Help Paying Medicare Part B Premium in Tennessee: Programs That Cover the $202.90

Every month, Social Security deducts $202.90 from your parent's check for the Medicare Part B premium. On a fixed income of $1,200 or $1,500, that deduction is the difference between covering groceries and falling short.

Tennessee has three programs that can eliminate that deduction entirely. They are administered through TennCare — the state Medicaid agency — and all three pay the Part B premium directly, so the full Social Security amount lands in the bank account instead.

The Three Programs That Pay the Part B Premium

QMB (Qualified Medicare Beneficiary) covers the most. It pays the Part B premium plus Part A and Part B deductibles, copays, and coinsurance. If your parent lacks premium-free Part A, QMB pays that premium too. Income limit: $1,350/month individual, $1,824/month couple.

SLMB (Specified Low-Income Medicare Beneficiary) pays only the Part B premium — no deductibles or copays. Income limit: $1,616/month individual, $2,184/month couple.

QI (Qualifying Individual) also pays only the Part B premium. Income limit: $1,816/month individual, $2,455/month couple. QI runs on capped federal funding and is first-come, first-served, subject to funding availability.

All three use the same resource limits: $9,950 individual, $14,910 couple. Excluded resources include the primary home if the applicant lives there or intends to return, one car, personal belongings, and designated burial funds up to $1,500 per person, reduced by excluded life insurance cash value.

How TennCare Counts Income

TennCare uses gross Social Security — the amount before the Part B premium is deducted — not the net deposit. If your parent's bank deposit is $1,147.10, their gross income is actually $1,350.00 ($1,147.10 + $202.90).

Before comparing against the income limits, TennCare subtracts a $20 monthly unearned income disregard. So a senior with $1,370 gross income has countable income of $1,350 — just under the QMB ceiling. That $20 disregard is the difference between qualifying and being denied for many applicants.

If your parent has earned income from part-time work, additional disregards apply: $65 plus half the remaining gross wages are excluded.

How to Apply

One application covers all three tiers. TennCare determines which tier your parent qualifies for based on income:

• Online: tenncareconnect.tn.gov
• Phone: 1-855-259-0701 (TTY: 1-800-848-0298)
• Mail: TennCare Connect, P.O. Box 305240, Nashville, TN 37230-5240
• In person: any county DHS office

TennCare verifies income and assets electronically through IRS, SSA, and Equifax data matching. If electronic verification succeeds, no paper documents are needed. If it flags something, you will have 10–15 days to submit bank statements and a Social Security Award Letter.

Processing takes 20–40 days. After approval, it takes another 60–90 days for the premium deduction to actually stop — that delay is the inter-agency handshake between TennCare, CMS, and Social Security. Your parent will receive a lump-sum refund for any premiums deducted after their coverage started.

All Three Tiers Unlock Extra Help

Approval for any MSP tier — QMB, SLMB, or QI — confers deemed eligibility for Part D Extra Help. That means the Part D deductible disappears, and 2026 copays for covered brand-name drugs are no more than $12.65, with reduced copays for generics. No separate application to Social Security is needed.

What If My Parent Just Misses the Income Limit?

If gross income is slightly above the QI ceiling of $1,816/month, your parent may still qualify for Extra Help directly through Social Security if income is below 150% of the federal poverty level: $23,940/year individual or $32,670/year couple in 2026. The 2026 resource limits are $16,590 individual and $33,100 couple. Extra Help does not pay the Part B premium but helps cover prescription drug costs.

The Tennessee Medicare Savings Programs & Extra Help Guide includes income calculation worksheets, worked examples for each tier, and step-by-step instructions for navigating TennCare Connect — including what to do when the premium deduction does not stop on schedule.

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