Medicare Savings Programs in New Hampshire

Last updated: 7 April 2026

Bottom Line: If you have Medicare and a low income in New Hampshire, the state may be able to pay your Medicare premiums and, in some cases, your deductibles and coinsurance through a Medicare Savings Program. In New Hampshire, this help runs through the regular Medicaid/DHHS system, usually through NH EASY or the state’s paper health coverage application, not through a separate senior-only MSP office.

New Hampshire’s rules are statewide, not county-by-county. What changes from Berlin to Nashua, Keene to Portsmouth, is where you get in-person help: DHHS District Offices and local ServiceLink counselors.

Emergency help now

• If you have Qualified Medicare Beneficiary (QMB) and a doctor, hospital, or debt collector is billing you for Medicare deductibles, coinsurance, or copayments, stop and call 1-800-MEDICARE (1-800-633-4227) right away.
• If you cannot afford your Medicare Part B premium, start an MSP application today through NH EASY or call DHHS at 1-844-275-3447.
• If you got a denial or closure notice, do not miss the deadline. New Hampshire’s appeal request form says most appeals must be received within 30 days.

Quick help box

• Fastest screen: Start at NH EASY.
• No computer: Call the DHHS Customer Service Center at 1-844-275-3447.
• Free local help: Call New Hampshire ServiceLink/SHIP at 1-866-634-9412.
• Wrong QMB bill: Call 1-800-MEDICARE and then ServiceLink.
• Need language or TTY help: DHHS says free language help is available at 1-844-275-3447, and TTY/TDD users can call 1-800-735-2964 or 711.

What Medicare Savings Programs are and why they matter for seniors in New Hampshire

Start with DHHS, not with your insurance company. In New Hampshire, Medicare Savings Programs are handled by the Bureau of Family Assistance inside the New Hampshire Department of Health and Human Services. The same state system that handles Medicaid and other public benefits also handles MSP applications, using NH EASY, DHHS District Offices, and the state paper application.

There is not a separate stand-alone New Hampshire MSP website or county-run MSP program. That matters because many seniors waste time calling Medicare Advantage plans, drug plans, or provider billing offices first. Those companies do not decide MSP eligibility. DHHS does.

These programs help with the part of Medicare that hurts many low-income retirees the most: the monthly Part B premium. For some people, especially those who qualify for QMB, the help is even bigger because it can also protect them from Medicare deductibles, coinsurance, and copayments for Medicare-covered services.

Important New Hampshire wording: state documents do not always use the same names you see on Medicare.gov. The federal Qualifying Individual (QI) level is often shown in New Hampshire materials as SLMB135 or QI/SLMB2. If a notice or worker uses one of those labels, ask whether they mean the federal QI level.

• Best immediate takeaway: Ask DHHS to screen you for all MSP levels, not just one.
• Major rule: New Hampshire’s MSP income and resource rules are statewide.
• Realistic obstacle: Missing proof of Medicare enrollment, bank balances, or life-insurance cash value can stall a case.
• Useful fact: New Hampshire’s SHIP counselors worked with more than 8,495 Medicare beneficiaries in 2022 and held more than 106 outreach events statewide, according to the state’s State Plan on Aging.
• Best next step: File through NH EASY or call 1-844-275-3447 and ask for Medicare Savings Program help.

QMB vs SLMB vs QI vs QDWI explained simply

QMB is the strongest protection. It is the only MSP level that blocks Medicare providers from billing you for Medicare cost-sharing on Medicare-covered services.

