Oklahoma Appendix C-1 Income Limits for Medicare Savings

What Appendix C-1 Is

Appendix C-1 is the Maximum Income, Resource, and Payment Standards document published by OKDHS. It's the official reference caseworkers use to determine eligibility for every Aged, Blind, and Disabled assistance category in Oklahoma — including all four Medicare Savings Program tiers.

The appendix is organized into numbered schedules. For Medicare Savings Programs, the relevant schedules are:

Each schedule lists the income ceiling and resource limit for individuals and couples, updated annually when the Federal Poverty Guidelines change.

The 2026 Numbers

These figures come from the 2026 Federal Poverty Guidelines plus the applicable percentage for each tier. Income figures include the standard $20 monthly unearned income disregard that OKDHS applies under OAC 317:35-5-42; QDWI figures also account for the earned-income disregards that apply to that group.

The asset limits for QMB, SLMB, and QI-1 are aligned with the national Extra Help (Part D LIS) standards, which CMS and SSA update annually. QDWI uses its own lower asset thresholds.

How Caseworkers Use the Numbers

When a caseworker processes your application, they compare your countable income and countable resources against these schedules — starting from the most generous tier. If you're over QMB limits, they check SLMB. If over SLMB, they check QI-1. This tiered evaluation is supposed to happen automatically, but some caseworkers stop at the first "over-income" result without checking the higher tiers.

The income calculation follows specific rules:

• Social Security: Gross RSDI amount with cents dropped to the lower whole dollar (the BENDEX cent-drop rule). If your benefit letter says $1,349.80, OKDHS counts $1,349.
• $20 disregard: Applied once per household to total unearned income
• Earned income: $65 exclusion plus half the remainder
• Adult child's income: Never counted (no deeming from adult children to aged parents)
• VA Aid & Attendance: Excluded from income
• In-kind support and maintenance: Excluded under streamlined MSP rules

Where to Find the Current Appendix

OKDHS publishes Appendix C-1 as part of its administrative policy manual. It's available as a PDF through the OKDHS policy website, but finding it requires navigating deep into the policy document structure — it's not prominently linked from the public-facing benefits pages.

The practical reality: most applicants never see Appendix C-1 directly. They rely on caseworkers to apply the correct numbers. This is why it helps to know the limits before walking into the DHS office — if the caseworker quotes different numbers, you can ask which schedule they're referencing.

When the Numbers Change

Appendix C-1 updates whenever the Federal Poverty Guidelines change, which typically happens in late January each year. The new guidelines take effect for MSP eligibility within a few months of publication.

For 2026, the poverty guideline for a one-person household in the contiguous 48 states is $1,330/month. QMB at 100% FPG + $20 = $1,350/month. SLMB at 120% FPG + $20 = $1,616/month. QI-1 at 135% FPG + $20 = $1,816/month.

If you're checking eligibility late in the calendar year, verify whether updated guidelines have been published — applying early in the year after a new guideline publication might qualify someone who was just over the limit the previous year.

The Oklahoma Medicare Savings Programs & Extra Help Guide includes the complete 2026 Appendix C-1 figures with worked examples showing exactly how OKDHS calculates countable income for different household types — single, married, separated, and parent living with an adult child.

See more Oklahoma guides →