Help Paying Medicare Part B Premium in North Dakota
Three Programs That Pay the Part B Premium
The standard Medicare Part B premium in 2026 is $202.90 per month — $2,434.80 a year taken directly from your parent's Social Security check. North Dakota's Medicare Savings Programs can eliminate that deduction entirely.
QMB covers the Part B premium plus all Medicare deductibles, coinsurance, and copays. Income must be at or below $1,350/month (single) or $1,824 (couple) after the $20 disregard.
SLMB pays just the Part B premium. Income falls between $1,350.01 and $1,616 (single) or $1,824.01 and $2,184 (couple).
QI also pays the Part B premium, for income between $1,616.01 and $1,816 (single) or $2,184.01 and $2,455 (couple). QI runs on capped federal funding and approves applicants first-come, first-served.
All three tiers share the same resource limit: $9,950 for an individual, $14,910 for a couple, with exclusions for the home, one vehicle, burial funds, and personal property.
How the Premium Deduction Stops
After ND HHS approves your parent for SLMB or QI, the state transmits buy-in information to CMS and the Social Security Administration. SSA then stops deducting the $202.90 from your parent's monthly benefit check.
This process takes 60 to 90 days. During that transition, SSA keeps deducting the premium. This is normal — the deductions continue until the system update goes through. SSA issues a retroactive refund for any premiums withheld during the processing period.
SLMB and QI also allow retroactive coverage for up to three months before the application month, provided your parent met all eligibility requirements during those months.
What Else Comes With Approval
Any Medicare Savings Program enrollment — QMB, SLMB, or QI — automatically triggers eligibility for Extra Help (the Part D Low-Income Subsidy). Under the Inflation Reduction Act, all Extra Help enrollees receive full subsidies: Part D plan premiums covered up to the benchmark, no prescription deductible, and copays capped at $4.90 for generics and $12.15 for brand-name drugs.
Between the Part B premium relief and prescription savings, the combined benefit can exceed $4,000 a year.
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How to Apply
File Form SFN 958 (Health Care Application for the Elderly and Disabled) at any Human Service Zone office, by mail to the Bismarck Customer Support Center, or online through the ND HHS Self-Service Portal at apply.nd.gov. The Customer Support Center phone number is 1-866-614-6005.
The North Dakota Medicare Savings Programs & Extra Help Guide walks through the full application with income worksheets and document checklists so nothing gets missed.
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Download the North Dakota — Medicare Savings Program Eligibility Checklist — a printable guide with checklists, scripts, and action plans you can start using today.