2026 income and asset limits for QMB, SLMB and QI
Each program's income limit is a share of the federal poverty level. As listed on the Los Angeles County Department of Public Social Services page we read on November 2, 2026, the 2026 monthly limits are: QMB, up to 100 percent, $1,330 for one person and $1,804 for two; SLMB, up to 120 percent, $1,596 and $2,165; and QI, up to 135 percent, $1,796 and $2,436. Assets count as well. Since January 1, 2026, Medi-Cal again asks what you own if you are 65 or older or have a disability, and the limit is $130,000 in countable assets for one person, $195,000 for two, and $65,000 more for each additional household member. Your home, your main vehicle, household items and retirement funds that already pay you regularly are not counted. Medicare.gov adds that these limits go up each year and that some states do not count certain types or amounts of income or resources when they decide who qualifies. QI has two rules of its own: you apply again every year, and states approve it on a first come, first served basis, with priority for people who had QI the year before.
How to apply in Los Angeles County
The Medicare Savings Programs are part of Medi-Cal, so in Los Angeles County you apply through the Department of Public Social Services, known as DPSS. The county gives three ways to apply: online at BenefitsCal.com, which it calls the easiest and quickest; by phone, calling the DPSS Customer Service Center at (866) 613-3777 to have an application mailed to you; or in person at any DPSS district office or outreach site. To qualify you must live in California, be entitled to or already receiving Medicare Part B, and be a citizen or have a satisfactory immigration status, and the county may ask you to verify your income. Be ready to list what you own, because the county now asks about assets when you apply and when you renew. Once you are approved, your Medi-Cal eligibility is renewed at least once a year, and QI has to be applied for again every year. If you would like someone to go through the form with you, call Lara Goulson at (818) 472-5484, at no cost to you.
Extra Help comes with it
Each of the three programs brings Extra Help with it: Medicare.gov says that if you qualify for QMB, SLMB or QI, you also get Extra Help paying for your prescription drugs. CMS sets the most a person in these programs pays for each covered drug. In 2026 that is $5.10 for a generic and $12.65 for any other covered drug, with no drug deductible, and in 2027 it is $5.80 and $14.40, the amounts in the CMS rate announcement of April 6, 2026. The caps apply to each drug your Medicare drug plan covers, whichever plan you choose.
What it changes when you choose a plan for 2027
Being in one of these programs does not tie you to a particular plan, but it changes what a plan costs you. The program keeps paying your Part B premium, and a Medicare Advantage plan requires you to keep Part B with that premium paid, so compare each plan's own premium, its doctors and hospitals, and its drug list. With QMB, Medicare providers may not bill you for services and items Medicare covers, including deductibles, coinsurance and copays, although you may get a bill for a small Medi-Cal copay if one applies; show both your Medicare card and your Medi-Cal card each time you get care. Most people with Medicare can change their drug coverage only at certain times of the year. With the Extra Help these programs bring, Medicare.gov says you can switch Medicare drug plans, or leave a Medicare Advantage plan with drug coverage for Original Medicare and a stand-alone drug plan, once a calendar month, and the change takes effect on the first day of the next month. That option is not open to people a plan has identified as at risk, or potentially at risk, under a Part D drug management program; the plan sends a letter if it has.
Medi-Medi plans in Los Angeles County for 2027
Medi-Medi is the everyday name for having both Medicare and Medi-Cal, and the plans built for it are Dual Eligible Special Needs Plans, or D-SNPs. CMS's 2027 plan list, the Landscape file last updated on October 18, 2026, shows 8 D-SNPs in Los Angeles County, all of them HMO plans, offered by 7 parent organizations, out of 54 Special Needs Plans of every kind in the county. According to Medicare.gov, people with full Medi-Cal can join or switch to an integrated D-SNP once a calendar month if one is available where they live; it also notes that not all D-SNPs are integrated, suggests asking a plan how it works, and says 1-800-MEDICARE can give you a list of the integrated ones. Before you choose, check that your doctors, your hospital and your prescriptions are covered. Lara Goulson compares the plans available in your ZIP code at no cost: call (818) 472-5484.
Apply even if you think your income is a little too high
The limits rise every year and some income and assets are not counted, so the only way to know is to apply. If you would like a second pair of eyes on your numbers first, call Lara Goulson at (818) 472-5484.
Questions about the Medicare Savings Programs? Call Lara Goulson at (818) 472-5484.
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