Medicare Savings Programs in Nevada

If you're new to these programs, start with how Medicare Savings Programs work. Nevada's other offices are on Medicare help in Nevada.

If the $202.90 taken out of your Social Security check is what stands between you and the power bill, start here. In Nevada, these programs matter even more than they do in most other states. Full Medicaid at 65 is mostly limited to people on Supplemental Security Income (SSI). So a savings program is often the help you can get. DSS decides, and you apply at accessnevada.nv.gov.

You may qualify if

• You have Medicare and live in Nevada.
• Your countable income is under $1,796 a month if you live alone, or $2,435 as a couple. That's the top limit, and QMB's is lower.
• Your savings are under $9,950, or $14,910 as a couple. Your home and one car don't count.

Not sure you qualify? Apply anyway, because DSS takes $20 and part of any work pay off your income before it compares. If you would rather not do it alone, a Pair Team advocate can check with you in one call.

What each program pays for in Nevada

These limits are from DSS's 2026 chart, and DSS subtracts $20 from your income first, plus $65 and half the rest of any work pay, its manual says. So with only Social Security, one person can have $1,350 and still get QMB.

All three programs also get you Extra Help with prescription costs, and you don't need a separate form, Medicare.gov says.

When does the help start?

QMB starts the first of the month after DSS approves you, DSS says. SLMB and QI start the month you apply and can pay up to three months before that. QI is paid for with a set amount of federal money each year, and DSS says it ends if Nevada's share runs out. That's one more reason to apply early in the year.

If the $202.90 still comes out of your check a few months after approval, call DSS and ask them to check your start date.

How much can I have in savings?

You can have up to $9,950 in savings for one person, or $14,910 for a couple, in 2026, the federal limit the National Council on Aging lists. DSS's online manual still shows the lower 2024 limits, $9,430 and $14,130. If your savings fall between the two, apply anyway and ask DSS to use the 2026 limit. Savings means cash, bank accounts, stocks and property, but your home and one car don't count.

Can I get Nevada Medicaid too?

You can have QMB and full Medicaid together, and many people do. But in Nevada, full Medicaid at home usually means getting SSI, which pays up to $1,030.40 a month for one person in 2026. See Medicare and Medicaid in Nevada.

How to apply

1. Get your papers together. DSS will want your Medicare card, your Social Security letter, a photo ID and your latest bank statements.
2. Apply online at accessnevada.nv.gov. Or fill out form 2920-EM, the Application for Assistance, in English or Spanish from the DSS site. The form lists these programs as Qualified Medicare Beneficiaries.
3. Send it in. Mail the form or bring it to a DSS office. DSS doesn't require an in-person interview, its manual says.
4. Get free help if you want it. The Medicare Assistance Program (MAP), Nevada's free Medicare counseling, is at 1-800-307-4444, and its counselors can help with the form. MAP and Pair Team don't sell plans.
5. Wait for the answer. DSS has 45 days to decide.
6. Renew on time. Send back every renewal DSS mails you, and for QI, sign up again each year.

If you have QMB, no one can bill you for Medicare copays

If you have QMB, no doctor, hospital or pharmacy may bill you for Medicare copays. That's the law, the Centers for Medicare & Medicaid Services (CMS) says, even in a Medicare Advantage plan. If a bill comes anyway, don't pay it yet. Call the billing office and say you're a Qualified Medicare Beneficiary. If they keep billing you, call 1-800-MEDICARE (1-800-633-4227).

If you are turned down

You have 90 days from the date on your notice to ask DSS for a hearing in writing. Hearings are held by phone for now, and the hearings office is at 702-486-1910.

What a Pair Team advocate does

In Nevada, many people who call us about Medicare costs are also behind on a power bill or waiting on a DSS letter. This is what we do:

• Figure out in one call which program you can likely get.
• Help you apply on Access Nevada or fill out form 2920-EM, then call DSS until you have an answer.
• Help you fix copay bills you should not have gotten, and get money back if you paid.
• Help with what usually comes with it: food benefits, power bill help, rides and housing.

An advocate is covered by Medicare if you qualify. It takes two minutes to find out.

Check if you qualify for a Pair Team advocate

Frequently asked questions

What is the QMB income limit in Nevada in 2026?

The QMB income limit in Nevada in 2026 is $1,330 a month for one person and $1,804 for a couple. That's after DSS takes the first $20 off your income.

Is Senior Rx still around in Nevada?

Senior Rx is not around anymore in Nevada. The state ended Senior Rx and Disability Rx on December 31, 2023, its Aging and Disability Services Division says. Extra Help, which comes with every Medicare Savings Program, now does much of that job, and MAP can check you for it.

I'm married. Which limit do I use?

If you're married and live together, you use the couple limit. DSS counts both of your incomes and savings, its manual says.

What if I make a little too much?

If you make a little too much, apply anyway, because DSS takes $20 off and doesn't count about half of any work pay. The SLMB and QI limits are higher than QMB's.

Will Nevada take this money back from my estate?

Nevada can't take this money back from your estate. Federal law does not let states recover what a Medicare Savings Program paid for your Medicare costs, Medicaid.gov says.

Sources

• Income Limit Charts, Nevada Division of Social Services
• Medicare Beneficiaries, Nevada Division of Social Services
• Apply for Assistance (Medicaid), Nevada Division of Social Services
• Medical Assistance Manual, sections D-300, E-200, E-400 and G-100, Nevada Division of Social Services
• Administrative Adjudications Unit, Nevada Division of Social Services
• Medicare Assistance Program, Aging and Disability Services Division
• Senior Rx, Aging and Disability Services Division
• Medicare Savings Programs, Medicare.gov
• Qualified Medicare Beneficiary (QMB) Program, CMS
• 2026 Medicare Parts A and B Premiums and Deductibles, CMS
• Estate Recovery, Medicaid.gov
• Medicare Savings Programs, National Council on Aging
• Supplemental Security Income in Nevada, Publication 05-11106, Social Security Administration