Colorado QDWI Program: Medicare Part A Help for Disabled Working Individuals

What QDWI Is and Who It's For

The Qualified Disabled and Working Individual program is the least-known tier of Colorado's Medicare Savings Programs. It serves a narrow but important population: people under 65 who remain disabled, lost Social Security Disability Insurance (SSDI) entitlement because work earnings exceeded Social Security's Substantial Gainful Activity (SGA) threshold, and exhausted the extension of premium-free Medicare Part A coverage.

After SSDI entitlement ends because work earnings exceed SGA, premium-free Medicare Part A can continue during Social Security's extension period. QDWI eligibility applies after that premium-free extension is exhausted, when the Part A premium runs up to $518 per month in 2026. QDWI pays that premium so disabled workers can maintain Medicare Part A while earning a living.

QDWI Eligibility in Colorado

The requirements are more specific than QMB, SLMB, or QI-1:

Who qualifies:

• Under age 65
• Continues to be disabled but lost SSDI entitlement because earnings exceeded the SGA threshold
• Exhausted Social Security's extension of premium-free Medicare Part A coverage
• Is not eligible under another Medical Assistance category
• Monthly countable income at or below 200% of the Federal Poverty Level — $2,680 for an individual, $3,627 for a couple in 2026
• Countable resources at or below $4,000 for an individual, $6,000 for a couple

The resource limits are notably lower than the standard Medicare Savings Program limits ($11,160/$17,470 for QMB/SLMB/QI-1), and the asset exclusions are the same: primary home, one vehicle, burial spaces, up to $1,500 in burial funds, and household goods don't count.

What QDWI covers: Only the Medicare Part A premium. It does not cover Part B premiums, deductibles, copays, or coinsurance. A person who qualifies for QDWI but also meets the income thresholds for QMB or SLMB would receive the broader coverage under those programs instead.

How to Apply

QDWI applications go through the same channels as other Medicare Savings Programs in Colorado:

1. Online through PEAK (peak.my.site.com): Select "Apply for Benefits" and choose "Medical Assistance." PEAK's intake evaluates all MSP tiers, including QDWI, so there's no separate application form.
2. Paper application: File the Application for Public Assistance (Form PA-1) at your county Department of Human Services.
3. Phone: Call the Health First Colorado Member Contact Center at 1-800-221-3943 to start an application verbally.

You'll need the same documentation as other MSP applications — Medicare card, Social Security benefit or award letter, pay stubs showing current earnings, and bank statements for resource verification. Because QDWI applicants have earned income, the county will apply the earned income disregards: the first $65 of monthly earnings plus half of the remainder is excluded from countable income.

QDWI vs. Other Medicare Savings Programs

If someone qualifies for both QDWI and QMB (their income is under 100% FPL), QMB is the better program — it covers Part A premiums, Part B premiums, deductibles, and copays. The county evaluates all tiers simultaneously in CBMS and assigns the most beneficial one.

QDWI fills a gap for disabled workers under 65 who lost SSDI entitlement because of work earnings, exhausted the premium-free Part A extension, and are not eligible under another Medical Assistance category. Its income ceiling is 200% FPL, and it pays the Part A premium.

Getting Through the Process

QDWI cases can be confusing for county eligibility workers who handle them rarely. If the worker seems unfamiliar with the program, reference the HCPF program page for QDWI and the governing regulation at 10 CCR 2505-10 § 8.100.6.O.

For a complete walkthrough of the Colorado Medicare Savings Program application process — including how to calculate countable income with both earned and unearned disregards, what to do when county processing stalls, and how to track the Part A buy-in after approval — see our Colorado Medicare Savings Programs & Extra Help Guide.

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