastern Agency on Aging: 1-800-432-7812
  • Spectrum Generations: 1-800-639-1553
  • SeniorsPlus: 1-800-427-1241
  • Southern Maine Agency on Aging: 1-800-427-7411
• Office of Aging and Disability Services (OADS): The state aging office, part of DHHS. Call 207-287-3707 (TTY: Maine relay 711).

How to apply

Check what you may qualify for