What to Know About Medicare Savings Programs

What are Medicare savings programs?

If your household income and resources fall below certain levels, you may qualify for one of five federally funded programs to help you pay Medicare costs.

这些计划是创建的，因为不是每个人都达到退休年龄，这是处理Medicare保费，经费等费的费用，等待的费用，经费，共同保险，扣除和处方药的成本。

2018年，美国人口普查局预测到2034年，77 million美国人将是65岁或以上。然而，在美国种族和族群之间存在一些退休收入的显着差异。

According to 2016 data analyzed by researchers at the美国联邦储备，只有34％的黑人家庭和30％的西班牙裔或拉丁裔家庭有退休账户，以帮助他们支付其生活费，而60％的白人家庭。

的gap in average net worth at retirement age is even wider: $933,000 for white families, compared with $138,000 for Black families and $191,000 for Hispanic or Latino families.

Medicare offers several savings programs for people with lower retirement income. These programs may make it easier to get good healthcare as you grow older. They’re run by医疗补助在你居住的状态。

How do I know if I qualify for Medicare savings programs?

这四项医疗保险计划由联邦政府资助，但在每个州的医疗补助运营：

• 合格的医疗保险受益人(QMB)program
• Specified Low-Income Medicare Beneficiary (SLMB)program
• Qualifying Individual (QI)program
• Qualified Disabled and Working Individual (QDWI)program

的income requirements for Medicare savings programs in2021are summarized in the following table:

Other facts to know about Medicare savings programs

• 医疗保健提供者可能不会收取您的费用。If you are in the QMB program, your healthcare providers aren’t allowed to bill you for the care you receive — Medicaid will pay them directly. If you are wrongly billed for a healthcare service, make sure the doctor knows you’re in the QMB program. Then, contact Medicare to let them know you’re being billed for the service.
• You must qualify.To qualify for the QDWI program, you must be disabled, working, and under 65 years old. If you went back to work and lost yourpremium-freeMedicarePart A coverage, and if you’re not getting medical help from your state right now, you may be eligible for the QDWI program.
• You must enroll each year.If you’re enrolled in Medicaid, you won’t be able to get QI benefits. If you apply for the QI program and you’re accepted, you’ll need to reapply every year.
• 在福利开始之前可能存在延迟。Once you’re accepted, it can take a couple of months before Medicaid begins paying your premiums. Medicaid will reimburse you for any premium payments you made while Medicaid was supposed to be paying.

How to apply for Medicare savings programs

If you’re eligible for Medicare and your income and resources are at or below the limit for a Medicare savings program, you can apply by contacting the Medicaid office in your state.

您应该在45天内收到有关申请状态的更新。如果医疗补助否认您的申请，您可能可以提出上诉。

Here are some steps you can take to apply for a Medicare savings program:

• Familiarize yourself with the kinds of questions you may be asked when you apply. The form is available in multiple languages.
• 在开始申请之前，请收集支持文档，如您的社会保障和Medicare卡，您的地址和公民身份证明，银行声明，IRA或401K陈述，纳税申报表，社会保障奖陈述和Medicare通知。
• To apply for the a program, you’ll need to contact your state Medicaid office. You can在线支票to find your state’s office locations, or call Medicare at 800-MEDICARE.
• Once you submit your application, you should receive a confirmation or denial within about 45 days. If you’re denied, you can request anappeal. Enrollment in any of these programs must be renewed each year.
• Reach out to your国家健康保险援助计划（船舶）如果您有任何疑问或需要额外的帮助。

Prescription drug Extra Help

If you qualify for the QMB, SLMB, or QI programs, you’ll automatically be enrolled in theExtra Help程序。这个职业gram will help you pay all the premiums, deductibles, and coinsurance for aMedicare Part Dprescription drug plan.

If you have Extra Help, you’ll always pay either your Extra Help copay or your Part D cost for your prescriptions, whichever is less.

It’s possible to get partial support from Extra Help. People with partial Extra Help pay lower premiums, deductibles, and copays. Plus, they pay just 15 percent of the cost of prescription medications until they meet their annualout-of-pocket limit.

Medicare Part D plans are offered by private insurance companies. Each insurer will have different requirements for which documents you need to provide to show your eligibility.

Some examples of the kinds of documentation you might be asked to provide include:

• 来自Medicare的通知说你有资格（紫色）
• 来自社会保障的额外帮助通知
• Medicare automatic enrollment notice (green/yellow)
• Medicare关于您的Copay（橙色）的变化的通知
• proof that you have Medicaid

Alternative ways to lower Medicare costs

Medigap (Medicare supplement)

Medigapplans are private insurance policies that help you pay your Medicare costs, including copays, coinsurance, and deductibles. You can choose from among 10 plans, and each plan offers the same coverage nationwide.

尽管如此，从2020年开始，您将无法注册支付您的Medigap计划B部分premiums as a new enrollee. To take a look at the different costs and coverage options, you can useMedicare’s plan compare tool.

医疗补助

这个职业gram is a health safety net jointly run by federal and state agencies. It offers the same services as Medicare, plus some additional benefits like nursing home care and personal care.

PACE

的Program for All-inclusive Care for the Elderly (PACE)can get you the medical care you need at a PACE center in your area, in your home, or in your community, so you don’t have to go to a nursing home.

Here are just a few of the services PACE beneficiaries may receive:

• adult day care
• 牙科
• 家庭护理
• hospital care
• 实验室工作
• 物理或职业治疗
• 社会工作咨询
• meals
• 医疗专业服务

PACE centers are not available everywhere. To find out if your state operates a PACE center near you, contact your state Medicaid office.

的takeaway

• Medicare储蓄计划帮助较低的收入支付医疗保险A和第B部分保费，扣除额度，减扣，经营和共同保险。
• 为了有资格，您的每月收入必须处于或低于每个方案的一定限​​度，您的家庭资源不能超过某些限制。
• If you qualify for one or more of these programs, you may also qualify for Extra Help. This program helps lower the cost of your prescription drugs.
• 虽然这些计划是联邦资助的，但它们由国家医疗补助计划进行。要申请，您可以在您所在的状态下联系医疗补助办事处或完成在线申请。
• 您还可以通过申请Medicaid，注册步伐或购买Medigap政策来削减您的Medicare成本。
• It may take some time to gather the necessary documentation and fill out the appropriate applications, but these savings programs could make it possible for you to get the healthcare you need at a cost you can afford.