Help Paying Medicare Part B Premium in Texas — Programs That Cover the Cost
Three Programs That Pay the Part B Premium
The 2026 Medicare Part B premium is $202.90 per month — $2,434.80 per year deducted straight from your parent's Social Security check. For a senior living on $1,400/month, that's nearly 15% of their income gone before they buy groceries.
Texas runs three Medicare Savings Programs that cover this premium entirely:
- QMB (up to $1,350/month individual income): covers Part B premium plus all deductibles, coinsurance, and copays
- SLMB ($1,350.01 to under $1,616/month): covers the Part B premium
- QI ($1,616 to under $1,816/month): covers the Part B premium
All three use the same asset limit: $9,950 individual, $14,910 couple. Your parent's home and one vehicle don't count.
What Happens to the Social Security Check
After HHSC approves an MSP, they send a "buy-in" file to CMS, which instructs Social Security to stop deducting the Part B premium from your parent's monthly check. This inter-agency update typically takes 30 to 60 days.
During that lag, your parent keeps paying the premium. Once SSA updates the record, they issue a retroactive lump-sum reimbursement for every premium deducted between the MSP effective date and the date deductions stopped. That check can be several hundred dollars.
If more than 60 days pass without a change, contact HHSC at 2-1-1 to confirm the buy-in file was transmitted and SSA at 1-800-772-1213 to verify receipt.
The Part B Premium Isn't the Only Saving
Getting approved for any MSP tier — even SLMB or QI — automatically enrolls your parent in Extra Help (the Part D Low-Income Subsidy). That eliminates the Part D deductible (up to $615 in 2026) and reduces drug copayments; the 2026 out-of-pocket cap for covered drugs is $2,100.
For QMB recipients, the savings go further: no Part A hospital deductible ($1,736 per benefit period), no Part B deductible ($283/year), and no coinsurance on any Medicare-covered service.
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Why Search Results Are Full of Insurance Ads
Search for "help paying Medicare Part B premium Texas" and most of the top results are insurance brokerage sites. They publish articles about premium assistance to capture leads, then steer visitors toward Medicare Advantage Dual-SNP plans. Those sites collect your parent's contact information and pass it to licensed agents.
That's a different product entirely. Medicare Savings Programs are state-administered benefits that cover costs your parent already has — they don't change your parent's Medicare coverage, don't require switching to a Medicare Advantage plan, and don't involve an insurance agent.
How to Apply
Applications go through HHSC, not through Medicare or an insurance company. Use Form H1200-EZ (the streamlined application for MSP-only applicants) through YourTexasBenefits.com, the mobile app, by calling 2-1-1, or by mail. HHSC evaluates eligibility for all tiers from a single application.
Our Texas Medicare Savings Programs & Extra Help Guide includes the complete application walkthrough, a document checklist, and step-by-step instructions for tracking the SSA reimbursement after approval.
Get Your Free Texas — Medicare Savings Program Eligibility Checklist
Download the Texas — Medicare Savings Program Eligibility Checklist — a printable guide with checklists, scripts, and action plans you can start using today.