Mississippi Medicare Savings Program: QMB, SLMB, and QI Explained

What Mississippi's Medicare Savings Programs Actually Cover

Mississippi runs three Medicare Savings Programs through the Division of Medicaid (DOM) — not MDHS, not your county welfare office. Each one helps with a different slice of Medicare costs, and the income cutoffs determine which tier you land in.

QMB (Qualified Medicare Beneficiary) is the most comprehensive. It pays your Part A premium, Part B premium, and all Medicare deductibles, coinsurance, and copayments. If your parent has QMB, no Medicare provider can legally send them a bill for cost-sharing — period.

SLMB (Specified Low-Income Medicare Beneficiary) covers the Part B premium only. In 2026, the standard premium is $202.90 per month, which stops coming out of the Social Security check.

QI (Qualifying Individual) also covers only the Part B premium, but it operates under a capped federal block grant. Applications are processed first-come, first-served, and people who had QI the previous year get priority.

2026 Income Limits for Each Program

Mississippi applies a $50 monthly income disregard when calculating countable income. DOM's published total monthly income limits reflect Mississippi's income policy.

Here's how the limits break down for 2026:

• QMB: Up to 100% FPL — total monthly income must be less than $1,380 for an individual or $1,854 for a couple.
• SLMB: 100–120% FPL — total monthly income must be less than $1,646 for an individual or $2,214 for a couple.
• QI: 120–135% FPL — total monthly income must be less than $1,846 for an individual or $2,485 for a couple.

Mississippi Has No Asset Test for MSPs

This is the detail that trips up more families than anything else. National websites — including medicare.gov — list federal asset limits of $9,950 for an individual. Those limits do not apply in Mississippi.

Mississippi eliminated the asset test for QMB, SLMB, and QI entirely under Section 1902(r)(2). Bank accounts, retirement funds, home equity, vehicles — none of it counts. The only thing DOM looks at is your monthly income.

The catch: this waiver applies only to standalone MSPs. If you're applying for full Medicaid, the E&D Waiver, or institutional nursing home coverage, strict asset limits ($4,000 individual) still apply.

How the Programs Differ from Full Medicaid

MSPs are not full Medicaid. QMB recipients receive a Medicaid card showing their QMB status, but QMB-Only, SLMB, and QI do not provide full Medicaid benefits for doctor visits, hospital stays, or prescription drugs. They pay specific Medicare costs — premiums, deductibles, and cost-sharing — and nothing more.

The exception is QMB-Dual, where someone qualifies for both full Medicaid and QMB. In that case, you get your Medicaid benefits plus QMB's Medicare cost-sharing coverage.

One more difference that matters for estate planning: MSP benefits are legally exempt from Medicaid estate recovery. Mississippi cannot place a lien on your parent's home for QMB, SLMB, or QI payments. Estate recovery only applies to long-term care services received at age 55 or older.

What to Do Next

If your parent's monthly income falls within these ranges, an MSP application through DOM could eliminate the standard Part B premium — $2,434.80 a year at the 2026 rate. The application goes through your local DOM regional office, not MDHS.

For a complete walkthrough of the application process, income calculations, and what to do if DOM sends a denial notice, the Mississippi Medicare Savings Programs & Extra Help Guide covers every step from eligibility check through renewal.

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