If you do not have Medicaid Medicaid is a federal and state program that provides health coverage for certain people with limited income and assets. , Supplemental Security Income (SSI) Supplemental Security Income is a monthly benefit for people with limited incomes and assets who are 65 or older, blind, or have a disability. , or a Medicare Savings Program (MSP) Medicare Savings Programs (MSPs), also known as Medicare Buy-In programs, help pay your Medicare costs if you have limited income and savings. There are three main MSPs, each with different benefits and eligibility limits: Qualified Medicare Beneficiary (QMB), Specified Low-Income Medicare Beneficiary (SLMB), and Qualifying Individual (QI) program. The Qualified Disabled Working Individual (QDWI) program is a less common MSP for people who are under 65, have a disabling impairment, and continue to work. , you can apply for the Extra Help program through the using either the agency’s print or online application. (If you have Medicaid, SSI, or an MSP, you should be automatically enrolled in Extra Help.) To apply online, visit www.ssa.gov. Depending on processes in your state, this application can also serve to screen you for a Medicare Savings Program, which helps pay your Medicare costs. Be sure to complete the entire application and provide accurate information so you get all the benefits for which you qualify.
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Get Help Applying for Medicare Cost-Savings Programs
If you live in New York, the Medicare Rights Center can help you enroll in various Medicare cost-savings programs. Please answer a few questions to see if we can connect you with a trained benefits enrollment counselor.
Contact your local State Health Insurance Assistance Program
Each state offers a SHIP, partly funded by the federal government, to give you free counseling and assistance. A SHIP counselor may be available by phone or in person.
Visit www.shiptacenter.org to find your local SHIP office.
Contact your local State Health Insurance Assistance Program
Based on the information you provided, you do not appear to be eligible for Medicare cost-saving programs.
[glossary_exclude]Each state offers a State Health Insurance Assistance Program (SHIP), partly funded by the federal government, to give you free counseling and assistance. A SHIP counselor may be available by phone or in person.[/glossary_exclude]
Visit www.shiptacenter.org to find your local SHIP office.
You are on your way!
A trained counselor from the Medicare Rights Center will be in touch soon to discuss your options.
Click here to learn more about the various Medicare cost-savings programs.
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Remember, Extra Help reduces your prescription drug costs only for drugs covered by your Part D plan. If you do not have a Part D plan but are eligible for Extra Help, you can use the Special Enrollment Period (SEP)Â to enroll in Part D drug coverage.
If your application for Extra Help is denied, you can appeal to SSA. Your will have the opportunity to submit information about why you qualify when you appeal.