Program	What it pays	New Hampshire note	Who it usually fits
QMB (Qualified Medicare Beneficiary)	Part A premium if needed, Part B premium, and Medicare deductibles, coinsurance, and copayments for Medicare-covered services	New Hampshire provider rules say QMB-only members cannot be billed for Medicare crossover balances. Some people also have full Medicaid on top of QMB, sometimes called QMB-Plus in provider materials.	People with the lowest countable income who need the strongest billing protection
SLMB (Specified Low-Income Medicare Beneficiary)	Part B premium and late-enrollment premium penalties	Some SLMB members also have full Medicaid through another pathway.	People over the QMB line who still need help with Part B costs
QI (Qualifying Individual)	Part B premium and late-enrollment premium penalties	New Hampshire often labels this level as SLMB135 or QI/SLMB2. This level is yearly and limited by federal funding.	People above SLMB but still within the QI range, and not otherwise eligible for Medicaid
QDWI (Qualified Disabled and Working Individual)	Part A premium only	This is rare. It is mainly for people who returned to work and lost premium-free Part A.	Disabled workers under a special Medicare work-return rule

Income limits for seniors in this state

Use countable monthly income, not guesswork. Medicare.gov lists the current 2026 federal MSP screening limits below. New Hampshire’s latest public Bureau of Family Assistance chart that we found online is older, dated October 2024, and it uses a state net-income calculation after allowed deductions. That means a senior should not assume they are over the limit just because their gross Social Security, pension, or wages look too high on paper.

Program	2026 individual monthly income	2026 married-couple monthly income	2026 resource limit	State naming note
QMB	Up to $1,350	Up to $1,824	$9,950 individual / $14,910 couple	Same name in New Hampshire
SLMB	Over $1,350 up to $1,616	Over $1,824 up to $2,184	$9,950 individual / $14,910 couple	Same name in New Hampshire
QI	Over $1,616 up to $1,816	Over $2,184 up to $2,455	$9,950 individual / $14,910 couple	Often called SLMB135 or QI/SLMB2 in New Hampshire
QDWI	Up to $5,405	Up to $7,299	$4,000 individual / $6,000 couple	Rare working-disabled pathway

Those 2026 figures come from the official Medicare Savings Programs page on Medicare.gov. New Hampshire’s public BFA chart is still useful because it shows how the state thinks about countable monthly income, but the safest move is to apply and let DHHS run the actual calculation.

Asset limits and what counts toward the limit

New Hampshire still publicly uses resource limits for MSP screening. In plain language, resources are the things you already own, not your monthly income. For QMB, SLMB, and QI, the 2026 resource limit is $9,950 for one person and $14,910 for a married couple. For QDWI, the limit is $4,000 for one person and $6,000 for a couple, according to Medicare.gov and New Hampshire’s own BFA programs guide.

Usually counted: cash, checking and savings accounts, stocks, bonds, and the cash value of some life-insurance policies. Usually not counted: the home you live in, one car, household goods, personal items, and burial spaces. Some resources are more technical than they look, so if you have an IRA, extra real estate, or a life-insurance policy with cash value, ask DHHS or ServiceLink to review it before you assume the answer is no.

How married seniors are treated: if you live with your spouse, New Hampshire will usually need both spouses’ financial information even if only one of you is asking for help. If both spouses apply, DHHS uses the married-couple limit. If only one spouse applies, do not hide the other spouse’s information. That is one of the fastest ways to create a delay or denial.

Simple who-qualifies section for New Hampshire seniors

• You live in New Hampshire.
• You have Medicare, or in the case of QDWI, you meet the special working-disabled Medicare rule.
• Your countable monthly income is within the limit for one of the MSP levels.
• Your countable resources are within the limit for that program.
• You give DHHS the proof it needs, or you respond quickly when DHHS asks for more proof.

Important: New Hampshire seniors who look “a little over” on gross income can still be worth screening because DHHS uses program rules that can reduce countable income. That is why the state’s BFA chart talks about gross income, disregards, deductions, and a final net-income figure.

What this help actually looks like in New Hampshire after you apply

After approval, the state does the paying, not you. Once DHHS approves an MSP, New Hampshire begins the Medicare “buy-in” process for the premium the program covers. In real life, that means your Part B premium may keep coming out of your Social Security for a short time until the records update, then the withholding usually stops and any correction is handled through the federal system.

How approval works

DHHS reviews your application through the Bureau of Family Assistance. If something is missing, the state’s paper application says DHHS will follow up within 1 to 2 weeks. If approved, you should get a written notice. Keep it. Bring it to doctor visits until billing systems catch up.

