Medicare Savings Program Income Limits Maryland 2026

2026 Income Limits by MSP Tier

Maryland publishes its Medicare Savings Program income thresholds with the $20 monthly general disregard already built in. Use these published monthly limits when checking income:

QMB (100% FPL):

• Individual: $1,350/month
• Couple: $1,824/month

SLMB (120% FPL):

• Individual: $1,616/month
• Couple: $2,184/month

QI (135% FPL):

• Individual: $1,816/month
• Couple: $2,455/month

The thresholds already include the $20 disregard, so caseworkers should not subtract it again from your parent's income. If a screener says your parent is over the limit by a small amount, verify they aren't double-counting the disregard.

Resource Limits (All Three Tiers)

Maryland applies the same federal resource standard to QMB, SLMB, and QI:

• Individual: $9,950
• Couple: $14,910

Yes, Maryland does have an asset test for QMB. Unlike some states that have eliminated resource testing for MSPs, Maryland follows the federal limits set by the Medicare Improvements for Patients and Providers Act (MIPPA).

Resources are evaluated as of the first day of the calendar month. Bank statements covering that date are part of the application documentation.

What Doesn't Count as a Resource

Maryland exempts several asset categories from the MSP resource calculation:

• Primary home — excluded regardless of value, as long as your parent lives there or intends to return (the $752,000 equity limit applies to long-term care Medicaid, not MSPs)
• One vehicle — excluded regardless of market value
• Household goods and personal effects — all exempt
• Irrevocable burial contracts — fully exempt; revocable burial funds up to $1,500 per person if in a designated account
• Life insurance — term policies with no cash value are exempt; whole life policies are exempt if total face value does not exceed $1,500
• ABLE accounts — balances up to $100,000 are disregarded

These exemptions can reduce countable resources when exempt assets are included in a household's total property. A parent whose $12,000 in total assets includes an irrevocable prepaid funeral contract and a car may have less than $12,000 in countable resources because those items are excluded.

How Maryland Counts Income

Maryland uses SSI-style income counting under COMAR 10.09.24.07. The rules differ depending on the income type:

Unearned income (Social Security, pensions, VA benefits): Start with the gross amount — the full benefit before Medicare premium deductions or tax withholdings. Subtract the $20 general disregard. The result is countable unearned income.

Earned income (wages from active employment): Subtract $65 from gross earnings (plus any unused portion of the $20 disregard if unearned income is under $20). Divide the remainder by two. This earned income exclusion means a working senior can have substantially higher gross wages and still qualify.

Spousal income: For married couples living together, both spouses' income and resources are combined and compared to the couple thresholds. An adult child living in the same household has no impact — their income is never counted toward a parent's MSP eligibility.

The Maryland Medicare Savings Programs, Extra Help & SPDAP Guide includes a step-by-step eligibility worksheet that walks through these calculations for your parent's specific situation.

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