Washington State Help Paying Medicare Premiums: Programs That Cover Part B Costs
$202.90 Per Month — That's What Washington Can Cover
The standard Medicare Part B premium in 2026 is $202.90 per month — $2,434.80 per year, withheld directly from your Social Security check before you see a penny. For someone living on $1,500 a month in Social Security, that's 13.5% of their income going straight to Medicare before rent, food, or prescriptions.
Washington's Medicare Savings Programs can eliminate that deduction entirely. Three of the four MSP tiers — QMB, SLMB, and QI-1 — pay the Part B premium, and QMB goes further by covering Part A premiums, deductibles, and all cost-sharing.
Who Qualifies for Premium Help
Eligibility comes down to your countable monthly income. Washington applies a $20 unearned income disregard to your gross income before comparing it to the limits below (2026 figures, effective April 1):
- QMB (full coverage): up to $1,463/mo single, $1,984/mo couple
- SLMB (Part B premium): up to $1,596/mo single, $2,165/mo couple
- QI-1 (Part B premium): up to $1,835/mo single, $2,490/mo couple
If your gross Social Security check is $1,855 or less per month and you have no other income, you likely qualify — because the $20 disregard brings your countable income to $1,835, right at the QI-1 ceiling.
Washington Does Not Count Your Assets
This trips up more families than anything else. Washington eliminated the asset test for all Medicare Savings Programs under WAC 182-517-0100. Your savings account balance, retirement funds, home equity, and investments are completely irrelevant to MSP eligibility.
A separate SSA application for Extra Help has federal resource limits of $11,190 for a single person and $22,340 for a couple, plus burial allowances. Those limits do not apply to Washington MSPs. If someone told your parent they "have too much in the bank," get a second look — Washington does not count assets for MSP eligibility.
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What Happens When You're Approved
Once DSHS approves the MSP, it sends an electronic buy-in record to CMS. Within 60 to 90 days:
- SSA stops withholding the $202.90 Part B premium from the Social Security check
- SSA reimburses any premiums withheld during the processing period
- For SLMB and QI-1, reimbursement can reach back up to three calendar months before the application month
The premium savings show up as a larger deposit in your bank account or a bigger paper check — the full Social Security benefit without the Medicare deduction.
Premium Help Unlocks Prescription Help Too
Approval for QMB, SLMB, or QI-1 automatically triggers deemed eligibility for Medicare Part D Extra Help. That means your Part D deductible drops to $0 and prescription copays cap at $5.10 for generics and $12.65 for brand-name drugs. No separate application to SSA needed.
How to Apply
Apply through Washington Connection (washingtonconnection.org), call DSHS at 1-877-501-2233, or submit Form HCA 13-691 by fax or mail. The full process — including income worksheets and a document checklist — is covered in the Washington Medicare Savings Programs & Extra Help Guide.
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Download the Washington — Medicare Savings Program Eligibility Checklist — a printable guide with checklists, scripts, and action plans you can start using today.