How long approval usually takes

New Hampshire does not publish a simple MSP-only average approval time on the public pages we found. Straightforward cases usually move faster than cases missing documents, mixed Medicaid/MSP cases, or cases with hard-to-value resources. If you filed and have heard nothing after a couple of weeks, call 1-844-275-3447 and ask whether your case is waiting for proof.

What happens after approval

If you get QMB, you should start using both your Medicare card and your Medicaid/QMB card every time you get care. If you get SLMB or QI, the biggest day-to-day change is usually that the Part B premium stops coming out of your monthly Social Security check after the systems update.

Extra Help: Medicare.gov says people approved for QMB, SLMB, or QI also get Extra Help with Part D prescription costs. In 2026, Medicare.gov says covered-drug copays under Extra Help are no more than $12.65. Medicare.gov does not list automatic Extra Help as a QDWI benefit, so people with QDWI should ask separately about Part D Extra Help.

Best programs and options for New Hampshire

Qualified Medicare Beneficiary (QMB)

• What it is: The strongest Medicare Savings Program. It pays the Part B premium and can also cover Medicare deductibles, coinsurance, and copayments for Medicare-covered services.
• Who can get it or use it: Medicare beneficiaries with the lowest countable income and resources.
• How it helps: It lowers monthly Medicare costs and gives powerful billing protection. Medicare providers are not allowed to bill QMB enrollees for Medicare cost-sharing on Medicare-covered services.
• How to apply or use it: Apply through NH EASY, a DHHS District Office, or the paper application with the added MSP questions.
• What to gather or know first: Medicare card, Social Security award letter, recent bank statements, proof of residence, and any life-insurance policy with cash value.

Specified Low-Income Medicare Beneficiary (SLMB)

• What it is: A premium-help program for people above the QMB line.
• Who can get it or use it: People with Medicare Part A and Part B whose countable income is too high for QMB but still within the SLMB range.
• How it helps: In New Hampshire, provider rules say SLMB helps pay the Part B premium and late-enrollment premium penalties.
• How to apply or use it: Use the same DHHS process as QMB.
• What to gather or know first: Proof of both Part A and Part B, plus income and resource proof.

Qualifying Individual (QI), often called SLMB135 in New Hampshire

• What it is: The next premium-help layer above SLMB.
• Who can get it or use it: People who are over the SLMB line but still within the QI range and who do not qualify for another Medicaid benefit package.
• How it helps: It pays the Part B premium and usually triggers Extra Help for Part D.
• How to apply or use it: Apply every year. Medicare.gov says QI is first-come, first-served, with priority for people who had QI the year before.
• What to gather or know first: If New Hampshire uses the label SLMB135 on your notice, ask the worker to confirm whether that is your QI-level approval.

Qualified Disabled and Working Individual (QDWI)

• What it is: A narrow program for certain disabled people who returned to work and lost premium-free Medicare Part A.
• Who can get it or use it: Disabled workers meeting the federal QDWI rules.
• How it helps: It pays the Medicare Part A premium only.
• How to apply or use it: Use the same MSP route through DHHS.
• What to gather or know first: Work records, Medicare proof, and disability-related paperwork. Because QDWI is technical, ask DHHS to screen you even if you are not sure you fit.

NH EASY and the paper MSP application route

• What it is: New Hampshire’s main benefits portal and application system.
• Who can get it or use it: Seniors, caregivers, and adult children helping a senior.
• How it helps: It lets you apply, upload proof, and avoid some mail delays.
• How to apply or use it: Start at NH EASY. If you need paper, use the state’s Application for Health Coverage & Help Paying Costs. New Hampshire’s form says MSP and certain older-adult Medicaid programs require the added 800MA insert.
• What to gather or know first: If you only send part of the paper packet, DHHS may not screen the MSP correctly.

