01

What New Jersey Medicare Savings Programs help pay

QMB can help eligible people with Part A and Part B premiums and Medicare-covered cost-sharing. NJ Aging Services SLMB and QI help with Part B premiums. NJ Aging Services The programs use their own income and resource rules. NJ Aging Services

02

New Jersey’s published annual income limits for 2026

Use the state figures as a screening reference, not a personal eligibility decision. NJ Aging Services Ask the program what income counts in your circumstances. NJ Aging Services Do not use an Extra Help or Medicaid limit in place of the applicable Medicare Savings Program limit. NJ Aging Services

Program (2026)Single annual incomeMarried annual income
QMB$15,960$21,640
SLMB$19,152$25,968
QI$21,546$29,214

Confirm current rules with NJ Aging Services.

03

Resources are a separate question

New Jersey lists resource limits of $9,950 single and $14,910 married (2026) for these programs. NJ Aging Services Not every possession should be assumed countable without reviewing program rules. NJ Aging Services Ask how your situation is evaluated through the official application. NJ Aging Services

04

QMB billing protection matters

Providers cannot bill a QMB member for Medicare-covered deductibles, coinsurance or copayments. Medicare Savings Programs Tell the provider about QMB status and ask for correction if a covered bill arrives. Medicare Savings Programs Costs for services Medicare does not cover are a different question. Medicare Savings Programs

05

Keep help with premiums separate from plan enrollment

An assistance decision does not tell you that a specific private plan is best for you. Continue to check doctors, drugs and how care is delivered. A premium benefit should not replace that review.

If a Part B deduction is expected to change, ask when the approved assistance will be reflected. Keep notices and payment records. Do not stop making required payments because an application is pending.

Use the cost worksheet only with confirmed amounts. If help is not yet approved, label it as unresolved rather than subtracting it from the budget. This keeps a planning estimate from looking like a benefit promise.

06

Check the connection to drug assistance

People receiving help from a Medicare Savings Program paying Part B premiums automatically qualify for Extra Help. Medicare.gov Extra Help addresses Part D costs under its own rules. Medicare.gov Read official notices so you learn which benefit has been granted. Medicare.gov

07

Applying through NJSave

New Jersey directs eligible residents to NJSave for screening and applications. NJSave It can identify more than one type of assistance. NJSave Review the official instructions before sending papers. NJSave

08

If you are close to a limit, ask rather than guess

Write down which income figure you are comparing and whether it is monthly or annual. Then ask the program which deductions or exclusions apply. A take-home paycheck and an annual program limit are not automatically comparable.

If your income or household circumstances change, ask whether a new review is appropriate. Keep the response and any filing deadline. This website cannot calculate countable income or determine eligibility.

Read NJ FamilyCare ABD if Medicaid coverage is also a question. Read PAAD and Senior Gold for state drug assistance. These guides are separate because the programs are not interchangeable.

09

Ask what happens after the decision

Keep the approval or denial notice with your application record. Read what it asks you to do next. If an answer is unclear, contact the program through its official number. Your worksheet here cannot replace that notice.

10

Use the notice to guide the next question

Read the program name at the top before reviewing an amount or date. Make a short list of what the letter says will happen next. Mark anything that you cannot explain in plain words.

Use those marked lines when you contact the state. Ask about one point at a time and write down the answer. If you need another office, keep its name and the reason for the referral beside the original letter.