Help Paying Medicare Part B Premium in Wisconsin
Three Programs That Pay Your Part B Premium
The standard Medicare Part B premium in 2026 is $202.90 per month — $2,434.80 per year — deducted directly from your Social Security check. For someone living on $1,300 a month, that's more than 15% of their income going to one premium.
Wisconsin's Medicare Savings Programs eliminate that deduction. All three main tiers pay the Part B premium in full:
QMB — For individuals with countable monthly income up to $1,350 (single) or $1,824 (couple) after applicable income disregards. Also covers Part A premiums and all Medicare deductibles, coinsurance, and copays.
SLMB — For countable incomes between $1,351 and $1,616 (single) or $1,825 and $2,184 (couple). Pays the Part B premium only.
SLMB+ — For countable incomes between $1,617 and $1,816 (single) or $2,185 and $2,455 (couple). Pays the Part B premium only. Cannot be held with full Medicaid.
Asset limits are $9,950 (single) or $14,910 (couple) for all three tiers. Your home, one car, and irrevocable burial trusts don't count.
What Happens to Your Social Security Check
Once Wisconsin approves your MSP enrollment, the state's buy-in unit sends an accretion record to CMS. CMS instructs SSA to stop the Part B premium deduction from your monthly check. Your Social Security payment increases by $202.90 per month.
If premiums were deducted during the processing period, SSA issues a direct refund — either by check or electronic deposit. SLMB and SLMB+ can be backdated up to three months, so the refund can cover those months too.
The refund typically takes 60 to 90 days from the date of state approval. It's not instant, but it arrives.
Checking Eligibility
For Social Security, Wisconsin uses the gross benefit on the award letter, not the net deposit. Other countable income, such as pensions, also matters. Many families think they're over the limit because they're looking at the net deposit, which is already reduced by the Part B deduction they're trying to eliminate.
Wisconsin applies a $20 monthly disregard to unearned income. If your parent receives $1,365 gross Social Security and has no other income, countable income is $1,345 — under the QMB limit of $1,350.
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Where to Apply
Applications go to your county's Income Maintenance consortium, not to Social Security. Wisconsin organizes its 72 counties into 10 regional consortia. The ACCESS portal at access.wi.gov handles online applications. Paper applications use Form F-10182 with Attachment 8 for assets.
Processing must be completed within 30 calendar days, or up to 45 days if a disability determination is required. An adult child helping a parent needs Form F-10126 (Authorized Representative) on file before the consortium will discuss the case.
What MSP Does Not Cover
MSP is strictly about Medicare cost-sharing — it doesn't pay for services that Medicare doesn't cover (dental, vision, hearing, most long-term care). It also doesn't replace the need for a Part D drug plan. But the automatic Extra Help that comes with MSP enrollment handles most prescription costs, and Wisconsin's SeniorCare program can cover additional drugs that Part D excludes.
One common concern: estate recovery. Medicare Savings Program benefits are completely exempt from Wisconsin's Medicaid estate recovery rules. The state cannot reclaim Part B premiums it paid on your parent's behalf. Long-term care Medicaid is a different category with different rules, but MSP itself carries no estate liability.
Our Wisconsin Medicare Savings guide includes the income worksheet, document checklist, and complete consortium directory so you can identify the right office and submit a clean application the first time.
Get Your Free Wisconsin — Medicare Savings Program Eligibility Checklist
Download the Wisconsin — Medicare Savings Program Eligibility Checklist — a printable guide with checklists, scripts, and action plans you can start using today.