Indiana QDWI Eligibility: Part A Premium Help for Working Disabled
A Medicare Savings Program Most People Have Never Heard Of
QMB, SLMB, and QI get most of the attention when people talk about Medicare Savings Programs in Indiana. But there's a fourth category — QDWI (Qualified Disabled Working Individual) — designed for a very specific group: disabled individuals under 65 who went back to work, lost their free Medicare Part A in the process, and now face a Part A premium they can't afford.
Who QDWI Is For
QDWI targets people in a narrow but real situation. Here's the typical path:
A person receives Social Security Disability Insurance (SSDI) long enough to qualify for Medicare (after 24 months of SSDI). They eventually return to work. Their earnings exceed the Substantial Gainful Activity threshold, and after the trial work period and extended eligibility period end, SSA terminates their SSDI benefits.
When SSDI ends, premium-free Part A coverage eventually stops too. The person can continue buying Part A, but the 2026 premium runs up to $518 per month. For someone earning modestly, that's an enormous cost just to maintain hospital coverage.
QDWI pays the Part A premium for these individuals so they can keep Medicare hospital coverage while working.
Indiana's 2026 QDWI Income and Asset Limits
QDWI has the most generous income threshold of any Indiana MSP category:
- Income limit: 200% FPL — $2,680 per month for a single individual, $3,627 per month for a married couple
- Asset limit: $4,000 single, $6,000 couple (lower than the QMB, SLMB, and QI limits)
The same income counting rules apply: DFR starts with gross income, applies the $20 general income disregard, then the $65-plus-half earned income disregard for wages. Since QDWI targets working individuals, the earned income disregards are especially relevant here.
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What QDWI Covers (and What It Doesn't)
QDWI pays only the Medicare Part A premium. It does not cover:
- Part B premiums (that's QMB, SLMB, or QI territory)
- Part A deductibles or coinsurance
- Part B deductibles or coinsurance
- Prescription drug costs
A person on QDWI still owes the Part B premium ($202.90 per month in 2026) and all standard Medicare cost-sharing. QDWI also doesn't automatically trigger Extra Help for Part D the way QMB, SLMB, and QI do.
If the person's income is low enough to qualify for QMB instead (under $2,015 per month for a single individual), QMB is the better program — it covers both the Part A and Part B premiums plus all cost-sharing. DFR evaluates applicants for all MSP categories, so if someone applies and qualifies for QMB, they'll be placed in QMB rather than QDWI.
How to Apply
The application process is the same as other MSP categories: file through the FSSA Benefits Portal at fssabenefits.in.gov, call DFR at 1-800-403-0864, or visit a local DFR county office. The applicant needs to document their disabled worker status and show that they lost premium-free Part A due to returning to work.
QDWI is categorized as MA G (MED 4) in Indiana's eligibility system. The Notice of Action will show this code if approved.
A Small Program With Real Impact
QDWI won't apply to most families navigating Medicare cost help in Indiana. But for the working disabled individual facing a $518 monthly Part A premium on modest earnings, it's the difference between keeping Medicare hospital coverage and dropping it.
The Indiana Medicare Savings Programs guide covers all four MSP categories — including QDWI — with the specific documentation DFR requires for each one and the eligibility worksheet that accounts for earned income disregards.
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