QMB billing protection if a provider bills you anyway

• What it is: A federal protection backed by Medicare and explained in New Hampshire’s own QMB wrongful billing tip sheet.
• Who can get it or use it: Anyone enrolled in QMB, including QMB-only and QMB-Plus members.
• How it helps: In New Hampshire, a QMB-only crossover claim can pay little or nothing from Medicaid if the service is not also a state Medicaid benefit, but the provider still may not bill the QMB patient for Medicare cost-sharing.
• How to apply or use it: Tell the provider you are in QMB, show both cards, ask for the bill to be corrected, and ask for a refund if you already paid.
• What to gather or know first: Save the bill, notice, date of service, and the name of the person you spoke with.

Free application help through ServiceLink and SHIP

• What it is: New Hampshire’s free aging and disability resource and Medicare counseling network.
• Who can get it or use it: Seniors, people with disabilities, caregivers, and adult children.
• How it helps: ServiceLink can explain MSP levels, help organize papers, and assist when a provider keeps billing a QMB enrollee.
• How to apply or use it: Call 1-866-634-9412 or use the official NH SHIP contact page.
• What to gather or know first: Bring your Medicare card, any DHHS notice, and any bill you do not understand.

How to apply for MSP in New Hampshire without wasting time

• Decide your route first: online through NH EASY, by phone at 1-844-275-3447, by paper form, or in person at a DHHS District Office.
• Use the right application: for MSP and other older-adult Medicaid categories, New Hampshire’s paper application says you need the added 800MA insert.
• Upload or submit proof with the application if you can: do not wait for DHHS to ask if you already have the documents.
• If you use paper, keep copies: the form lists the Centralized Scanning Unit, PO Box 181, Concord, NH 03301.
• Watch your mail fast: if DHHS asks for proof, answer right away.
• If you need help, do not guess: call ServiceLink at 1-866-634-9412 before you submit.
• After filing, follow up: if nothing arrives after a couple of weeks, call DHHS and ask whether the application was received and whether anything is still missing.

Application or proof checklist

• ☐ Medicare card showing Part A and Part B
• ☐ Social Security award letter or recent benefit statement
• ☐ Pension or retirement income proof
• ☐ Last 30 to 90 days of bank statements
• ☐ Proof of life-insurance cash value, if any
• ☐ Photo ID and New Hampshire address proof
• ☐ Marriage certificate or spouse information, if married
• ☐ Other health insurance cards, including Medicare Advantage or drug plan cards
• ☐ Wage stubs if still working
• ☐ Any bill, denial, or overpayment notice you want help fixing

Reality checks

• The names are messy. In New Hampshire, QI may show up as SLMB135 or QI/SLMB2. Many older adults think they were denied QI when the state actually approved the same level under a different label.
• QMB is not the same as full Medicaid. If you are QMB-only, you still can owe for services that Medicare does not cover at all.
• Portal and scanning delays happen. The fastest case is usually the one with complete proof attached on day one.
• Provider billing systems get this wrong. Keep your approval notice and do not assume the first bill is correct.

Common mistakes to avoid

• Using only gross income and deciding you are over the limit without letting DHHS calculate countable income.
• Applying for health coverage but skipping the MSP-related insert on the paper application.
• Forgetting spouse bank accounts or life-insurance information.
• Paying a QMB bill just to stop collection calls.
• Ignoring a DHHS verification notice because you already sent “something like that.”
• Assuming a Medicare Advantage plan decides MSP eligibility.

Best options by need

• If you keep getting doctor bills: QMB plus the New Hampshire QMB billing tip sheet.
• If your main problem is the monthly Part B premium: SLMB or QI/SLMB135.
• If you are a disabled worker who lost free Part A after returning to work: QDWI screening.
• If you are confused by forms or online steps: ServiceLink/SHIP before you submit.
• If you were denied because income is too high for full Medicaid: ask DHHS about In and Out Medical Assistance and also ask to be screened for MSP.

What to do if a doctor bills a QMB enrollee

Use New Hampshire’s own four-step tip sheet. The state’s official QMB wrongful billing handout tells seniors to:

• Tell the provider or debt collector you are in QMB and cannot be charged Medicare deductibles, coinsurance, or copayments for Medicare-covered services.
• Show both your Medicare and Medicaid/QMB cards every time you get care.
• Call 1-800-MEDICARE if the provider will not stop billing or refuses to refund money you already paid.
• Call ServiceLink at 1-866-634-9412 if you want a New Hampshire counselor to help work the problem.
• If the bill is already in collections, call the Consumer Financial Protection Bureau at 1-855-411-2372.

