QMB - Qualified Medicare Beneficiary program
SLMB - Special Low-income Medicare Beneficiary program

Examples of Assets ("resources") - what it means, and what proof do you need?

How do you apply (or appeal if you were denied)?

If you are an adult (or a couple) who has Medicare benefits, you may be eligible for assistance with additional medical expenses through the Maryland Medical Assistance Program. You may be eligible for:

full payment of your premiums, co-pays and deductibles as a Qualified Medicare Beneficiary (QMB), or
you may be eligible for payment of your premium only as a Specified Low Income Medicare Beneficiary (SLMB, SLMB 2 or QI 1), or
you may be eligible only for partial reimbursement of your premiums (SLMB 3 or QI 2).

Income Eligibility:

Eligibility for these benefits is based on the amount of your monthly income from Social Security, Veteran’s benefits, Civil Service Annuities, pensions and any other income or earnings. Your income must be below certain limits:

Qualified Medicare Beneficiary (QMB)
MONTHLY INCOME LIMITS: $777 Individual or $1,041 Couple
PROGRAM WILL PAY: Premiums, deductibles, and coinsurance

Specified Low-Income Medicare Beneficiary (SLMB)
MONTHLY INCOME LIMITS: $777-$930 Individual or $1,042-$1,248 Couple
PROGRAM WILL PAY: Medicare Part B premiums

Qualifying Individual (QI-1)
MONTHLY INCOME LIMITS: $1,041 Individual or $1,405 Couple
PROGRAM WILL PAY: Medicare Part B premiums

Qualifying Individual (QI-2)
MONTHLY INCOME LIMITS: $1,238 Individual or $1,661 Couple
PROGRAM WILL PAY: Program not Extended

*Effective April 1, 2004

Assets:

Eligibility also depends on the amount of money you have in the bank, as well as other assets such as stocks, bonds, real estate, or other investments. These financial resources must be below $4000 for an individual or below $6000 for a couple.

Assets, also called "Resources", mean:

Resources are assets or accumulated wealth available to a person. Assets mean any real or personal property an applicant owns. Assets include cash on hand and in savings and items that can be convened into cash such as stocks, bonds, and cash value of life insurance and/or real property. Assets can be either liquid or non-liquid.

Liquid assets are cash and other financial instruments such as stocks, bonds, bank accounts etc. that can be readily converted into currency.

Non-liquid assets include real and personal property. Real property means property that is fixed or immobile such as land and buildings. Personal property means all property That is not real property, such as motor vehicles, business property and household goods.

Examples of Assets ("resources") - what it means and what proof do you need?

RESOURCE	DEFINITION		VERIFICATION
Annuities	Contract which given person the right to receive periodic payments, either for life or for a specific period of time.		Annuity
Automobile	Passenger car or any other vehicle used to provide necessary transportation.		Title or registration.
Bank Accounts	Savings accounts, checking accounts, share accounts, draft accounts, investment accounts, and certificates of deposits and money market accounts.		Bank accounts statement, statement from financial institution, passbook, stock certificates or investment statements.
Burial Funds	A revocable burial contract, burial trust, or other burial arrangement, cash account or other financial instrument with a definite cash value designated for burial expenses.		Pre-need funeral contracts, savings account, stocks bonds or other liquid resources.
Burial Spaces	Gravesites such as burial plots, crypts, mausoleums, niches or other customary repositories for the deceased’s bodily remains.		Contract
Life Estate	A life estate, life interest or life use means that ownership of an asset, usually real property, is conveyed to one party, called the remainderman, under the condition that another is able to use the property for the duration of his/her life.		Deed
Life Insurance	A contract. The purchaser (owner) pays premiums to the company that provides the insurance (insurer). In return, the insurer agrees to pay a specific sum to a designated beneficiary		Policy
Life Insurance (cash surrender value- CSV)	. A form of equity that it acquires over time.		Policy or statement from the insurer.
Life Insurance (Dividends)	A share of any surplus company earnings, which the insurer may periodically pay the policy owner.		Statement from the insurer.
Life Insurance (face value)	The amount of basic death benefit contracted for at the time the policy is purchased. The face page of the policy may show it as such or as the "amount of insurance," "the amount of this policy," "the sum insured," etc.		Policy
Real Estate		Property that is owned by the applicant(s) but in which they are not residing	Deed and current tax assessment or appraisal for non-home property
Trusts		Legal arrangement in which income or assets are set aside for the benefit of one or more persons.	Trust document that lists all assets originally and currently deposited in the trust.

How do you Apply?

You can call Senior Information & Assistance in your area for information about applying

You can go to your local Department of Social Services and file an application

If you have previously applied and were denied:

More than 90 days ago - you can re-apply.

Less than 90 days ago - You can file an appeal at the Department of Social Services and call your local Legal Services program to see if they can represent you in the appeal.

Page created by Legal Aid Bureau, Inc., based on information from the Maryland Department of Aging

Date of last review:

QMB - Qualified Medicare Beneficiary program SLMB - Special Low-income Medicare Beneficiary program

Assets, also called "Resources", mean:

Examples of Assets ("resources") - what it means and what proof do you need?

QMB - Qualified Medicare Beneficiary program
SLMB - Special Low-income Medicare Beneficiary program