Arkansas Medicare Savings Program: QMB, SLMB, and QI Explained

What the Medicare Savings Programs Actually Do in Arkansas

If your parent's Social Security check shrinks every year because Medicare Part B keeps taking a bigger bite, Arkansas runs three programs that can stop that deduction entirely. The Medicare Savings Programs — QMB, SLMB, and QI — are administered by the Arkansas Department of Human Services, Division of County Operations, and they pay some or all of Medicare's costs directly.

QMB (Qualified Medicare Beneficiary) covers the most: Part A premiums, Part B premiums, deductibles, coinsurance, and copayments. Your parent's doctors cannot bill them for any Medicare cost-sharing at all. SLMB (Specified Low-Income Medicare Beneficiary) and QI (Qualifying Individual) each cover the Part B premium only — worth $2,434 a year in 2026.

All three programs also trigger automatic Extra Help for Part D prescription drugs, dropping copays to $4.90 for generics and $12.65 for brand-name medications.

2026 Income and Asset Limits

Arkansas uses the standard federal poverty level percentages with a $20 monthly unearned income disregard applied to Social Security, pensions, and VA benefits:

• QMB (100% FPL): $1,350/month individual, $1,824 couple
• SLMB (120% FPL): $1,616/month individual, $2,184 couple
• QI (135% FPL): $1,816/month individual, $2,455 couple

Asset limits are the same across all three: $9,950 for an individual, $14,910 for a couple. Your parent's home, one car, burial plots, and personal belongings don't count.

How QMB, SLMB, and QI Are Different

The practical difference comes down to what each program pays and who qualifies:

QMB is the full package. It pays every Medicare cost-sharing obligation, and federal law prohibits providers from balance-billing QMB enrollees. If a doctor sends your parent a bill for a Medicare deductible or copay, that bill is illegal.

SLMB and QI pay the Part B premium only. They don't cover deductibles or coinsurance. But that monthly premium — $202.90 in 2026 — goes back into your parent's Social Security check.

The income bands don't overlap: if your parent qualifies for QMB, they get QMB. If their income is a dollar over the QMB limit but under the SLMB ceiling, they get SLMB. QI picks up people in the next band above SLMB.

How to Apply

Applications go through three channels:

1. Online at access.arkansas.gov — select "Healthcare Coverage" and choose the Aged, Blind, and Disabled / Medicare Savings option (not ARHOME)
2. In person at any county DHS office
3. By phone at 1-855-372-1084

DHS must process applications within 45 days. If you're helping a parent remotely, you'll need to file an Authorized Representative Designation form — a standard HIPAA release isn't enough for DHS to talk to you about the case.

What Happens After Approval

Once DHS approves an MSP, it sends the enrollment to CMS, which tells Social Security to stop withholding the Part B premium. This takes 60–90 days to synchronize. SSA will then issue a lump-sum reimbursement covering every premium withheld between the effective date and the date the deduction stopped.

Your parent also gets automatic Extra Help for prescription drugs — no separate application needed. CMS sends a purple letter confirming the subsidy, and copays drop immediately.

If your family is navigating the full process — eligibility worksheets, document preparation, and what to do if something goes wrong — the Arkansas Medicare Savings Programs & Extra Help Guide walks through every step with the 2026 numbers.

See more Arkansas guides →