Help paying for Medicare exists. Use it.

Some of the most rewarding calls we take start with an apology: I am embarrassed to ask, but Medicare costs more than I can manage. Do not be embarrassed; be informed. You funded these programs for decades. Here is what exists and who qualifies.

Medicare Savings Programs: the Part B premium killer

MSPs are state-run programs that pay Medicare costs for qualifying incomes, and the flagship benefit is enormous: having your $202.90 monthly Part B premium paid for you, which is over $2,400 a year back in your pocket. Several MSP tiers exist (QMB, SLMB and QI, in rising income order), with the most generous also covering deductibles and coinsurance. Income and asset limits adjust annually and vary by state; the only sensible move is screening, not guessing.

Extra Help: prescription costs, subsidized

Extra Help (the Low-Income Subsidy) reduces Part D premiums, wipes or shrinks the deductible and caps copays at a few dollars per prescription. Since 2024 it operates at full strength for everyone who qualifies, and qualifying automatically opens a Special Enrollment Period to fix a bad drug plan. Apply through Social Security; approval also usually ends any Part D late penalty going forward.

Dual eligibility: Medicare plus Medicaid

Qualify for both programs and a purpose-built category opens: D-SNP plans, typically $0 premium with dental, transportation, grocery and over-the-counter benefits stacked in, because Medicaid handles the cost-sharing Medicare leaves. Jason has walked clients through Medicaid approvals personally; the paperwork is beatable, and the outcome changes households.

Who should get screened (hint: more people than expect it)

• Anyone whose income is roughly under $2,000 a month single or $2,700 married should check MSP tiers this year.
• Anyone choosing between prescriptions and groceries, regardless of what they assume they earn.
• Anyone recently widowed, retired or hit by a medical event; eligibility follows current circumstances, not last decade's.

How to actually do it

Three doors, all free: your state Medicaid office for MSPs, ssa.gov for Extra Help, and your state SHIP program (SHINE here in Florida) for unbiased counseling. Or the fourth door: call us and we will run the screening as part of a normal review, quietly and without ceremony. It takes minutes, and dignity is included at no charge.