Medicare Extra Help

You may be able to get extra help to pay for the monthly premiums, annual deductibles, and co-payments related to the Medicare Prescription Drug program. However, you must be enrolled in a Medicare Prescription Drug plan to get this extra help.

2022 Extra Help

Income and Resource Limits

To qualify for Extra Help, your annual income must be limited to $20,385 for an individual or $27,465 for a married couple living together.

Even if your annual income is higher, you may still be able to get some help. Some examples where your income may be higher and you can still get Extra Help include if you or your spouse:

• Support other family members who live with you.
• Have earnings from work.
• Live in Alaska or Hawaii.

To qualify for Extra Help, your resources must be limited to $15,510 for an individual or $30,950 for a married couple living together. Resources include the value of the things you own.

Some examples are:

• Real estate (other than your primary residence).
• Bank accounts including checking, savings and certificates of deposit.
• Stocks.
• Bonds, including U.S. Savings Bonds.
• Mutual funds.
• Individual Retirement Accounts (IRAs).
• Cash at home or anywhere else.

What does not count as a resource? We do not count:

• Your primary residence.
• Your personal possessions.
• Your vehicle(s).
• Resources you couldn’t easily convert to cash, such as jewelry or home furnishings.
• Property you need for self-support, such as rental property or land you use to grow produce for home consumption.
• Non-business property essential to your self-support.
• Life insurance policies.
• Burial expenses.
• Interest earned on money you plan to use for burial expenses.

Certain other money you are holding is not counted for nine months, such as:

• Retroactive Social Security or Supplemental Security Income (SSI) payments.
• Housing assistance.
• Tax advances and refunds related to earned income tax credits and child tax credits.
• Compensation you receive as a crime victim.
• Relocation assistance from a state or local government.

You should complete this application for Extra Help on the Internet if:

• You have Medicare Part A (Hospital Insurance) and/or Medicare Part B (Medical Insurance); and
• You live in one of the 50 States or the District of Columbia; and
• Your combined savings, investments, and real estate are not worth more than $29,160, if you are married and living with your spouse, or $14,610 if you are not currently married or not living with your spouse. (Do NOT count your home, vehicles, personal possessions, life insurance, burial plots, irrevocable burial contracts or back payments from Social Security or SSI.) If you have more than those amounts, you may not qualify for the extra help. However, you can still enroll in an approved Medicare prescription drug plan for coverage.

EXCEPTION: Even if you meet these conditions, it is unnecessary to apply if you already have Medicare and Supplemental Security Income (SSI) or Medicare and Medicaid because you automatically will get the extra help.