Ask for a refund. The New Hampshire tip sheet says you have the right to a refund for incorrect QMB payments you already made.

What to do if denied, delayed, or blocked

• Call DHHS first: 1-844-275-3447. Ask, “Was my application received? What verification is still missing? What exact program was I screened for?”
• Ask for the denial reason in plain language: income, resources, missing proof, Medicare status, or wrong form.
• Ask for supervisor review if the answer makes no sense.
• Get free help from ServiceLink: 1-866-634-9412.
• If you disagree with the decision, file a written appeal. New Hampshire’s appeal request form says the Department must receive most appeals within 30 days of the written notice.
• If you want benefits continued while an appeal is pending and your case type allows it, act fast. The appeal form says you generally must file within 15 days and contact the district office. Continued benefits are not available in every case.
• Where to send the appeal: you can submit it to your district office or to the Administrative Appeals Unit, Main Building, 105 Pleasant Street, Room 121C, Concord, NH 03301.
• Need accessibility at the hearing? New Hampshire instructions say to tell the state if you need interpreters, signers, or an accessible location. The provider manual also lists the Administrative Appeals Unit phone as 603-271-4292.

Plan B / backup options

• Apply for Part D Extra Help directly if you were denied MSP but still need drug-cost relief.
• Ask about In and Out Medical Assistance if full Medicaid was denied due to income but you have high medical bills.
• Ask to be screened for other older-adult Medicaid categories such as Old Age Assistance medical help if your finances are very limited.
• Review your Medicare plan choices with SHIP if the premium is only part of the problem.
• Ask hospitals and large provider systems about financial assistance for non-Medicare-covered bills you still owe.

Local resources for New Hampshire seniors

Rules are statewide, but help is local. New Hampshire has 11 DHHS District Offices and a statewide ServiceLink/SHIP network. If you cannot do online forms, use the phone or in-person route.

Resource	What it helps with	Contact
NH EASY	Online application and document upload	Apply through NH EASY
DHHS Customer Service Center	Application status, forms, phone help	1-844-275-3447
DHHS District Offices	In-person help across Concord, Manchester, Nashua, Keene, Conway, Laconia, Berlin, Littleton, Claremont, Rochester, and Portsmouth areas	Find a DHHS office
ServiceLink / NH SHIP	Free Medicare counseling, MSP help, QMB billing help	1-866-634-9412 or the official NH SHIP contact page
Medicare	QMB wrongful billing complaints and Medicare status checks	1-800-MEDICARE (1-800-633-4227)
Administrative Appeals Unit	Appeals after a denial, closure, or reduction	Appeal request form or 603-271-4292
Relay NH	TTY/TDD access	1-800-735-2964 or 711

Diverse communities in New Hampshire

Seniors with Disabilities

New Hampshire’s appeal instructions say you can ask for interpreters, signers, or an accessible hearing location. If phone access is easier than computer access, use DHHS at 1-844-275-3447, ServiceLink at 1-866-634-9412, or Relay NH at 1-800-735-2964 or 711.

Immigrant and Refugee Seniors

The state’s health coverage application says DHHS provides free help in languages other than English. Call 1-844-275-3447 and tell the representative which language you need. Do not rely on rumors about immigration-related eligibility. Ask DHHS or a trusted legal-services provider for a case-specific answer.

Rural Seniors with Limited Access

If you live far from Concord, Manchester, or another city, you do not have to do everything online. New Hampshire allows MSP-related help by phone, by mail, and through district offices and ServiceLink offices across the state. That matters for North Country and other rural seniors who cannot easily scan papers or make repeated trips.

Frequently asked questions

Does New Hampshire have its own special Medicare Savings Program, separate from Medicaid?

