Does Social Security Count for QMB in Arkansas?

Yes, Social Security Counts — But Not All of It

Social Security is unearned income under Arkansas DHS rules, and it does count toward QMB eligibility. But DHS doesn't use your gross Social Security amount. Before comparing your income to the QMB limit, they subtract a $20 per month general income disregard.

That $20 matters more than it sounds. The 2026 QMB income limit for an individual is $1,350 per month. If your parent's Social Security check is $1,365, their countable income after the disregard is $1,345 — under the limit. Without knowing about the disregard, many families look at gross income and assume they don't qualify.

The disregard applies once per household. For a married couple, the $20 comes off their combined income, not $20 each.

What Counts as Income and What Doesn't

DHS looks at all unearned income sources, not just Social Security. That includes:

• Social Security retirement and SSDI payments
• Private pensions and annuities
• VA disability compensation (some components)

But several types of income are excluded entirely:

• VA Aid and Attendance allowances — excluded from countable income
• Unusual medical expense reimbursements from the VA
• The first $65 of earned income plus half of remaining earnings, if your parent still works

If your parent receives both Social Security and a small pension, DHS adds them together, then subtracts the $20 disregard from the total.

The COLA Timing Gap That Trips People Up

Every January, Social Security benefits increase with the Cost-of-Living Adjustment. That raises gross income immediately. But the federal poverty level — which sets the QMB, SLMB, and QI thresholds — isn't updated until late January or February.

During that gap, someone whose income was safely under the limit in December might appear over it in January. Federal law handles this with the Pickle/COLA Disregard: Arkansas DHS excludes the COLA increase from countable income until the new poverty guidelines are published and coded into their system. Your parent's benefits won't be cut during the gap.

The Social Security Fairness Act Changed Some Numbers

The Social Security Fairness Act, signed January 5, 2025, eliminated the Windfall Elimination Provision and Government Pension Offset for benefits payable from January 2024 onward. SSA began retroactive adjustments in February 2025. For Arkansas retirees who had government pensions — retired teachers, state workers, municipal employees — this often increased their monthly Social Security payments.

Those increases are real income. If your parent's Social Security went up because of the Fairness Act, their new gross amount is what DHS uses. Some families who qualified before may now be over the QMB limit but still under SLMB ($1,616 individual) or QI ($1,816 individual).

Any change in Social Security benefits must be reported to DHS within 10 days.

A Quick Way to Check Eligibility

Take your parent's total monthly unearned income — Social Security plus any pensions — and subtract $20. Compare that number to the 2026 limits:

• QMB: $1,350 individual / $1,824 couple
• SLMB: $1,616 individual / $2,184 couple
• QI: $1,816 individual / $2,455 couple

If the number falls under any of these, your parent likely qualifies for at least one program. Even SLMB or QI eliminates the Part B premium — about $2,435 back per year.

The Arkansas Medicare Savings Programs & Extra Help Guide includes a worksheet that walks through the full income calculation, including the disregards, so you can see exactly where your parent falls before applying.

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