No. In practice, New Hampshire runs MSP through its regular DHHS/Medicaid system. The main tools are NH EASY, DHHS District Offices, and the state’s paper health coverage application, not a separate stand-alone senior benefits site.

Why does New Hampshire sometimes call QI “SLMB135” or “QI/SLMB2”?

That is a New Hampshire wording issue that confuses many people. State materials such as the BFA programs guide and other DHHS documents sometimes label the federal QI layer as SLMB135 or QI/SLMB2. If you see one of those names, ask the worker whether it is the QI-level premium help.

Do QMB, SLMB, and QI automatically give me Extra Help for prescriptions?

Yes for QMB, SLMB, and QI. The official Medicare.gov MSP page says those programs also give you Extra Help for Medicare Part D drug costs. QDWI is different, and Medicare.gov does not list automatic Extra Help as a QDWI benefit.

If I have QMB in New Hampshire, can a provider bill me anyway if Medicaid pays little or nothing?

No, not for Medicare cost-sharing on Medicare-covered services. New Hampshire’s provider billing rules say QMB-only members cannot be billed for crossover balances, and the state’s QMB billing tip sheet tells patients to ask for the bill to be corrected and refunded if they already paid.

How do married seniors apply in New Hampshire?

You can still apply if only one spouse wants MSP, but DHHS usually needs financial information for both spouses. If both spouses apply, the married-couple income and resource limits apply. If one spouse applies, the state may still ask about the non-applying spouse’s income and assets, so it is better to be complete the first time.

Do I have to reapply every year?

For QI, yes, because Medicare.gov says the QI program requires a yearly application and is limited by federal funding. For other MSP levels, New Hampshire can still require renewals or updated proof, so always open DHHS mail right away and return verification requests on time.

What should I do if New Hampshire denies my MSP application?

First, call DHHS at 1-844-275-3447 and ask for the exact reason. If you still disagree, use New Hampshire’s appeal request form. Most appeals must be received within 30 days, and some cases allow benefit continuation if you act within 15 days.

Where can I get free help in New Hampshire without hiring someone?

Call ServiceLink/SHIP at 1-866-634-9412. It is New Hampshire’s free Medicare counseling network. ServiceLink can help you compare the MSP levels, organize proofs, and work on wrong QMB bills with Medicare and providers.

Resumen en español

Si usted vive en New Hampshire y tiene Medicare con ingresos bajos, el estado puede ayudarle a pagar la prima de la Parte B y, en algunos casos, otros costos de Medicare por medio de un Medicare Savings Program. En New Hampshire, la solicitud normalmente se hace por NH EASY, por una oficina local de DHHS, o con la solicitud estatal en papel. No existe un programa separado manejado por el condado.

Si tiene QMB y un doctor o hospital le manda una factura por deducibles, copagos o coseguro de Medicare, no asuma que la factura es correcta. Use la guía oficial de New Hampshire sobre facturas indebidas para personas con QMB y llame a Medicare al 1-800-633-4227. Para ayuda gratis en New Hampshire, puede llamar a ServiceLink/SHIP al 1-866-634-9412. Si necesita ayuda en otro idioma, DHHS dice que ofrece asistencia lingüística gratuita al 1-844-275-3447. Si recibe una denegación, use el formulario oficial de apelación y no deje pasar el plazo.

About This Guide

This guide uses official federal, state, and other high-trust nonprofit and community sources mentioned in the article.

Editorial note: This guide is produced based on our Editorial Standards using official and other high-trust sources, regularly updated and monitored, but not affiliated with any government agency and not a substitute for official agency guidance. Individual eligibility outcomes cannot be guaranteed.

Verification: Last verified April 7, 2026, next review August 7, 2026.

Corrections: Please note that despite our careful verification process, errors may still occur. Email info@grantsforseniors.org with corrections and we respond within 72 hours.

Disclaimer

This article is for informational purposes only and is not legal, financial, medical, tax, disability-rights, immigration, or government-agency advice. Program rules, policies, payment amounts, naming conventions, and availability can change. Always confirm current details directly with the official program, agency, or contractor before acting.